Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER TWO. ❝ BREAK ME DOWN ! ❞
I didn’t know how I got home. How I even managed to drive. My entire body was aching, every muscle stiff and sore, and the exhaustion clung to me like a heavy fog. I must have been driving too fast—probably breaking every speed limit along the way—but I didn’t care. I wasn’t rushing out of fear or desperation, just pure fatigue. My mind was miles away, lost in thoughts I didn’t want to be having. Dark, suffocating thoughts that threatened to drag me under.
The Red Room.
No. Stop. Don’t think about it. Please. Please, make it stop.
It was a brief moment of clarity that made me realize I was home. The second I slammed the car door shut, the jarring sound startled me back to reality, and I cursed under my breath. Another dent in the door. This car had taken more damage from me than from anything else. Still cursing, I practically sprinted inside the house, not even bothering to take in my surroundings. The mansion was grand, impressive even, with its sleek grey couches and a perfectly aligned center table. But at that moment, it all felt hollow. Just walls and furniture, nothing more.
I threw my sports bag onto one of the couches, not sparing it or anything else a glance as I made my way through the wide spaces of the house. It was enormous, but it didn’t matter how big it was. I felt like complete here, no matter how many times I walked these halls.
Our family had another house, a bigger mansion nearby. That one felt more like home, especially during the holidays when everyone gathered. It was like a common ground, a shared space that wasn’t too far from either my place or Uncle Levi’s house. That’s where Grandpa and Grandma lived, where the heart of the family was.
But here? Here, it was just my us.
I could feel the dull, relentless ache in my body growing stronger with every step, and I knew what was coming. That familiar, unwelcome sensation. My period. I could already feel the uncomfortable wetness soaking through my pants as if Satan himself was bleeding out of me. I grimaced, barely making it up the stairs before the pain shot through me again.
I sprinted up, taking the stairs two at a time despite how shaky my legs felt. I knew these steps like the back of my hand, surprised I didn’t trip as I practically flew to my room. Once I reached the door, I shoved it open, slamming it behind me. My hands moved on autopilot as I grabbed a sanitary napkin and headed straight for the bathroom, already bracing for the worst.
God, I hate this.
Periods were awful. Every girl knew that, but mine? Mine were a special kind of hell. Intense cramps, rivers of blood, and mood swings that turned me into a walking disaster. I was practically famous for it. My brothers had long since learned to steer clear whenever I was like this—unless they had a death wish.
