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...
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𝗦he laid in a ball on the guest bedroom bed, not making a sound as she stared off into the darkened room. She had stopped crying about thirty minutes ago, but had retreated to this room almost an hour ago. That fight with Rueben left her torn to pieces.
It wasn't that it was because he was the one yelling at her – well, partially – but rather the fact that what he was saying wasn't wrong. He was telling her the truth.
Just in all the wrong ways.
She wanted to hold herself accountable for her actions; for acting like the 'angel – who – could – do -no – wrong' like he told her she was, but it was so hard to do so. To grasp that minor fact. It was the people around her who shaped her into the person she is today. It was a habit that she had created in her head that forced her to believe that no man was worth more than someone who just wanted to take advantage of her. With her father. With Christian. It was her sad reality. And because of them – she brought that toxic mindset into her relationship with Rueben.
If that's what I can even call this.
She let out a shaky breath and turned, lying flat and stared at the ceiling.
For the first time in her life, she had met someone worthy to her. Someone who was simple, yet not at the same time. Someone gentle but aggressive. Protective and loving.
And I am ruining it.
She wished for nothing more than to go back to an hour ago – to change her entire attitude when she walked into the house. To not be such a bitch to him, and to just accept that he cared enough about her to question her whereabouts; to know he had no ulterior motives.
She hadn't meant to act that way.
It was just her immediate reaction to anyone who waited up for her. After experiencing so many moments where toxic men would hurt her for not being around when they wanted her to be, the response to be an overwhelmingly strong actress was engraved into her being. With her father, and with her ex, she was taught by herself to present as a powerful front before those weak men to prove she couldn't be messed around with. And it was her fault for letting her past control her actions.
It was her fault for letting her past control her future again.
Rayne sat up and cuddled her legs as she stared at the tan door of the guest bedroom. She wanted to get up and walk out of it – to run to Rueben and apologize for every nasty thing she uttered this late morning. She wanted to let him know that he wasn't in the wrong for what he said, she was just emotional. In a realistic sense, she needed to hear everything he said tonight.
His reaction tonight was one of the reasons why she loved him so much.
He didn't spare the feelings of others if he knew they needed to hear the words he wanted to speak.
