“Or we could go out.”
“What movie do you want to wat--”
The hotel door closing behind me cut off their voices. And while I figured it would bring me relief, it didn’t. I felt more tense than ever. I followed Mike to the adjacent door, where he unlocked it and ushered me in.
Holy fuck, their room was much bigger than ours.
“I see you were holding out on us.”
Mike snickered. “Hey, this is Allison and my first time alone like this. Away from parents. I wanted to spoil her a bit.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I remember that stage.”
He sighed. “After some sleep, we can all talk with a clear head. I know Rae feels like shit. But she should feel like shit for a little bit before we fix it. Maybe she just has to learn the hard way.”
“Maybe so.”
“Bathroom’s over there. Use it however long you want. But don’t expect some movie night with treats. My ass is grass, and I need sleep.”
I chuckled. “Thanks. Don’t worry, I’m passing out after a hot shower, too.”
“Good. Hope you don’t snore.”
“Rae’s never said I do. So…”
“So, fall asleep first. Got it.”
I shook my head as a smile crossed my face. Leave it to Mike to cheer me up with some stupid-ass joke. I walked over and patted his shoulder before making my way to the bathroom. I heard the shower calling my name. I paused, gazing around the bathroom. The damn thing was three times the size of ours next door. I closed the door and shed my clothes, then walked beyond the swinging glass door.
I could’ve lain down on the damn floor and gone to sleep, it was so big.
I fiddled with the knobs until that hot water battered against my muscles. It stung at first. Then I adjusted. I felt the stench of the night rushing down my body and swirling down the drain as I soaked myself. My hair dripped into my face. I closed my eyes and let it run over me. I opened my mouth and filled it with the hot water, then gurgled. Multiple times.
Washing the beer from my teeth.
I washed everything twice. My hair. My body. My feet. My hands. The achiness of my bruises went away, and my back fell against the wall. I slid down to the bottom, extending my legs. Resting. Relaxing. Trying to center myself.
I hadn’t felt this off-kilter since my last fight with my father.
Fucking hell, Rae.
I didn’t know what this meant for us. Or if there was an ‘us’ any longer. All I knew was that I needed to relax enough to sleep. I needed to stay away from the parties and the weed. Just in case any of those jobs called me back for an interview.
Shit, the interviews.
Should I still interview around town?
I slid down the wall until my back fell against the floor. I gazed up at the ceiling as steam enveloped me. I didn’t know what to do any longer. I mean, I had passed out my resume because I wanted to surprise Rae with it. Getting a job around here so I could move with her. So I could be with her. So I could be next to her and cheer her on instead of having to commute an hour just to see one another.
But if we broke up, what was the point?
What was the point of any of it?
27
Raelynn
“Okay, that’s it. There you go. Get it out, Rae.”