Chapter 5: Sera

    Sera's flats clacked and clunked against the concrete. She heard the door open from the bar and slammed shut, so she could only assume Asher was looking for her. She didn't have the energy to deal with another playboy tonight.

    Cars flew past her as they drove down the busy intersection.

    "Seraphina!" Asher called out from behind her. She could hear his footfalls against the sidewalk, even with the bustling street noise.

    Quicker than she wanted to admit, he had his hand wrapped around her arm, not hard enough to hurt but not loose enough that she could pull out of it.

    "Asher, I'm sorry. We will have to get drinks later. I don't have the energy right now." She tried shaking off his grip, but he remained firm. She refused to look at him and see pity in his eyes for the mess she was right now.

    "Look at me," he said. The deep timber of his voice radiated down her spine, and she turned her head to look up at him. To her surprise, she didn't see pity; she couldn't tell what he was thinking, and if anything, that was scarier.

    "Are you okay?" The words fell from his lips, and she nodded numbly.

    "Yes..." She breathed, prayed her eyes wouldn't betray her, and prayed she could hold it in long enough to find a hotel for the night.

    "I've made a living on telling when people lie to me," he said, tilting his head slightly to stare at her. His thumb slowly moved across her arm, the motion so grounding that Sera almost melted.

    What the hell was wrong with her? She had just gotten dumped, and here she was, getting goosebumps over another stupid man.

    "You, my Darling, are lying to me." She stared up at him and pinched her brows.

    "What's it to you?" She said slightly more aggressively than she intended, "Just because you wanted to sleep with me doesn't mean you need to act all caring toward me. All of you are the same, use and abuse, that's all you guys do." she snapped.

    His eyes almost seemed to harden, and he let go of her abruptly. He turned to the side and walked to the edge of the sidewalk, throwing his arm in the air in search of a taxi.

    "There it is. You're not such a nice guy after all, are you?" She quickly lost her temper.

    It's more like losing your mind.

    "I'm sorry, Asher," She threw her hands up. "I didn't mean that." He scoffed as a black car pulled up. He leaned in the window and spoke to his driver.

    "Take her wherever she wants to go." Asher backed up and opened the door for Sera, motioning her to get in the car.

    "You did," he said. She shook her head but got into the car anyway; without another word, he shut the door behind her. She half expected him to get in the car with her, but when she waited for a couple of moments, she realized that wouldn't happen.

    "Where to, miss?" The driver coldly asked. If this were any other situation, Sera would say he didn't like his job, but he wasn't cold to Asher—just her.

    "Can you take me to a hotel?" She paused, "On the cheaper side, please." He grunted a reply and pulled away from the sidewalk. Sera leaned against the window and wished for the night to end.

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    The driver pulled up to the front of a hotel and made no motion to get out of the car. Sera murmured her Thank you and got out of the vehicle. While the driver said nothing to her and did not like driving her around, he still brought her to a good area of town.

    Sera walked up to the glass roundabout as the driver pulled away from the front entrance, the entrance colored brightly and the front desk hidden behind a glass wall. Sera could smell the chlorine from the pool; if only she had her suit, she would spend her night getting some pent-up energy out.

    The vaulted ceilings had a grand chandelier hanging down from the middle and a white staircase, so white that it looked brand new. The only pops of colors were the plants in the room's corners and the massive bouquet of roses in glorious reds and pinks on the receptionist's desk.

    Sera reached the front desk and put her phone and purse on the white ledge. The coolness of the rock top bit into her arms as she leaned over to speak to the woman in front of her. She was wearing what Sera would consider to be office clothing. Her golden brown skin glowed bright in contrast to her white blouse with black trim. She looked up at Sera through her glasses, and her curly hair fell over her shoulder as she looked up.

    "Hello, I need to book a one-night stay. Do you have any rooms available?" Sera asked, her voice echoing slightly.

    "Let me see." She typed away on her computer, fingers flying across the keyboard like a song and dance. Sera looked long enough at her to see her name on a golden tag that said, Camila. "It looks like we do have a room available. It is $129 a night."

    Sera chewed on that information. She could afford that, but it was a bit more expensive than she wanted tonight. She looked at the time on her phone; it was already almost midnight; where did the time go?

    "Look, hun," Camila said, slightly startling Sera. I can add my family discount to make it more affordable, but it won't be by much. You look like you need a break tonight." Sera smiled and nodded; she must look awful if she gets help from people she doesn't know.

    "That would be amazing. I'm sorry, but I didn't plan on staying at a hotel tonight." Camila held up her hand and shook her head,

    "Say no more, girlfriend; we all need a friend occasionally. Just pass it forward one of these days." Sera nodded. In a different world, Camila and Sera could've been friends.

    Yes... In a different world, I would have loved to have someone like you as a friend.

    "Alright, how does $105 sound?" Camila said.

    Sera smiled, "It sounds amazing." Camila made a satisfied noise and again began typing away as Sera pulled out a card and slid it through the window slot.

    Within moments, Sera had her room key and walked up the staircase. She couldn't wait to remove this dress and these old, broken-in flats. It took only moments before she was swiping her key card and heard the satisfying click of the door opening. She walked into the room and closed the door behind her, leaning her head against it. Sighing, she kicked her shoes off, put them by the door, and walked into the adjacent bathroom, clicking on the light.

    The large, rounded mirror illuminated by the lights behind it didn't miss anything. Seras's makeup had smeared down her face, and she looked quite frankly awful.

    "No wonder she gave me a discount." Not having the energy to use the glorious tub, she quickly washed her face with warm water and used the white towel to scrub the rest of her makeup, leaving the white stained with black and brown. Sera looked around the bathroom, her eyes connected with a plastic container on the corner of the white sink. Thankfully, the bag had a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a small brush. She brushed her hair, the curls long gone, and quickly brushed her teeth.

    She leaned on the counter and stared at her reflection, her face blotchy from scrubbing and crying. Not wanting to stare at herself any longer, she shut the light off and left the bathroom.

    The room had one bed in the middle, large enough for her to sleep sideways. The white and grey sheets looked inviting as she closed the curtains and adjusted the thermostat to a warmer setting.

    Finally, she peeled off the uncomfortable dress and left it on the floor; she had no sleeping clothes, so her bra and underwear would have to do.

    She flopped against the bed and moaned. The softness had her sinking further and further into the bed.

    "It's so much softer than that old twin bed at my parents' home." She muttered to herself, staring up at the ceiling. "What am I going to do...?"

    She tried to think of a plan, but for the first time in her life, she didn't want to think about anything; she just wanted to shut off the lights, curl up under the covers, and forget that she even existed.

    So, for once in Seraphinas life, she did exactly what she wanted and let the darkness swallow her whole.