Raine Walker

Chapter Nineteen

Holland POV

        What am I supposed to say?

        How am I supposed to react?

        Is she ever going to be okay after this?

        How am I supposed to help her?

        Those are frequently asked question that lack the answer. My high GPA and IQ couldn't even help me answer those impossible questions. The only way to answer them is the one basic learning system that always lets someone down. Life. That simple, four letter noun is something that can either make one happy or make one depressed. Make them fulfill or kill themselves.

        Am I over-thinking it?

        I toss my head to the side, reluctantly walking up the concrete stone pathway towards the semi-large white siding house. This place is kind of deserted. There aren't any houses in the viscinity, which is slightly terrifying. This place is incredibly far from Ivory, the town that I live in. If they were trying to track down Raine, why live all the way out here in the middle of absolute nowhere? That just doesn't make sense to me.

        I continue walking up the walkway, feeling the bitter cold breeze rush through me. I brush the hair out of my eyes, approaching closer to the front door. What the hell am I doing? I clutch onto the handle of the duffle bag filled with things of Raine's. I wanted to see my best friend, that's what I'm doing. 

        I pause at the door, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. Raine...I mean Lea...I mean Raine is inside, probably waiting. Ugh, I don't even know what to call her. I would imagine she'd be used to the name Raine, but, considering that name was given to her by a lying psychopath, she might be starting to adjust to the name Lea. 

        Shit.

        I raise my hand, knocking on the door. Even though my nerves where literally flying around like jet planes, I wasn't about to show it on my face. I hear shuffling from within, suddenly having the door be ripped open. There, revealed a guy that completely caught me off guard.

        Specifically the bright, piercing blue eyes. My eyes traveled over his defined jawline, actually quite impressed by this guy's good looks. His hair was messy, suggested either a really rough night or he just woke up. I study the dark circles under his eyes quickly, realizing that he didn't get a lick of sleep. 

        That's when it hits me. It's the guy I'd seen on the news. Adam Moore. Or Raine's new brother.

        "You must be Holland," Adam looks at me.

        "Yep," I nod my head.

        "Holland?" I hear my name called from behind Adam. I recognized the voice. Adam steps aside, revealing a worn-down and a disastrous Raine. She steps forward as I invite myself in the house, feeling her give me a hug. 

        "Hey," I respond, watching as she pulls away to look at me. I study the darkness of her eyes, shaded over with a darker tone of the blue that always reminded me of Raine. She looked like she just woke up, tried to do something with her dark brown hair by throwing it into a messy bun atop of her head, and tried to clean up her face. 

        She gives me an expressionless smile, like it was only polite to her to place a smile upon her face. I felt offended, but I knew she couldn't help it. I lifted up the duffle bag, showing her that I brought her clothes. And what she doesn't know, a little more.

        "Thank you," she responds.

        I see her hand, wrapped in a bandage. "Um...what happened to your hand?"