She isn't fine like she pretends to be. On the contrary.
Liliana Storm Whitlock is shattered into a thousand pieces, used from the ones she loves, betrayed by the ones she loves, broken by the ones she loves.
So she lost herself.
And it all seems t...
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I softly hum a melody, my body leaning against the car, as I watch the sun disappear behind the trees. The soft pink colour paints the sky beautifully, a mesmerising sight, yet the air is cold. Few clouds cover it, threatening the night with some heavy rain.
My attention wavers as I catch Raya's melodic whistling, and I notice her approaching the car, clutching a sizable cake.
She insisted on surprising the guys with a celebration cake from a specialised bakery situated along the road home. We were in front of the bus anyway so by the time they catch up we will only be a few minutes away. They still have a two hours ride before they arrive at the campus, whilst I have another 3 hours and this little stop managed to bring a smile to my face.
"Do you mind if you drive until we stop to get you on the bus? Don't want to tire myself too much." I ask Raya when she is close enough and she happily agrees.
The truth is, I don't feel that well at the moment; the pain in my stomach is back.
Dizziness is painfully heavy on my body, as I sit back down in the cramped space of my own car. I am already dreading the moment where Raya won't be with me as I ride to Hemfield on my own. And for a second I regret not accepting Rhys offer to get a chauffeur.
A wave of chills courses through my body, but I make a concerted effort to conceal it with a cough. Raya, however, doesn't buy into my facade and turns a concerned gaze in my direction.
"Are you sick?"
I shake my head, unsure of it myself. I might have caught a cold went I decided to head out with her the other night with only a corset to shield my upper body.
Nevertheless, a cold and agonizing shiver courses through my system, contorting my face with pain. I clutch my hand over my stomach, focusing on controlled breathing to prevent the pain from overwhelming me. From the corner of my eye, I see Raya adjust the car's heating, casting worried glances my way every few seconds to ensure I don't lose consciousness.
At this point, I am god damn close to it.
"Do you want me to call Rhys? Maybe it's best if I-"
"No, don't." I mutter breathlessly. "We need to stop in 30 minutes anyway."
She nods in silence, not daring to add anything else and leaves me to fight my battles on my own, as she goes back on the highway to catch up to the bus.
Rain begins to pour from the sky, gradually calming my racing thoughts as I fixate on the droplets descending down the window.
Drop. Drop. Drop.
Their pace quickens, cascading with increasing urgency, and soon we find ourselves frustratingly crawling along the highway as the rain intensifies. The situation takes a bad turn as we become stuck in a seemingly interminable traffic jam just 15 minutes after rejoining the highway.
