drowned ✔️

• t w e n t y - o n e •

"Shit, Nara, are you okay?" Rhys asked, his words sloppy and rushed. He was standing over me in mere seconds, holding my arm carefully.

"Yeah," I choked out, straightening up.

"No, you're bleeding," he told me, gesturing wildly at the shallow cuts in my arm.

"I'm fine, Rhys," I snapped, tugging my arm out of his grasp. My voice was watery and fragile, and I could feel the heat behind my eyes. "I'm going to go home now."

"Okay," he sighed, almost in defeat, taking a step back from me. "Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah," I gulped, with a slow nod. "I will."

I ran a hand through my hair as he turned away from me, a small sigh escaping my lips. In a quick motion, I picked up my keys, which had somehow fallen onto the cracked asphalt, and opened the door to my already unlocked car. Once I sat down, I leaned forward, pressing my head against my cool steering wheel. A slow pain wracked my body, and before I could suppress them any further, the tears streamed down my face in a torrent.

With my head bent down, I let tears fall down my neck and soak through my shirt, until I convinced my mind to pull out the parking lot and drive me home.