Desolation [h.s]

Chapter 20

Seraphina Amor

Usually I liked the rain.

I liked the steady tap of it against windows as the droplets fell from the sky and to the Earth.

I liked the way thunder and lightning came along with it, the loud cracks and bolts of light that danced sporadically throughout the storm.

I liked waking up the next day to see puddles on the ground, mirroring the still gloomy sky onto its surface.

Most of the time, rain helped me fall asleep but tonight, it was the one thing keeping me awake.

The sounds of the storm were too loud, too consistent, and all I wanted to do right now was scream. I wanted to fall asleep, or at least try to. I had even resulted in counting sheep to help me drown out the rain but nothing helped and it was beginning to get on my nerves.

After everything that's happened within the last few hours, between the gala and Weston and Marley, I was exhausted. I should've passed out the second my body hit the mattress, falling into a deep sleep.

Despite how bad I wanted that to happen, it felt like I had been lying here for hours on end, staring up at the dark ceiling. No matter how physically exhausted I was, my brain refused to shut down, focusing on the uneven rumbles of the thunder.

Tonight, there was a steady pattern of thunder and lightning, nearly striking every few minutes. The sudden bolts of lightning danced through the panel of my window, illuminating the room for a second before retracting itself only to return a few moments later.

The mattress was soft underneath my back, dipping with each point of pressure I placed. Steady breaths were leading to the rise and fall of my chest as I kept my stare at the ceiling, eyes blinking languidly.

I could practically feel the eye bags that were bound to show up tomorrow and I internally groaned at that. The throbbing in my head from pure exhaustion hadn't died down either, if anything it was getting more prevalent the longer I stayed here, listening to the storm that ensued outside.

Slowly, just as another roar of thunder echoes through the sky, I shift upwards to rest my back against the headboard. The sheets dropped and crumbled at my waist, exposing my bare arms to the chilly temperature of the room.

I often overheated when I actually had the chance to sleep, body not being able to handle sleeping under the covers and have layers of clothes covering me. It was uncomfortable so I tend to wear as little as possible when sleeping, opting to a simple tank top and shorts.

London deemed to not support that decision and I found myself cold more often than not when getting ready for bed, yet there was nothing made to help with that problem. It was a habit I've had for years and a change of scenery paired with a little cold weather wasn't going to change that.

I had a horrible time breaking habits, new and old.

Bunching the soft sheets between my fingers, my head turned to glance out the window, observing the way each droplet landed on the window. The glass was nearly covered with falling water, trailing down the expanse of the surface to the sides of the building.

My hair brushed against my shoulder, tickling the exposed skin, causing a shiver to run its course down my spine. I released my hold on the blanket, moving my hands to scratch gently at the skin. My fingers left my shoulder, twisting around to rub at my eyes gently, trying to get any sleepiness out of my system. It was quite clear I wasn't going to be getting any sort of rest tonight.

My back curved as I slumped in my spot, mindlessly staring out the window. I could imagine the way the rain would feel falling on my skin, each drop collecting on every inch of my body making it shine in the dim light the moonlight provided.