BLEACHED

91: Doubts.

Gently running the soft sponge against his skin, Domen sighs as he glances around the shower, feeling a bit grossed out by the discolored plastic floor of the the motel and the rusted shower pipe.

Lavender stands in front of the motel mirror, barely bothered by the state of the bathroom since it's actually a normal-looking bathroom.

It doesn't look too bad and it's still livable. The pipes weren't screaming everytime she opens the tap, the shower cubicle was clean enough for her to attempt bathing barefoot since neither of them brought flipflops.

But Domen doesn't feel the same.

He's only managing to take a shower not to upset Lavender.

"So you used to stay in motels?" Domen feels a shiver run up his spine as his mind can't go past the fact that the place looks awful. "When you were a teenager?"

It really isn't that bad.

"At times, yeah. Since my mother was M.I.A all the time." She shrugs her shoulders as she combs through her hair and fixed it. "It was a great place to catch some rest. Up until I went to college."

Domen frowns slightly and steps out of the bathroom, wrapping the towel around himself only to curse when he realizes it's obviously been used and might not have been washed.

He's obviously exaggerating.

"This isn't a place for anyone." Domen sighs as he wipes the water from his body, only feeling more and more uncomfortable and as though he hadn't bathed yet.

"Domen it's normal, you're being dramatic." Lavender chuckles as she watches him uncomfortably dry himself before getting back into his clothes. "We should also get new clothes."

"Yeah." He nods his head and sighs while looking around.

"How long are we going to keep running? This can't be it... Right?" She chuckles uncomfortably as she watches him drop his gaze down to her. "We'll run out of money."

"I have a lot of it." He smirks down at her and she rolls her eyes.

"We have work." She presses her lips together and she shrugs his shoulders as he steps closer to her and wraps his arms around her neck, gazing into her eyes.

"It can wait. We have more important things to deal with." He shrugs his shoulders and kisses her forehead.

"So what about the guests... Are you okay with them posting about this?" Lavender watches as he sighs and removes his arms from her neck.

"Trust me, okay?" Domen smiles down at her and she presses her lips together as she turns her gaze down to her purse. "I will find us somewhere to stay. Don't worry."

Lavender steps away from him and walks towards the bed, sitting down as she grabs her phone.

Turning her phone on, she notices countless missed calls from Cameron, flooding the entire screen.

She scrolls down the entire list of calls with only trying to check for one person in mind.

Evette.

Nothing. She hadn't called.

Why would she Lavender? You took off with her fiancee... She's probably mad.

Lavender sighs out and leans back on the bed as she dials Evette's number but contemplates even calling her.

A side of her insists Evette would answer and might not be as angry as she thinks she'd be...

But the other side... She knows Evette must feel like Lavender hadn't been a good friend lately.

Why would she blame Evette? It's true.

I keep messing up her life...

Lavender turns on her side as she brings her knees to her chest whole still looking at Evette's number.

Not to mention Cameron...

Gosh, why did I run away with Domen?

Why do I love him so much?

.... Won't he just leave me behind like he always does?

I didn't think this through....

She sits up and glances towards the bathroom where the spots him pulling his shirt on, buttoning it up as he looks in the mirror.

Am I... Doing the right thing?

Domen combs his fingers through his hair as he tries to look good despite lacking all his morning routine facial creams.

He's lived his entire life trying to look good, without the things he's grown used to, it feels like he's not complete.

Sensing someone was staring at him, Domen glances over to Lavender in the room, only to catch her staring and she doesn't look away, except sighs out and gets up from the bed, walking to the bathroom.

"Did we make a mistake?" She asks and he frowns again, looking away from him and towards the mirror as he picks the strands form his face and tries to put them in the right places. "Domen, I'm being serious."

"Could you cut it out, Lavender? If you are doubting now, why did you leave with me?" He asks as he glares down at her, clenching his jaw tightly. "Why did you decide to trust me then, only to doubt me now?"

"I'm sorry." She shrugs her shoulders as she glances down to the floor. "But honestly... I feel like we're hurting Evette... We didn't even tell her or even call her."

Domen eases his shoulders as he glances back at the mirror while grabbing his tie and folding it into a small square.

"I'm starting to wonder what she must have thought when we just ran off... She was probably looking for you and what did she... Think after that?" Lavender grips the frame of the door as she watches Domen glance to the floor. "I love you a lot, and you know that, but we can't just cast Evette aside like her feelings don't matter."

"She knows I have feelings for you, Lav." Domen says as he shoves the folded tie into his pocket. "You don't have to feel bad. If anything, I should since I left her there. Not you."

"She knows of course, but let's meet up and explain things to her. Evette's been there for me when no one else was." She sighs as Domen clenches his jaw. "Please?"

"We'll risk being caught too soon, do you want that?" Domen asks and Lavender sighs out and runs a hand through her hair. "What should I do to make you believe in me, even just a little?"

Lavender looks up at him, still worried for her friend who might be waiting for an explanation.

She knows how embarrassing it would be for Evette who'd had to have faced an entire crowd that looked at her in disappointment.

That they laughed at her for losing her fiancee to another woman.

"I have somewhere we can go. I just asked for a favor." Domen says when he notices Lavender isn't about to answer. "He'll come pick us up and don't worry, they really won't find us there."

"Fine." Lavender shrugs her shoulders as he leans down and kisses her forehead before walking past her and into the room.