Riley Brooks appears to be leading a charmed life on the outside. On the inside, she's spiraling as a result of a toxic relationship. Once the relationship comes to a tumultuous end, she loses very nearly everything, her sanity included. As an effor...
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Before I got to the hotel, I made sure to pick up some foundation from a Rite-Aid and slather it all over my neck. It looked awful, like a noose of purple and blue bruising. I hadn't realized just how badly she'd hurt me, how aggressively she'd snatched me with her drug-induced super strength and with the sudden lack of alcohol in my system, a dull, burning soreness arose.
On the way up to the hotel, I kept my head down and my hood up. The air was damp, and I had to dodge numerous puddles throughout the parking lot. In a sick way, I wondered about Samara, and where she was. Was she really here? Hiding in a bush? Does she see me now? At the thought, I got a sudden chill and clutched my sweatshirt a bit tighter.
When Landon opened the front door, he had his cellphone pressed against his ear and a lazy grin on his mouth.
"Welcome to my humble abode," he drawled and a waft of hot cinnamon hit me in the face. Woah, is he wasted? At nine am?
When I didn't move, he took my hand and led me inside. Then after he shut, locked, and chained the door, he flipped his fingers through the wooden blinds adjacent to it. I'd noticed that even though he was standing still, he was swaying like he was on a boat.
"Do you see her?" I asked.
"No," he mumbled. "Doesn't mean she's not hyuk there."
He staggered back over to the stark white bed, flopped down on his back and sighed. "I'm glad you're here."
"Me too." I pulled the comforter over the lower half of his body, as he was only wearing a t-shirt and boxers. "Don't you think it's a little early to be as drunk as you are?"
"I just started really hyuk late," he replied, a spasm jolting through his chest.
"You sound like Goofy."
"Gawrsh!" he exclaimed in a near-perfect imitation.
I giggled and crawled onto the bed beside him, making sure I gave myself enough "personal bubble" distance.
"I can't hyuk decide if I'm still mad at you or not." Landon murmured, his head turned away from me and towards the television. Natural Born Killers was on.
"For what?" Which thing?
He turned towards me then, his eyes following his hand as he traced the embroidered diamonds in the tangled bedsheets. "For scaring the hyuk..shit outta me. The day after you had a complete breakdown, you just left without a word. I was about to call the cops, and I can't stand the cops. I was thinking the worst..." he paused his tracing and a small shudder rippled through his shoulders.
Guilt throbbed, red and angry behind the marks on my throat. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that..."
His frown deepened and his gaze lifted to meet mine. "Did I do something....?"
