Sunshine In The Rain

Morraine's POV

"Did dad send you here to watch me, or what?"

I tilted my head, my gaze cold as Cassy slid into the chair opposite me. She let out a long, dramatic sigh that irritated me ten times more.

"No, Morraine. I’m here because I care."

A small, bitter laugh escaped my lips. I didn’t reply yet. Instead, I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, threw it back in one clean gulp, and slammed the empty glass onto the sticky bar counter.

"Don't worry, sis," I purred, leaning forward. "I won't be sleeping with the bartender tonight... even if I really want to."

In front of us, the bartender wiping down a glass froze mid motion, his cheeks flushing.

Cassy gasped, her face twisting in mock horror.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry," she stammered to the poor guy, before reaching over and pinching my arm hard. Her voice dropped to a frantic, stage whisper. "You have to excuse her. My stepsister just lost her mother, and....."

Smack.

I flung her hand off my arm, the sting of her touch worse than the alcohol burning my throat. I didn’t let her finish. I stood up and walked out of the bar without looking back.

"Wait for me!" she screamed behind me.

I didn't stop. I kept walking, my boots clicking sharply against the pavement.

Let them think whatever they wanted. Let every nosey person in that bar whisper about the bitchy, ginger haired sister and the righteous, innocent blonde who was just trying to help her.

Nobody really cared that I had just watched my mother wither away to cancer, and I was left behind in a house with an indifferent stepfather and his golden child daughter. All they would talk about is how nice my stepsister is and how wayward I was.

Beep. Beep.

The sharp vibration of my phone cut through my spiraling thoughts. I pulled it out, my thumb hovering over the screen. It was an email notification.

My breath caught as I tapped it open.

Subject: Ashford University Admission & Scholarship Status

Dear Morraine Ashwood,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a fully-funded scholarship to Ashford University...

"Oh my god," I whispered.

The words blurred before my eyes.

"Oh my god! I got in!"

I screamed it into the empty, dim alleyway, the sound bouncing off the brick walls. I started to run. I didn't care about the people staring at me like I was completely out of my mind for screaming.

I was going to England.

I was packing tonight, and I was leaving first thing in the morning.

Twenty minutes later, I slipped through the front door of the house.

The living room was quiet, but my heart sank when I saw Silas sitting on the couch, staring at his tablet. I instantly swallowed my excitement, plastering a blank look on my face as I tried to slip past.

"Good evening, Silas," I said quietly, keeping my pace steady toward the stairs.

"Where are you coming from? It's late," he said, not even bothering to look up from his screen.

"I was at the bar."

"You can't keep drinking and running around, Morraine. Your mother is dead!" Silas’s voice boomed through the quiet house, sharp and completely devoid of warmth. "It’s been two weeks. Deal with it already. You’re twenty one, not six."

I froze on the bottom step, my hands curling into tight balls.

My mother was his wife...how can he say that like her death meant absolutely nothing to him. Even if it didn't, couldn't he have the decency to pretend at least.

A sharp ache flared in my chest. He was an absolute monster. I hated him so much.

Anyway I won't be seeing his devilish face anymore, I thought...swallowing the lump in my throat. I am running away.

I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response. I ran up the stairs, slipped into my room and locked the door behind me with a soft click.

The second the lock turned, my frantic energy took over. I dragged my suitcase from the top of the wardrobe and began throwing things inside. My clothes, my documents and the few precious photos of my mother I had left.

Finally, I reached for the heavy steel necklace she had pressed into my hand before she passed. It had a strange intricate animal symbol on it, like a wolf or lion I really don't know. It was chic though, but it definitely didn’t fit my usual aesthetic. I preferred soft, light vibes sweet, easy to love, and completely harmless.

I clutched the cold steel tight before tucking it safely into my bag.

I zipped the suitcase shut and collapsed onto my bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. For the first time in weeks, the crushing sadness felt manageable. It was a clean slate.

Knock. Knock.

I groaned, burying my face in my pillow. "Who is it?"

"It's me... Cassy," her sweet, purring voice drifted through the door.

"I’m sleeping. Get lost."

I didn't hear her noise anymore. I closed my eyes, letting out a breath.

My alarm was set for 6:00 AM. My flight was at 7:00 AM.

To be honest, I didn't care about being an art major, and I certainly didn't love studying. I was crossing an ocean for one reason and one reason only: to escape. To cut this fake, suffocating family out of my life forever.

__________

Beep! Beep! Beep!

I slammed my hand down on the alarm, instantly awake.

I moved like a ghost. I showered in time, dressed and quietly wheeled my suitcase toward the bedroom door. It was barely past five in the morning. It was pitch black outside, and Silas and Cassy never dragged themselves out of bed before nine.

I gripped the handle of my suitcase, lifting it slightly so it wouldn't make a sound on the hardwood floors. I crept down the stairs, my heart drumming against my ribs.

Just a few more feet to the front door.

Click.

Suddenly, the bulb lights flooded the living room, blinding me.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat.

"Morraine. Where do you think you're going?"

Silas’s deep voice boomed from the shadow of the hallway. I turned slowly, my stomach dropping into a cold abyss.

He was standing there, fully dressed and he wasn't alone.

Cassy stood right beside him, wearing a travel outfit, a pristine identical suitcase resting at her side.

"I... I am going out," I stammered, trying to regain my footing. "I got a scholarship."

Silas’s face twisted into a frown, but within a split second, it melted into a false, oily smile that sent a shiver straight down my spine.

"I know," Silas said, placing a heavy, paternal hand on Cassy’s shoulder. "I will drive you both to the airport. Cassy also got a scholarship to Ashford."

Cassy beamed, a triumphant spark in her eyes as she began wheeling her suitcase toward me.

My head spun. Ashford?

"What do you mean?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "What Ashford?"

"Ashford in England, sister," Cassy purred, stopping right in front of me. Her smile was sweet, but her eyes were entirely venomous. "We’re going to the same college. It seems you can never really get rid of me."