𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 is your average do-good lawyer on the rise to fame as a representative of young victims. Except her motivations aren't all that innocent. Rayne's only goal is to run from her past, to leave confrontation for the courtroom, no...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
𝗥ayne sat in the corner of the glass shower with her knees pulled to her chest; she rested her forehead on the caps of them, letting the hot water trickle down her back and through her hair. The few streams that managed to slip past her human barricade dripped off the edges of her lashes – each blink kept her in her trance, as focusing on them was all she could manage.
In this man-made cage, alone and drowned out by the sound of the water, she could finally let go.
It was a strange thing... this feeling that consumed her.
For as long as she could remember, she had always been placed in situations that presented as dire. In response to that, it was like her mind adapted; she was used to the sadness and bitterness – her body and mind had become accustomed to that.
But this still felt different.
She focused on keeping her breathing steady as she inhaled and exhaled; she tried her best to ignore the topic at hand, just like she'd done all day, but it was a futile effort.
Her keeper. Her protector. Her twin. That day he left – he didn't actually leave – he was stolen.
There were many stories of twins feeling incomplete without their siblings floating through the air of society, and she was a prime witness to how correct that statement was. Whether she'd spent the last two and a half years ignoring said feelings, she always knew that something in her life lacked. No matter what she did or accomplished, this overwhelming sense of deficiency took over her pride.
She always felt fragments; like a part of her was living elsewhere and because of that, she never felt like she could be truly happy with her achievements. She had done so much in such a short time and the one person she wanted to share that with was lost in the wind.
She was stupid and naïve for thinking he'd actually leave her without a word.
Believing that he would be happier without her and that he was living a life where he didn't have to protect her from their monster was a better alternative than the truth at hand. Selfishly, as horrible as it sounded, part of her wished she never found out the truth. At least, in that world, she could do what she always had.
Pretend. Pretend. Pretend.
Before she realized it, her forehead was jammed tighter to her body and her abdomen was shaking with silent, internalized tears. The thought of not having him in her life for the rest of her own was paralyzing – it left craters in her heart.
It could have all been avoided if she'd just done more.
If that was the case, then maybe there would have been a chance for Lilliana, too.
A knock at the door pushed her thoughts from her mind and returned her to the shower.
