CHANGE OF POV: MIA'S POV
As I slowly woke up, the weight of the blankets seemed to press down on me, making it difficult to lift my head from the pillow.
The familiar feeling of laziness overtook me, making it hard to motivate myself to get out of bed.
The sound of activity coming from the kitchen filtered through the closed bedroom door, but I was too comfortable to move just yet.
I had actually slept off in Kira's room I noticed as I took in the surrounding. I laid there for a few more minutes, savoring the feeling of warmth and relaxation, before the ringing of my phone shattered the peaceful silence.
I grumbled, wondering who could be calling so early in the morning. I laid there for a moment, waiting to see if the caller would give up, but the phone rang a second time, and with a sigh, I dragged myself out of bed and answered it not even bothering to check the caller ID.
"Hello?" I said, my voice still rough with sleep.
The sound of his voice on the other end immediately sent a jolt of energy through my body, his deep tones carrying the hint of a soprano singer.
"Ray, hello. How are you doing? Are you okay?" I asked, concern creeping into my voice.
"Mia, relax. I'm fine. In fact, I'm going to be discharged this morning," he replied, his voice reassuring.
"Then let me come over to pick you up," I offered, already planning on making the trip to the hospital.
"There's no need to stress yourself out for that. Sam is already here," he replied, and I could sense the amusement in his voice as he held back a laugh.
"That may be Sam, but I'm Mia, and I'll be on my way to join you. Don't leave until I get there, okay?" I insisted, determined to be there for him.
"Okay, ma," he chuckled, and I couldn't help but smile at his response.
Hanging up the phone, I finally found the motivation to get out of bed and head to the kitchen, where Kira was busy preparing breakfast.
The smell of sizzling bacon and frying eggs filled the air, making my stomach growl with hunger. She gave me a surprised look at my sudden change in mood, going from the "messed up" mood I was in last night to a happier one this morning.
"Someone is in a happy mood this morning. Come help me out with breakfast," Kira offered, trying to take advantage of my good mood.
"Sorry sis, but I have to go pick up Ray and Sam from the hospital. They're going to join us for breakfast," I replied, already heading towards my bedroom to get ready.
Without waiting for a response, I hurried to the bathroom to get ready for the day, a renewed sense of energy coursing through my veins.
As I brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my tangled hair, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anxiety. My mind went to my conversation with Kira in the night and what I had witnessed in the gym the previous day.
I took a deep breath and allowed the thought evaporate.
'I'll deal with that later,' I said to myself.
Determined to get to the hospital as soon as possible, I applied a thin layer of foundation to even out my skin tone, followed by a swipe of mascara to make my eyes pop.
I dressed in a pair of black leggings that hugged my curves in all the right places, paired with a short jeans skirt that showed off my toned legs.
I topped off the outfit with a black top that read "Kiss me" in bold white letters and a matching jeans jacket to complete the look.
As I grabbed Kira's car keys and said a quick goodbye to her, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation and nervous excitement that seemed to bubble up inside me like a fountain.
It was a feeling I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with Ray. We weren't dating, not really, but there was something about him that just drew me in and made my heart race like a thoroughbred.
I couldn't help but wonder if he was doing it on purpose, or if I was just allowing myself to fall for him.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to clear my head and stay present in the moment. I shook off the thought of what might happen after the dare and focused on getting ready for the day ahead.
I climbed into the car, feeling the soft leather seats hug my body as I settled in. I started the engine and began the drive, turning on the MP3 player and singing along to Alan Walker's "On My Way" at the top of my lungs.
The lyrics seemed to perfectly capture my mood as I sang about flying away and being on the rise, with the fire burning in my eyes and nobody but Ray able to keep me safe. I felt the bass of the music thump through my chest as I drove, the wind rushing through my hair as I cruised down the open road.
It was a feeling of pure freedom and exhilaration, and I couldn't wait to see what the day had in store even though deep down, something was telling me it wouldn't end the way I wanted.
As I walked through the hospital doors, I couldn't help but feel a jumble of emotions welling up inside me. On one hand, I was still angry with Ray for what he had done.
But on the other hand, seeing him there, looking so hurt and vulnerable, my anger melted away and was replaced with a confusing mix of tenderness and concern.
I couldn't even explain to myself why I was feeling this way – it was like my heart and my head were at odds with each other.
But as soon as our eyes met, all of those thoughts and feelings were pushed to the back of my mind. Even though he looked like he had been through a lot, with his hair disheveled and dark circles under his eyes, he was still beautiful to me.
He stood up and came over to where I was, standing awkwardly in front of me. He was still in his training outfit. I could tell that Sam must have filled him in on what had happened yesterday, because his hand kept going to the back of his neck, a gesture I had noticed he always did when he was nervous or unsure of what to do.
I decided not to be too hard on him and closed the distance between us, giving him a hug. His arms pulled me closer to his body as he wrapped them around me and I closed my eyes, savoring the moment.
I felt so safe in his arms, and he smelled like himself – a mix of a masculine scent and the minty smell of his aftershave or cream.
But then I caught a faint hint of lavender – Lily's signature scent and all of the anger came rushing back. I pulled back a bit, trying with everything I had to remain calm.
In a whisper that only he could hear, I told him, "I'm still angry at you. We have to talk about what happened. And we need to get you out of here. You look like hell."
"Yeah…alright," he replied, his hand going back to his neck again. I couldn't help but smile slightly.
Sam, who had been observing us from a distance, came over and gave us a quick hello and a brief hug.
We left the hospital and Sam went to get his car while Ray stayed with me.
"So, where to?" Ray asked.
I avoided eye contact as much as I could, not wanting him to see how much he affected me.
"First, we get you home so you can clean up and stop looking like crap. And then we'll go over to my place. Kira is preparing breakfast for us," I said.
He nodded and quickly went to tell Sam, who had just driven out of the driveway.