Then You Look At Me |COMPLETED|

It Hurts

~If I threw it all away, would I still have you? If I tried to hit the brakes, would you see right through?~ Freya Ridings.
Chapter Theme Song: 'Still Have You' by Freya Ridings^^

•••

Rainey

I slept a little last night. The treat and note that was left on my nightstand offered me a sense of hope even though the single initial at the bottom cannot serve as validation. Five men are sitting in front of me right now with the first letter of their names being A. Although only three people on this planet know that mint is my favorite flavor, my dad could have easily shared that information with the boys, therefore, my footing is ungrounded. Additionally, the handwriting did not belong to Ansel, sadly.

I read somewhere that during the grieving process, a person may hang on to even the smallest notion that feeds the thought of the deceased still being alive. I know my mind is messed up but a part of me believes that the bearer of that gift is not sitting around this table right now. And I just need to confirm it.

I clear my throat as I swivel my spoon in my chocolate tea. My dad looks over at me concernedly while dusting his crumbly fingers together.

"Everything alright, princess?"

Melissa smiles from the far end of the table. "Do you need more sugar?"

I shake my head politely. "I am fine, thanks."

Austin looks at my dad while bringing his mug to his lips, and the table becomes quiet once again.

I pull my hands into my lap. "Did any one of you leave an ice-cream in my room last night?"

Riley looks at me with a spoon tucked between her lips and I watch as the boys gaze at me ignorantly; having no clue of what I am talking about.

"Ice cream?" My dad's eyebrows furrow as he wipes his hands on a napkin.

I nod. "Yeah. Someone left an ice cream on my nightstand last night."

I ogle everyone around the table, and they all seem equally unaware. However, before I can confirm my speculations, Alaric promptly speaks.

"Yeah. It was me."

I look at him as he chews his food around, gazing directly at me. "Did you enjoy it?"

I don't believe him; it wasn't him. Alaric is a professional liar; he can look you straight in the eyes while feeding you fables from a deeply convincing voice. It wasn't him.

I construct a smile, deciding to test it further. "Yeah, I did. How'd you know strawberry is my favorite flavor?"

He half-smiles, shrugging his shoulders. "I just guessed."

And I was right.

It was not him. I hate strawberry, and the flavor that was left in my room was without a doubt—mint.

I drop my eyes back to my plate as my dad rests his hand on my shoulder. "Make sure to eat your breakfast, if you continue like this, I'll have to take you to a doctor, Rainey."

"I'm eating..." I mutter, and Melissa sends me a sympathetic smile from across the table.

"Good. You'll need the energy. Remember, Jeff's court case is today."

"Oh yeah," Austin snaps his fingers. "Shit, I won't be able to make it, I have some heavy welding to get done today."

"That's fine. I'll represent the both of us," Robert chuckles, and Austin smiles gratefully.