10
RAVEN
Kai’s hotel room.
I removethe necklace and the ring and place them on the nightstand next to my phone.
It feels like a sacrilege to wear them while sliding into Kai’s bed.
His room is bigger them mine, with a wider glass wall and an even more stunning Miami night view.
The lights reflect in the water, piercing the night.
Slowly, I lean against the pillows. My neck is covered in bruises and aches, and my wrist hurts.
I feel a generalized ache in my body and crippling exhaustion.
I haven’t had a tear, and that’s hardly a surprise.
Some things make me emotional. Beautiful, rare things. The ones I treasure the most but not the pettiness of people.
What happened in that room is all forgotten.
I don’t have the bandwidth to mull over that shit. I wish it didn’t happen. But it did, and there was nothing I could do about it.
My things are all packed, and my suitcase is here with me in Kai’s room.
I try to find a better position to alleviate my pain and look around the room.
It’s a standard hotel room with a large bed, a couple of armchairs, a coffee table, and nice lighting, although most lights, except for the one glowing in the corner, are turned off.
The air smells like him. The scent of his skin is embedded in my pillow.
Things went to hell fast.
How am I supposed to go to work on Wednesday, assuming we’re flying back today?
I move past that thought and stare blankly at the ocean.
I love the ocean. Looking at it, I mean.
It’s liberating.
Staring at it every time I get in trouble helps me center myself. It’s like finding peace and calmness in a swirl of unpredictable darkness.
I felt the same way those days I spent with Alejandro.
Although my problems back then were insignificant compared with the shit storm I’ve dealt with tonight.
I was mad at Kai that day. Mad at Kai… Now I feel a lump in my throat, and tears pool in my eyes.
What would’ve happened had he not come on time and take Sloane off me?
I move away from that thought and compel myself not to go back. Not to fret over what happened.
Yes, maybe I’m in shock and denial. Maybe these things will come back to me eventually, haunt me for a while and do some irreparable damage to my psyche, but I’ll deal with that if it happens when it happens.
I hear a noise at the door and move my eyes in that direction.