Mansion of Dolls (Complete)

Chapter 14 (Rewrite/Edited)

Things had become strained between the group in the coming days of the festival.

Not that it mattered anymore to Taryn. She could honestly care less what Robert thought. She was still pissed off at him, and rightfully so. But what kept coming to mind was that when Taryn had cried, releasing her pent-up emotions then and there. She found herself feeling somewhat better. No longer thinking of the event in such a grim way of blaming herself, something of which that she had on her mind until finally letting it out.

Crying could ease stress and help remove some negative feelings. So, in a way, it was thanks to Robert that she now felt like this. This type of content and relief. It was weird.

She couldn't even remember the last time she even cried like that. Yet, for some reason or another, when Toya held her, it made her recall a similar event. One with Isaac when he came back from the Army. It was probably just due to how she felt in the moment, making her recall something familiar while in a Toya's arms.

A stranger that didn't seem to mind in the slightest. In fact, he told her afterword's when she had calmed down that if she ever felt like she needed a place to cry, that he would be more then willing to help. It didn't really make sense, common courtesy sure, but that didn't seem right. It was like he only said it because it was her, and that made even less sense.

I don't get it. Taryn thought to herself as she lay on the room's tatami floor that she and Rachael shared. Her legs crossed at her ankles rested along a window ledge as she stared up at the ceiling. Her fingers interlaced across her stomach. "Rachael, what do you think of Toya?"

Rachael paused in her sketch to stare at her friend before frowning, her red hair damp from having a bath only a few hours before. Usually, Taryn never asked anything to what a person was like. "He's handsome?"

"Other than that," Taryn said flatly.

"Why are you asking?" but Taryn only shrugged as she now kept her eyes closed.

Only to then open her eyes, to discover that Rachael peering down at her with grey eyes filled with wonder as her still damp braid fell over her shoulder, bopping Taryn in the face. "You're too close, Rei."

"It's not something you ask. At least not aloud, what brought this on?"

Taryn continued to lie on the floor for a moment, staring up at her friend before replying. "It felt similar. When Toya hugged me, it reminded me of something. I'm just trying to figure out why. Why he's so friendly with me, things like that."

"He does seem to stare at you an awful lot." Taryn glanced to her left to see that Rachael had now joined her on the floor. "Have you noticed that?"

She shook her head. "No, I kept feeling like I was being watched, but I only assumed that to be the woman or someone else. Not Toya. But you say he's been staring at me? What do you make of it?"

"Maybe he finds you attractive."

She thought about it. "I guess? But if that were the case, he'd say something about it, wouldn't he?"

"Not everyone is a verbal communicator, you should know that better than most."

Taryn chose to lay in silence rather than answering. Somehow that didn't sound right either as Rachael merely continued.

"You could just ask him. And now, I've got an unpopular question for you. It's been two days; how are you feeling?"

"Your right about it being an unpopular question," Taryn said with a sigh as she closed her eyes again. "I don't know how to answer that..." she said after a long moment. "I don't really feel any different, I feel less sad, I guess. But that's from me crying so much. Other than that, I don't really know. What about you? And Robert?"