Steady On.

Chapter 9.

(Edited 04/09/2021)

The following morning, surprisingly, was even more of a headache for Rey. She woke up tangled in her sheets, having broken out in an uncomfortable sweat as her temples pounded away and her stomach turned.

Groggily, Rey rolled out of bed, spotting the beautiful dress she had worn last night now in a puddle on the floor. She sat on the edge of her bed, looking around her empty room as her senses slowly became more and more aware.

Rey sighed.

She would have gladly traded in this awful feeling for Jakku's burning heat as long as it meant she didn't have to feel so sluggish.

Undoubtedly, she had all sorts of fun while she drank the beverages that Poe had brought on, and the dancing was unforgettable, messy, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Even with the excitement last night though, Rey vowed to never drink that punch again, and she remembered making that promise to herself as she stumbled her way back to her room, cursing up a storm the entire journey.

Rubbing her palms along her temples and the back of her neck, Rey began to strip the remainder of her clothing off as she made her way to the shower.

Nude now, Rey stretched her arms above her head and willed her muscles to relax, trying to quiet her thoughts for a single moment, and groaning when it did not work. Instantly, her mind recalled the moments of last night that she had blocked out.

So much had been discovered, and yet so little of her questions were answered. The talk with Maz did provide her some comfort, Rey admitted.

There was a line in between the force, a place of existence that was both neutral and safe... Maybe, a place that she could live in... Or a place that Ben could.

The thought of his name made her cheeks redden as she turned the water on.

During their last force bond, he seemed so... strange. Unashamed and agitated in such a way that he was more open than normal. He was usually honest she knew, but she knew it felt different. Whatever he had been thinking, his mind was set on.

Vividly, his words returned to her in a ghostly whisper. 'You will come to me when you are not overshadowed by immaturity and anger.'

The memory alone made Rey's jaw clench. Who was he to decide that? Rey asked herself. Who was he to come to her and steal her necklace, her kyber crystal at that?

Rey was seething when she stepped into the shower, letting the hot water roll down her spine while her headache continued to beat away.

Still, she questioned herself and her reasoning as to why she still had that small sliver of hope in her chest, why, after everything, she still thought that Ben Solo was worth saving.

Even when Rey had returned to her room last night, that exact question drove her mad.

In her inebriated state, Rey had slammed her door close and immediately went to her work station, grabbing one of the sacred textbooks and flipping through it so intensely that she almost felt the force wince.

Rey had willed the book to reveal something useful to her, anything, at that point, would have satisfied her. But still as silent as ever, the force and the book remained silent.

Again, Rey cursed it all; Luke, the books, the force, Ben...

What annoyed her most of all though, was how she had laid in bed, drifting off into sleep, and all her mind could think of was how Ben looked at her in her dress, even while she danced with Poe.