Read Online Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) by Meaghan Rauscher - Free Book Online
Authors: Meaghan Rauscher
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were lit from the light of the flashlight. That was twice he had cut me off. “You know we would be—”
“Trey,” I said softly but sharp enough to cut him off; I was past feeling bad for him after he hadn’t taken the hint twice. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”
Finally, he stayed quiet. I turned, leaving him to stand there all alone, and although I felt bad I decided not to worry about it. He was the one who had pushed it too far, even when I was willing to be kind.
Maybe it was because I was so mad at the world. Or more accurately, mad at Morven for what he did, and Patrick for telling me to run instead of being with him. A lump formed in my throat but I shoved it back. I would wait until I was in bed to cry, just like every night. My pillow was never dry before I fell asleep and I knew it would be a long, long time before it ever was again.
I picked up my pace and ran up the pathway toward the house.
5. Waking
Warm steam rose around my face in little patterns of delicate swirls from the rim of my coffee mug. It was a brisk morning and the clouds outside threatened a coming snow fall. I inhaled deeply, letting the warm smell of the roasted beans fill my nostrils. Pressing the mug between my hands, I stared out the window and into the lightening sky. Sunrise was coming, but there was nothing but gray clouds within sight.
I didn’t know how long I had been staring out the window, but my mind had run its course far away from where I stood. After a sleepless night, I often found myself staring off into the abyss, where logical thought gave way to tangents and streams of consciousness. It was the same problem I had when trying to fall asleep. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get my mind to calm down.
If it’s not crying it’s thinking , I thought and took a sip of my coffee.
The sound of approaching footsteps reached my ears and I snapped my body to attention, trying desperately to bring some life to my eyes. For a long time I had wondered if it was possible to look alive when I felt dead on the inside. Every time I worked at the restaurant, I tried my best to remind myself of who I had been, and I was always trying here at home. But not matter what I did or how I acted there was a distance between the people I used to know so well. Two weeks had passed by since my return and I still felt as though I had lost a part of myself. The girl I used to be was lost, but so was the one I had become when I was on the island. What was left of my heart tried desperately to breathe life into my lungs, but only enough to keep me breathing.
“You’re up early,” Dad said as he exited the bedroom he shared with Jillian.
“Yeah,” I agreed and turned away from the window. My overly large sweatshirt was toasty and comfortable and I sat down at the kitchen table with my legs crossed on the seat to keep my toes warm. It didn’t matter that my body was always regulated with the temperature now, I still acted on instinct. Some human things were easier to come back to than others.
I watched as Dad moved about the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee and grabbing a cold piece of pizza from the fridge. He looked over at me before he took a bite, “Don’t tell Jillian,” he said and winked.
A smile threatened to cross my lips and I shook my head. “I thought you were supposed to only eat clean food,” I said raising my hands to put up quotations around the word clean.
“A man’s got to eat sometimes,” he laughed and came to sit down across from me. “What about you?”
“Hmm,” I said and snapped back to reality. Even in the smallest spans of time my mind wandered.
“Have you had anything to eat?” he asked holding up his half-eaten piece of pizza.
“No,” I made a face, “I wasn’t very hungry. At least not for pizza.”
“Ahh,” he nodded and
“Trey,” I said softly but sharp enough to cut him off; I was past feeling bad for him after he hadn’t taken the hint twice. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”
Finally, he stayed quiet. I turned, leaving him to stand there all alone, and although I felt bad I decided not to worry about it. He was the one who had pushed it too far, even when I was willing to be kind.
Maybe it was because I was so mad at the world. Or more accurately, mad at Morven for what he did, and Patrick for telling me to run instead of being with him. A lump formed in my throat but I shoved it back. I would wait until I was in bed to cry, just like every night. My pillow was never dry before I fell asleep and I knew it would be a long, long time before it ever was again.
I picked up my pace and ran up the pathway toward the house.
5. Waking
Warm steam rose around my face in little patterns of delicate swirls from the rim of my coffee mug. It was a brisk morning and the clouds outside threatened a coming snow fall. I inhaled deeply, letting the warm smell of the roasted beans fill my nostrils. Pressing the mug between my hands, I stared out the window and into the lightening sky. Sunrise was coming, but there was nothing but gray clouds within sight.
I didn’t know how long I had been staring out the window, but my mind had run its course far away from where I stood. After a sleepless night, I often found myself staring off into the abyss, where logical thought gave way to tangents and streams of consciousness. It was the same problem I had when trying to fall asleep. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get my mind to calm down.
If it’s not crying it’s thinking , I thought and took a sip of my coffee.
The sound of approaching footsteps reached my ears and I snapped my body to attention, trying desperately to bring some life to my eyes. For a long time I had wondered if it was possible to look alive when I felt dead on the inside. Every time I worked at the restaurant, I tried my best to remind myself of who I had been, and I was always trying here at home. But not matter what I did or how I acted there was a distance between the people I used to know so well. Two weeks had passed by since my return and I still felt as though I had lost a part of myself. The girl I used to be was lost, but so was the one I had become when I was on the island. What was left of my heart tried desperately to breathe life into my lungs, but only enough to keep me breathing.
“You’re up early,” Dad said as he exited the bedroom he shared with Jillian.
“Yeah,” I agreed and turned away from the window. My overly large sweatshirt was toasty and comfortable and I sat down at the kitchen table with my legs crossed on the seat to keep my toes warm. It didn’t matter that my body was always regulated with the temperature now, I still acted on instinct. Some human things were easier to come back to than others.
I watched as Dad moved about the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee and grabbing a cold piece of pizza from the fridge. He looked over at me before he took a bite, “Don’t tell Jillian,” he said and winked.
A smile threatened to cross my lips and I shook my head. “I thought you were supposed to only eat clean food,” I said raising my hands to put up quotations around the word clean.
“A man’s got to eat sometimes,” he laughed and came to sit down across from me. “What about you?”
“Hmm,” I said and snapped back to reality. Even in the smallest spans of time my mind wandered.
“Have you had anything to eat?” he asked holding up his half-eaten piece of pizza.
“No,” I made a face, “I wasn’t very hungry. At least not for pizza.”
“Ahh,” he nodded and
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