King of Spades |Book 1|

Chapter 34 • Are You Done?

•Rayan's POV•

"Αύριο μπορεί να είναι η αρχή για πάντα," my beautiful mother whispered to Dane and I. We giggled at how funny it sounded, how the words didn't sound right.

"What does that mean?" Dane asked in curiosity. My mothers smile was bright and illuminating as she looked between her oldest and youngest child.

"Tomorrow can be the start of forever," she says in her velvet voice.

****

I'm happy to know that Dane, Talus, and the rest of the guys are thankfully coming back tomorrow. I hadn't really realized how much I missed my brothers until today. They haven't called me once, not even a text. Navy said he talked to Sawyer, but he wouldn't tell me what it was about. I miss Dane's hot-headedness even if it drives me crazy. I miss Talus' optimism and happiness around me. It's only been two weeks and it honestly killed me.

It's also been a little over a week since I kissed Salem. He hasn't talked to me once.

After we pulled away breathless, he walked us backwards so we could make out against his car. After all that, he simply gave me a goodnight kiss and walked away.

Since then he hasn't spoken one word to me. I've been constantly trying to talk to him and he wouldn't budge. He arranged for Blythe to pick me up for school, and Elijah to drop me home. I guess I know how he felt when I ignored him for nine days.

Our kiss was a wake up call for me. I know what I want him to be to me, but he's holding back.

"Tomorrow, we will start our unit of reading The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger. You and your partner will be writing a twenty-page explanation on the evaluation of this book. This project will be worth half of your grade this semester, and will be due after Christmas break," Ms.Carver informs the class, making my head snap up from my daze. Right as she finishes the bell rings.

I gather my things and shuffle out of the class, not even waiting for Salem like I usually do.

"Rayan, hey, wait up," a voice says behind me. I turn around an see Dante following me. He takes my bag off my shoulder an slings it onto his own.

"Do you need something?"

He shrugs lazily. "Salem told me to walk you to gym."

I roll my eyes and yank my bag back from him. "I don't need a fucking babysitter."

I walk ahead of him towards the gym. When I reached the locker room I fling the door open with as much attitude I could muster up. Inside, Hale is having a conversation with Olympia, and Roman was teasing Petra about her small height. I ignored all them as I trudged my way to my locker an grabbed my clothes. After I got dressed in a stall I put my hair in a messy bun an headed out for the gym. I always wondered about the coincidental situation of all the us only being in the same gym class. Then I was told by Talus a few weeks ago that because the fitness curriculum in Washington was a lot different than Oregon, so the most athletically fit students were placed separate from the rest.

I pass Dante again, not even acknowledging his presence.

"Hey, Cupcake," Elijah greets. I just nod my head towards him while I start to stretch. Bobby comes up beside me and starts too, but doesn't say a word.

I hear Salem's laugh before I see him.

"I cocked the gun and said 'you have five minutes to get me the money you owe or I shove the silencer of this gun up yours ass.' I've never seen someone work so hard to get money in my life," Hale says, then starts to laugh excessively loud.

"When was this?" Bobby asks in humor. I drown them out since their conversation starts to piss me off. When Miss.Stocks comes into the gym she rolls her eyes in disgust at all our banter. She blows her whistle loudly to get our attention.

"Fifteen laps around the perimeter. Find a partner or group of 3 to jog with since I'll be setting you all to run at different times."

Clayton and Elijah are the first ones to pair up, followed by Dante, Roman, and Bobby. The girls pair up which leaves me to either go by myself, or to go with Hale and Salem.

Salem looks at me with a questioning eye, then says, "I'm going to walk by myself."

He doesn't give us any time to protest because he just walks off towards Miss.Stocks. Hale and I look at each other for a moment before he just shrugs. I blow a breath out in frustration an get ready to start running. Hale and I don't talk for the entire period, as well as everyone else.

Since my run-in with Kai I've been getting winded more easily. Dane told me it's from my—already healed—broken ribs, and Salem mentioned something about not keeping my body in conditions. It's confusing, but I have too much on my mind to worry about that.

When gyms finally over I jog into the locker room and start to change. As I'm putting on my shirt in front of the bathroom stall mirror I look at my stomach.

The nasty K engraved on my stomach makes bile want to rise up my throat. I hate that I'll forever have that on my body. The harsh red lines are just now turning into a deep scar. The stitches had finished dissolving a few days ago, so all that's left is the beginning of a nightmare.