Page 3 of Broken Pieces

Chapter Two

Raelynn

Sunlight burns my eyes open. I snuggle into the blankets more and try to block the sunlight from my eyes. It is far too early to get up, regardless of what time it is.

Wait.

Where am I?

I try to think about yesterday, details slowly leaking into my memory. Fear of talking to Easton, going to Sawyer’s, drinks. Lots and lots of drinks.

Fuck.

What did I do?

I shoot straight up, only slightly relieved to see I am on a couch and not in some stranger’s bed. I swing my legs over the side and come face to face with emerald eyes, just like mine.

“Good morning.”

I groan and try to cover my face with the blanket wrapped around me, but Easton's hands stop me.

“I’m just as happy to see you too,” Easton drawls, a strong hint of anger laced to his voice. “I’m guessing you don’t know how you got here?”

I just nod, slightly fearful of what the answer may be.

Easton sighs and brushes his shoulder-length hair back over his head. “Trace went in-to the bar late last night and noticed a very drunk girl in the corner being fed drinks from some out-of-town troublemakers. He followed the girl to the bathroom when she stumbled and was quite surprised to find out it was you. Especially since, on the one hand, you aren’t twenty-one and, on the other hand, the last we knew you were living in Memphis.” He pauses and pinches his eyes shut. “You were so drunk you fell and hit your head, blacked out. Trace called me and I brought you here.”

I reach for my face out of habit, covering up the bruising with my hair but once again Easton stops me. “I know that bruise on your face ain’t from hitting your head last night. Nor the swollen ankle that you were limping around on. Now I have some ice here for your ankle and some for your face but why don’t you start by answerin’ some questions, little sister.”

I gulp, anxiety starting to kick in. This was exactly what I didn’t want to happen. I knew he would have a hundred questions to ask me and I was not prepared to answer them. If I had run into him at the bar last night, I would have answered all of them, but my courage drowned with my liver last night. Maybe I could have a drink now. That would help the headache and maybe the questions.

He just stares at me. I know he won’t say anything until I talk. He has that look in his eyes. The same one my dad used to give him whenever East got caught sneaking out.

I pull down on the sleeves to my sweater I have on and stare at the floor as I give him any answer I can spew. “I left him.”

There! That was simple! A win for Rae!

“No shit,” I hear Easton mumble.

I look up and meet his gaze, eyes telling me to continue. “He did this.” I sigh, obviously he knows that. “I just couldn’t take it anymore. He did this to me three nights ago because I burned dinner and then again the next night ‘cause I left work early for being sick and I was too tired to make dinner.”

I try to hold back tears, but it’s no use. I’m hungover and overemotional. I am still confused if I should be happy I left or sad I didn’t stay because it would have been the easy way out.

“Fuckin’ hell, Raely.” His arms are wrapped around me within seconds. I know all isn’t forgiven, but his hug and his old nickname for me is enough to know he is proud I finally did what he’s been telling me to do the last year and a half.

He pulls away from me and reaches for the two bags of frozen peas. He hands one to me for my face then pulls my leg into his lap and wraps the peas and an Ace bandage around my sprained ankle.

“What about the drugs?”

“I meant what I said last winter, that I would stop. I’m not addicted, not anymore.”

He looks at me sternly.

“But that doesn’t mean I haven’t used at all.”

He sighs deeply, tightening the bandage.

“But I am done now. I mean it. That’s why I ended up at the bar. I was so scared, East, scared to talk to you. Scared you wouldn’t let me come back here.” He goes to speak, but I cut him off now that I seem to have found a bit of courage. “I fucked up so many times and every time you forgave me. But all I could think of was ‘what if that was the last time.’ I thought if I just walked into your shop, you would push me back out the door and then I would really have nothing. So, I did what I’ve been doin’, tried to cover it up with something else. And I wanted to use so bad to erase it all, so I went to the bar instead.”

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