Fallen Raine {Completed}

Chapter Seventeen - Having Two Hot Guys Fighting Over You Is Not Good

~Chapter Seventeen - Having Two Hot Guys Fighting Over You Is Not Good~

******RAINE’S POV******

By one o’clock, I think we were all beginning to lose it. Even Drella seemed to have lost all of her energy—no matter how dark it used to be.

I noticed Steve in the corner, his head in his hands as his shoulders shook slightly. He obviously missed his family, and I think out of all of us he had the most to lose. He had a kid and wife to support.

Despite seeing Donovan’s body in the room, I had to stay strong. I couldn’t be weak right now. I had had my time to cry and go into shock. But now I had to stand strong again. Like the quote said, ‘The weakest link in the chain is the easiest to break.’ I couldn’t be the weak link. None of us could. We had to be unbreakable.

I excused myself from the conversation with River I had been in and then wandered over to Steve, sitting down beside him.

“Hey,” I said quietly, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He jumped, and I immediately took my hand off of his shoulder, feeling a jolt of embarrassment.

Way to go, Raine. Two hours ago he had convinced himself you were the killer, and now you’re touching him? Way to make him feel better!

 

“Sorry,” I said quietly.

He shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry about everything. I should have never accused you, Raine. I thought I saw something and I pointed fingers without evidence. So, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Steve. I don’t blame you. I mean, at first I did, but it’s not your fault. You saw what you thought you saw… even if it wasn’t true. So it’s okay,” I replied gently, keeping a bit of distance between us.

“I guess I’m just starting to lose it,” Steve confided in a low voice, staring at his hands. They were slightly wrinkled and flecked with freckles and age spots. “I mean, all of this… I can’t handle all of this, you know? I’m starting to lose my mind here.”

I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, growing more confident. He didn’t shake it off, which I took as a good sign. “I know, Steve. But it’s okay; we’ll make it out of this if we stay strong and stick together. We’ll make it through.”

He nodded with a sigh. “I hope so. I have my little girl to get back to. And my wife.”

I smiled kindly at him. “They’re very lucky, then, Steve. And just think about them whenever you start to lose it, and remember why you have to stay alive. Why you have to make it through.”

He nodded at me, the corners of his mouth turning up as he thought about his wife and child. “Yeah. Thank you, Raine.”

I nodded. “Of course, Steve. I’m just glad you know I’m not the killer.”