Page 77 of Rayne

Heading upstairs, I go to the bathroom, taking a quick shower to get the plane smell off me. When I'm done, I wrap the towel around me, heading out of the bathroom.

As I step into the hallway, I notice the house is shrouded in darkness. Deja vu hits me—and immediately the air around me changes. I look toward the staircase at the end of the hallway, waiting.

There's no fear this time, just anticipation and excitement.

Electricity hangs in the air, and I can sense them before I see them, shadows slowly hitting the wall opposite the landing as footsteps climb the stairs.

I fold my arms, a smile on my face. They round the corner, standing side by side at the other end from me. My eyes linger over their masks—their hoodies up—and I can't help but smile at seeing them.

"Hey," I murmur softly.

Slowly, they raise their masks, watching me with warm smiles and wild eyes.

Jett winks at me, pulling his mask down. "We couldn't resist popping over for this brief intermission. Welcome back, Sis."

"Start running, Tempest," Hawk says, giving me a smirk before pulling his mask back down.

I step toward them, eyes quickly darting to the bedroom door as I smirk knowingly.

It's not much, but at the same time it's everything.

It's the motivation I need to keep going to finish.

The air I need to breathe before walking away again to finish what I started.

It's their touch—the one that makes me feel alive.

And knowing that they still care and haven't forgotten about me, it's the winding feeling in my chest that makes my heart race.

"Game on," I mutter to them, legs taking off as I sprint to my open bedroom door. Their footsteps rush behind me as I step inside, and this time, I let them hunt me down.

Epilogue - Hawk

*** THREE YEARS LATER ***

I still remember the day that I first saw those hazel eyes.

Jett and I had been passed around family to family for years, overstaying our welcome until it was time for the next foster family.

Over the years, I had met many kids in our temporary foster families, but they never cared about us. We were an inconvenience to them—disrupting their lives.

Until she came along.

From the moment I stepped foot in the Spencer house, her barely teenage face lit up. Warmth, like sunshine, emanated from Rayne. She did everything she could to make us feel welcome, and I loved her for it. Even though I knew that we weren't the first children to walk through those doors, she made us feel special. I was sure as fuck going to make sure we were the last.

It was pretty apparent from the beginning that Rayne was genetically programmed to please everyone. So, I tormented her.

I wanted to see the real her.

But still… she never relented.

Many times I expected her to rat me out to our parents. But she never did.

The master of secrecy, she held it in, more determined than ever to not let anyone see her frustrations. I think she feared hurting our parents. But I also think she feared the worst—that we would leave them all.

And for that… I hated her too.

Not in the way that makes you see red—but the way you see every color of the spectrum.

---