“Move out of my way, Damian.”
“Nora, no. You’re hurt, and...”
“You’re the one who hurt me!” I yell, ignoring all the people in the lobby. “I’ve had broken bones and a hundred wounds, but never have I ever been in pain like now! You took me for an idiot, Damian!Now, out of my way!”
As I yell those last words, he brutally retreats oddly, like he’s pushed back or something. I don’t even care. I run out in the lobby, with a lot of people staring at me. I must be looking crazy... I try to wipe out my flowing tears, I can barely see in front of me, I’m so angry, sad, and confused. I bump into someone, a man. I try to step aside and go on my way, but before I can make two steps, he suddenly grabs my arm.
“...Queen Diane?”
What the...?
He looks at me, his eyes confused. Who is this guy? I shake my head and elude him, running away. I run to the entrance of the hotel, to outside where it’s pouring. I hate the rain... I keep walking anyway. I don’t care about the rain or the cold, I just want to put as much distance as possible between Damian and me. I don’t want him following me or something.
After a while of walking and crying, I finally stop. Gosh, I have no idea where I am... And Liam kept my phone, too. Who would I call anyway? I don’t want to see any of them, they all lied to me all this time! The Black Brothers, even the siblings! Who can I trust now?
Suddenly, I remember Elena. I’m so agitated that it takes me a while to mind-link her, though.
“...Nora? Nora, why are you crying? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Elena, can I come to your place? I have nowhere to go.”
“What? But what about your...?”
“I’m not going back there.”
I know she can feel my distress. I’m tired, cold, and angrier than I have ever been. And even sadder than that.
“Okay, okay. Do you know where you are? We will come and get you, okay?”
After a couple more streets, I finally find the name of a nearby restaurant to give her.
They arrive ten minutes later, in a car. Elena takes me to sit with her in the back seat, covering me with a thick blanket they brought. A blonde guy is driving, probably her friend Daniel. His human form is different from what I expected. He is thin, tall, and has a rather pretty face, with blue eyes and small, round glasses. With his little goatee and fold-oversweater, he looks like a bit of a bookworm. He starts the engine, and Elena turns to me, handing a tissue.
“Nora... What happened?”
“Wait, it smells like blood, babe,” says Daniel.
Elena looks down, and we both see my injured feet. Gosh, I didn’t even realize I was cut.
“Oh, my Goddess, Nora!”
The broken glass from earlier pierced my shoes and cut me all over. My previously white shoes are now covered in red. Oh... I didn’t even feel any pain, I was too angry. Now that I’m staring at it, it does feel quite painful. I sigh, too tired to even react to this. Elena, however, looks deeply concerned.
“Danny, you think you can handle that? Or do we take her to the hospital?”
He looks over his shoulder a couple of times, inspecting my wound, and frowns. Oh right, Daniel is a medicine student, isn’t he?
“It should be okay, but we need to disinfect it quickly.”
“My Goddess, Nora... What happened to you?”
I start explaining everything. I start crying again in the middle of it, with my chest and heart being painful. Elena and Daniel stay silent. She pats my back, looking deeply concerned. When I’m done talking, we have entered a part of the city that I don’t know at all.
“...Men are jerks.”
“Not helpful, Danny,” sighs Elena. “Nora, I’m so sorry about what you went through tonight, really. But don’t worry, okay? Tonight, you can stay at our place, have a good sleep, and calm down. And we can talk about it tomorrow when you feel better, okay?”
“What is there to talk about? She needs to ditch the guy andbasta.”
