"Fucking unbelievable. Just deny it, Raya. Damn it! That's all I'm asking," I yell, waiting for her to turn around, but she doesn't.
The girl who made love to me last night is walking away, leaving a trail of destruction behind her like a heartless tornado. My mistake was getting in her path.
Chapter Fourteen
The light isn't kind when you have a hangover, so it hasn't been kind to me in two weeks. Seeing Raya at school is miserable, but I keep putting myself in her path, hoping she'll do something, anything to explain herself. All I get are cold eyes and steely glances.
It didn't take her long to retrieve her things, considering she left behind almost everything. In fact, I think she only took her school su
pplies and itchy clothing. All of her new clothes were left behind. I was gone when she came back to pack.
Oddly enough, she left behind the wine. If this was all some big scam, why leave behind that expensive bottle?
I can't second guess it, though. For all I know, it's part of her game.
The pounding at the door is jarring and painful, making me cringe as my headache continues to pound. Maybe no one is really there. It could just be the thudding in my skull instead.
"What?" I groan, praying the visitor—phantom or real—goes away. They don't. And it's a real person. One I don't particularly feel like dealing with, considering he's a Raya advocate. What the hell is Tag doing at my house when the sun is barely rising?
"You still hiding out?" he asks in a sigh as he comes to flop down on the chair across from me.
I turn over on the sofa where I passed out last night, keeping my back to him.
"So I'm getting the silent treatment?" he asks in an amused tone.
Smug bastard.
"Go away," I growl, cursing my headache silently.
"Can't do that. Seeing as how your family is pretty damn worried about you."
"And they sent you?" I scoff, growing more agitated by the second. "You're the last person who could understand what I'm going through, considering you've never even given a damn about a girl for longer than it took to get into her panties."
"Ouch," he says playfully, then he lets out a sigh. I sense a shift in his breath, as though he's about to get serious. I turn around in time to see him staring at me thoughtfully.
"You loved her," he says simply, surprising me.
I don't say anything as he continues staring, and then he stands up and walks out. What. The. Hell? He disturbed my morning to point out the obvious? Dick.
I head into the kitchen and grab a much needed glass of orange juice and a bottle of aspirin. I may not be able to get rid of the hole Raya left in me, but I can banish this damn headache.
The door opens and shuts again, and I peer past the wall divide to see Tag returning with several stacks of papers and pictures. Not this again. I really need to lock my doors before getting drunk.
"Sit down," he says, tossing the papers onto the table.
Shaking my head, I murmur, "I don't want to see anything else. I've already been shown what a fucking idiot I was. No need in driving me down another few notches."
Tag looks more serious than I've ever seen him. I suppose he feels betrayed, too, since he actually liked Raya. Everyone liked her. She's good, I'll give her that.
"You've seen Courtney's shit, now you should see the truth."
Truth?
Uncertain about where he's going with this, I head over to take my seat on the sofa, warily inspecting him as he starts sifting through pictures.
"As you know, Courtney brought all the same evidence to your father. I'm sure she thought he'd make you stay away. But your dad hasn't ever been big on socialites slamming the poor folk. He dug a little deeper, and... well, you're probably going to get sick."
My stomach churns as if on cue. He takes a heavy breath before elaborating.