Deception. Betrayal. Mistrust.
It seems the closer Rayne gets to the truth, the more she finds herself wanting to run away from it. It's complex and terrifying-more than she ever fathomed.
New family members, good and bad, pop out at her like a br...
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"𝗣ark the car!" he yelled to Mason.
His friend nodded as he slammed the door and pressed the gas, driving deeper into the almost full parking lot of the hospital. As he turned to run inside, he caught a glimpse of Isaac with his BMW; after stating that he didn't feel safe driving in this mindset, he was thankful that his friend took the wheel for him—and that Mason had no problems being annoyed with his presence.
Without waiting for something else to interrupt him, he dashed between the automatic sliding doors and into the emergency room. He knew that she wasn't on this floor, but he took this route anyway because it was the fastest way to travel. Ignoring the shouts of nurses and doctors, he flew across the tiles at a pace that racked his lungs and tossed passing individuals into the wall to avoid him.
He'd gotten word from the team that recovered her that she was on the second floor; he continued down the ridiculously long hallway with only her face on his mind.
At least, that's what he wanted to convince himself of—in reality, all his mind repeated were the events that happened just a few short months ago; the ones that had Rayne dormant and laying in a bed for weeks, unconscious.
It was all hitting too close to home for him to cope with, but he pushed on.
In the back of his head, as the soles of his sneakers hit the staircase, he knew that things would never be the same again. Whether that was in regards to his friends and family constantly getting injured, or if it was because he wanted to bring the war to the ones who began the battle, he had no clue, but he knew that life could not remain stagnant.
Rueben wrapped his hand around the top of the railing, flinging himself up the remaining two steps, reaching the second floor. His shoes made a squeaking noise as he pushed through the double doors and picked up the speed at which he vanished down the halls—it turned into a full sprint.
Part of him was excited to see her because this was Rayne he was referring to, but most of him felt shriveled inside and numb. He knew after she said their safe word that she was forced to recite the speech in which she performed, but it didn't take away the sting of the situation, nor the sickness he felt when their intimate life was brought up.
In any sense, he needed to shove it away—he needed to be a man that she could rely on. Not one that disappears on her during the morning hours and begs for her love to belong to him over the phone.
Desperation was still his best friend, however.
"200 ... 201 ... 202 ..." he mumbled.
He knew that she was in room 230; approaching the end of the hall, he swung around the corner, evading an oncoming crash cart by a hair, and sprinted heavier. Sweat collected on his hairline and above his lip; desire and fear short-circuited his heart, allowing it to skip several beats, but not so much so that he was passed out on the floor, unable to reach her.
