Eighty Days of Heartache

the thirty-seventh day; [1]

THE THIRTY—SEVENTH DAY;
» PART [1]

FOR ME, THE rain is therapeutic.

It always has, and it always will be. A part of me — an abnormal part of me, could sit in the rain for hours. I could shake with the cold, and feel my bones and skin become soaked with water as it hit my porcelain flesh, as the concentrated scent of petrichor wafted through my nose.

I can't explain why the rain is therapeutic to me. I can't explain why a part of me, pretty much craves pneumonia. But as I sit in the deserted Apple Jack's diner, a homemade apple and mixed berry crumble piping hot and slathered with pale custard in front of me, I feel at ease for the first time since my anxiety attack.

Even though it's a Thursday, and I sit alone in Apple Jack's as Ivy and Luke didn't want to come. Their excuse was something to do with Luke having football practice.

In other words; I'm not ready to face you yet.

It's semantics, really.

"Here's your mocha coffee," Blake places the drink beside me, his hands steely calm as mine shake the slightest bit. The rain hits the window, making it and me rattle. It's dangerous out. "How you feeling?"

"Like Drake, I'm upset," I yawn, my hands coddling the coffee and feeling the heat radiate out of the ceramic jug and onto my palms. I smile. Sinking into the comforting warmth.

I am upset though. My best friend doesn't feel like facing me, and it makes me stomach fold over itself as if it were a yoga pro.

It's now I'm glad Apple Jack's is dead empty. It won't be half as embarrassing if I throw up in front of my brother, compared to if I threw up in front of a diner full of customers.

Snorting slightly at my words, Blake ruffles my hair before pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Don't be. If Ivy and Luke weren't childish, they'd have shown up."

I sigh, feeling irritated at his attempt at cheering me up. "But do you think Ivy had a point? I mean, Nero did leave me, even if I did ask him, but he's my boyfriend, and we're supposed to be there for each other—"

"Ivy is right," shrugging, Blake steals my crumble and cuts off my sentence. Both of which, has my skin crawling and my hairs raising with defence. "But that doesn't mean she can just ignore you, and the same goes for Luke. I always knew he was pussy whipped, but ignoring someone just because your girlfriend does? Immature."

Sighing with irritation, I look town to my coffee and drum my fingers tiredly against the table. My tongue is dry when I try to formulate a sentence, despite the fact my vocabulary is a fountain littered with pennies.

It's now I have the feeling someone is watching me. That there's a pair of eyes scalding my collarbones, until the heated stare crawls up my throat and towards my birds—best hair.

Exhausted, I lift my head up to find the eyes that are calculating me, finding my muscles aching and my heart squeezing as I lock gazes with Theo.

I swallow hard and clench my fist, my jaw tightening too so that my teeth grind together. There's rain splashed over his denim jacket, his blonde hair sticking wet and dark to his forehead as he takes determined steps towards me.