RAIN

Chapter twenty seven

He woke from his snooze. Light footsteps threaded across the floor toward him. He focused on the oblong shape of sunlight on the tiles as the footsteps grew closer. The touch of the cold steel next to him helped him feel secure. He lifted his eyes. He didn't want to even think about the person standing in front of him.

"Don't shoot me, I just brought you some herbal tea for your pneumonia," Rain said as he set a cup of tea down on the coffee table. Jet stared at it, suspicion rising in his heart mingling with the angry pain of Rain's betrayal. He sat up and swiped his hand across the table, knocking the coffee mug to the floor. Rain stepped back, his chest rising and falling as his hands found each other for comfort.

"I don't want your fucking tea! Why the hell should I drink it? Are you so intent on finishing me off, you lying fucking bastard?"

"Jet I know you feel hurt and confused right now but trust me, I would never harm you in any way."

"You actually want me to believe that?" Rain's eyes shifted toward the broken shards of the tea mug on the floor. "Is that why you could never look me in the eyes? The guilt? You're a piece of work, you know that? You look like an angel but Rain you are the devil in hell."

"You can believe whatever you want. Say whatever you want if it makes you feel better."

"Don't try those mind games in me Rain." He glared at him, a part of him wanted to could wrap his hands around his neck and squeeze until he stopped breathing. He wanted him to feel the pain that he was feeling in his heart whenever he remembered the way he manipulated him when he was alone and vulnerable. "Why did you sleep with me? Just out of curiosity. Did the danger get you in the mood?"

"Because I love you."

"Because you love me! Ha!" He laughed as he stood up, pushing the gun into the waist of his pants. Rain took a few steps back, wringing his hands so tightly that the skin was becoming pink. "You do have a sense of humor after all! And what? You fell in love with me in a few hours?"

"No." He hesitated for a moment before he removed something from the front pocket of his black jeans and set it down on the table, maintaining his safe distance. Jet stared at it with a growing sense of nervousness. "You don't remember because it's like I told you, everyone forgot about us long ago. We're just animals living out there on their own accord. Why would you remember me anyway? I'm just a nobody, but you're the heir to an entire empire?"

Jet picked up the picture, his eyes became glued on the two boys standing in the living room of his grandparents' home. Guilt and regret flooded his heart and when he was finally able to pull his eyes away, he noticed blood trickling out from under Rain's bandages. His breaking heart skipped a beat.

"Rain you're bleeding."

He took a few steps forward and reached out. Rain shrank away from his touch, emotions surfaced from beneath his placid surface. His narrow nostrils quivered, anger sparked in his icy eyes as he lifted them to look at Jet. The pain in those eyes made Jet's stomach churn as he started to imagine the horror that Rain must have lived through to cause such hurt in his heart.

"Rain?"

"No, not that easy. I'm tired of people like you treating me like I'm nothing. I'm tired of people thinking that I have no feelings."

"Rain, let's just talk about this okay? You could have killed me out there. Regardless of what they did, I'm not them. You knew who I was. You tricked me. You lied to my face and told me that you were trying to get help for your cousins when you were really being vindictive. I don't even know if anything out there was real or not. And I mean, I really like you- love you. I love you Rain. But I don't know if I can trust you."