Shut the fuck up.
Miss. Lavoie would be proud, I think.
I turn around,and my reflection in the mirror strikes me like a slap to the face. A rush of panic seizes my chest as I take in the sight. My hair is a mess of tangled, dead leaves. Face smudged with dirt, streaked mascara, scratches and smeared blood. My clothes are torn and caked with mud. I look and feel like shit.
I hiss through my teeth as I peel off my shirt, every movement tugging at raw, stinging skin. The acid burns on my shoulder, and my hands are angry and blistered, pulsing with heat. I rummage through the cabinet with trembling fingers until I find the basics: rubbing alcohol, gauze, and medical tape.The burn screams as I clean it, the sting sinking deep into my nerves. I bite back a whimper and press the gauze to my skin, wrapping it tight. Every tug of tape feels like punishment, but I keep going, forcing myself through it.
Bandaged and breathless, I stare in the mirror at the girl in her pitiful black camisole. She doesn’t look like a fighter; she looks like the ghost of someone she knew.
Memories crash down with brutal clarity. Flashes of the grotesque creature flood my mind. The way it loomed over me. Its eyes are empty and inhuman. Its breath is thick with the stench of decay. My pulse spikes as the fear from that moment clamps down on my chest, tight enough to steal my breath. The images blur, but the truth remains, clear and cold. I went on a date with a fucking pig, and I didn’t even see it coming.
What a shitty night.
But it’s the memory of my father, bleeding, that breaks me. Barely hanging on. That image knocks the air out of me. The grief comes fast, brutal.
I can’t breathe.
My chest rises and falls in shallow gasps as everything crashes down on me. Tears well up, hot and unstoppable, but I don’t bother wiping them away. What would be the point?
They fall silently, unnoticed.
I crumble to the floor, my body shaking with sobs that tear through me like a storm. This isn’t a nightmare. It’s real, and there’s no waking up from it.
I am drowning.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t?—
A sudden bang on the bathroom door slices through the haze, snapping me back to the present.
“Hey! You okay in there?” Kai’s voice calls out, his tone sharp with irritation, like he doesn’t have the patience for any of this but can’t quite ignore it either.
I draw in a deep, shaky breath. “Yeah, I’m good,” I rasp, my voice hoarse and heavy with everything I’m trying to bury. “Almost done,” I add quickly, before he can remind me the clock’s still ticking.
I force myself up. There’s no time for a proper shower, so I settle for a hot cloth to wash my face. My scorched skin makes every movement slow and clumsy, but I welcome the sting. The pain is sharp, grounding. Something real to hold on to, killing the numbness.
In a hurry, I gather my toiletries. Some might call it trivial, but I couldn’t care less. I need something familiar, a routine to distract me before I'm thrown into whatever hell is waiting for me. And besides, finding the right products for my hair isn't exactly easy. A flicker of determination sparks to life inside me. With a shaky breath, I open the door and apprehend whatever comes next.
I find myself face-to-face with Kai. He’s standing in the dim hallway, his presence swallowing up the space around him. His body radiates a wall of tension, one that hums in the air and sends a ripple down my spine. His eyes find mine, and for a heartbeat, something flickers. Etched beneath the surface, it stirs something in me, a strange pull of déjà vuI can’t quite name. But before I can grasp it, the moment vanishes, buried by the return of what I figure is his trademark arrogance. Kai crosses his arms over his chest, posture sharp with his hard exterior.
“All freshened up, Princess? Gotta say, the grunge look doesn’t quite suit you.” His tone is clipped, almost dismissive. “Let’s not linger.” I shoulder past him, but he barely moves, andthe impact sends a jolt of pain through my shoulder. I wince inwardly.
Note to self: don’t try that again.
“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about your attitude,” I fire back as I step into my room. “But hey, everyone’s got their flaws.”
My eyes land on the gym bag resting on the bed, a neat stack of folded clothes beside it. I pause, a silent question in my gaze as I glance back at Kai.
“In a rush, remember?” he mutters without looking at me, his voice carrying a hint of impatience as he makes a ‘hurry up’ motion with his gloved hand.
I roll my eyes.
Fucking control freak.
