RAY

Today is my birthday I'm officially eighteen years old. I'm an adult meaning I can go wherever I want, say whatever I want, technically, do whatever I please. You'd think because I'm eighteen I already have plans for my future and a stable job for my expenses at college and all that but truth to be told, I don't. I know what I want though.

I want a simple life where my only worry is my school like a normal teen, I want a perfect boyfriend the one every girl dreams of, you know the kind who will buy me flowers, takes me out on dates, and tells me how much he loves me.

I want a family.

Now I am not an orphan if that's what you're wondering but yes, I am basically one. My mother died when I was younger and ever since my father started acting cold towards everything, especially at me. I was the reason he was unhappy and he never forgot to remind me that it was because of me.

I was only five when he started to act that way and well you can imagine how terrible I would feel whenever he said that to me but now, thirteen years later I try to act as if it doesn't affect me but once I get to my room or better yet to my hiding place, I cry, I cry so hard until I feel that I can't breathe anymore and eventually, fall asleep.

That's what I see myself as, the weak redhead girl with green eyes that show every emotion she has. I hate myself sometimes for being so weak, for letting my father mistreat me and push me around like a little puppy, like I mean nothing to him-heck I'm sure I don't but he doesn't need to say it, I know it. He lets me know every damn time, every day.

I never got to meet my mother and when I asked about her to my dad he was always quick to yell at me saying I had no right to speak about her.

She's was my mother how can I not be able to be told about her?, I thought the first time I asked which was when I turned seven. However many years later probably when I was around fourteen I sneaked into my father's bedroom and went through his stuff knowing I would find something related to her.

I knew the consequences I would have to face if my father caught me but I didn't care, I needed to know what my mother was like, what if she was mean and left me with my father and he hated me for that. I thought a lot of stuff but I didn't care and kept looking around his closet.

And I did. I found a red big box that said 'memories', I opened the box and at that moment I was so shocked about what I had found and started crying as I went over the few pictures of a redhead woman with light blue eyes and a beautiful smile and round belly-she was pregnant, she was beside my father hugging and looking at one another in love.

I knew that she had to be my mom because we were almost identical the only problem was I didn't know what her name was, I wanted to know. Two hours later I was still in my father's room crying as I read every letter they had sent each other as well as the pictures then I saw it, behind a DVD.

Legacy Phoenix.

She had a beautiful name. After some time I put the box right where it was and brought one of the many DVDs with me so I can at least knew what her voice sounded like back then. I continued doing that till this day, it's the only way I can feel good especially since it's my birthday today, after my father leaves I will go grab another DVD.

He always leaves the house and comes back the next day when it's my birthday, he doesn't like to spend it with me and I know why I just wish he could at least ask how I'm doing once in a while but that's another thing, just another wish.

I think I should stop wasting my birthday wishes on him. Begging for my father to care about me but yet I don't. Every year I make the same wish before I go to sleep.

So here I am currently laying down in my stomach waiting for the clock to hit 'midnight' so I can make my wish and go to bed, but then I hear the front door open.

Is he going to stay here today? Will he celebrate with me finally?. I quickly shot up from my laying position and start making my way downstairs where I see my dad pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

"Dad?" I called out. "Are you okay?"

"What do you want!?" I flinch at his harsh tone, I should be used to this but every time it hurts me. My father may not physically hurt me but he does emotionally and I believe that's worse.

"N-nothing I just heard you come in and I thought-" I started but he cut me off.

"Thought what? that I was here to spend your birthday with you?" He chuckled drunk. "You are so stupid for thinking that, do you really think I would do that? You are nothing to me reign remember that"

I gulp at his words not wanting him to see that it affects me, he continues. "You know damn well that I could give a shit about what happened to you, you could leave for all I care but something tells me that won't help either and you know why?" I stare at him. "Because it should've been you instead of your mother" he growls and pushed me as he walked past me leaving the house.

My breathing speeded and I found myself bursting into tears. While tears roll down my cheeks I walk through the door grabbing the keys and making my way out. I don't want to be there anymore but I can't go anywhere else, I don't have anyone and I don't care how much my father despises me I love him.

I love him because he could've simply gotten rid of me but instead, he kept me and I should be grateful for that. I start running towards a park near my home, the park is abandoned not sure if anyone goes there anymore I really doubt it though, the only times people pass through it it's when they are crossing the bridge.

I wonder if I will ever get to find happiness, that's all I'm asking for is it that hard? Every day I find myself wondering why am I even existing if there is nothing good for me out here, I guess life just loves to have its way with me. I don't think I will have a happy ending like those romantic books I read, I'll probably just die alone and a virgin.

Once I reached my destination I walk back to some trees, there are some rocks I can sit on while listening to the water from the river hit the big rocks.

So I do just that and sit on the biggest one, leaning my back against the hard concrete wall. I'm probably taking a big risk by being so close to the forest but I could care less what happened to me right now, I'm crying-sobbing and I doubt that any scary thing would take it away.

I hugged my legs against my chest as tears continue to roll down my cheeks and small whimpers escape my mouth, this is the only place where I can be free not having to care who listens to me, and even if they do happen to listen they would think it's probably just some animal from the forest, after all, no one comes here. I hear something rather someone clears their throat and I instantly look back to see where the sound came from.

God, I'm crying and if it's someone they'll see my red swollen eyes. As I blink some tears away my vision clears and I see a guy leaning back against a tree while inhaling the smoke of his cigarette and puffing it out from his mouth.

I gulp kind of afraid of what he'll do next, I know I said I could care less what happened to me right now but he looks a little too intimidating and it's starting to creep me out a little, I won't show him fear though so I just stare at him as he does the same while smoking his cigarette.

He's too close to the forest like way too close, what if a wolf was to come out and attack him does he even think about that?

"What's your name," the guy asks, his voice sounds deep and intimidating, also with a different accent-British if I can say. I sniffled and wipe another tear away as I answer.

"I um-" I swallowed trying to make my voice sound confident. "It's Reign" my voice sounding kind of groggy.

"Like the rain?" He asks putting his forearm on top of his knee as he continues to inhale from that thing.

"No, not like the rain like..." I stay quiet but he finishes for me.

"Like a queen?" I shrug, I'm pretty sure he can see me but I can't. "Why are you here reign?" He knows I'm crying thank god he isn't asking about that.

"I-I don't know, I mean it's my birthday and well I-I don't really celebrate those"

"Bad memories," he says, his voice void of any emotion.

"Something like that"

"Explain" why should I tell a stranger my story? But that's all he is right? I won't even see him again after this so it's worth a shot.

"The day I came into this world, was the day my mother left it" another tear rolled down as I said that. I expected the guy who I still haven't ask his name, to quickly want to say sorry but after some time his reply made me crack a small smile.

"That sucks"

"What? You aren't going to say sorry for my loss?" I asked wiping away another tear. He threw his cigarette away somewhere in the woods and answered.

"I'm sure you're tired of hearing many of those from the public so, No."

"What's your name?" I asked suddenly intrigued. He took his time before answering.

"Raymond Dominic" his voice sounded a bit darker than before but I ignored it and sent him a small nod. "How old are you?"

I won't see him ever again after this why the hell am I so nervous for? He isn't even hitting on me for god's sake I doubt he'll even be into gingers, no guy ever is. I swallowed my nervousness and answered; "I just turned eighteen, what about you"

"24" after he said that we fell into silence-a comfortable silence though, except for a few tears that keep rolling down my cheeks.

I wish I can see what he looks like, judging by his voice I can say he's big and intimidating And of course more mature than any guy from my high school, well duh he's twenty-four.

"And what about your father, cousins? Any other family member you could spend your birthday with" I chuckle dryly, yeah cousins-family. I don't have anything of that.

Okay, I do but I've never met them personally except my dad's brother, uncle ridge. He came and visited once when I was sixteen and since then I haven't heard from him.

"My father hates me and never fails on making me feel less, do you really believe he'll want to spend it with me" more tears started to well up in my eyes.

"Does he hurt you?" I don't have to look at him to know he gritted his teeth as he said that. I quickly shake my head.

"No, god he hates me so much that I doubt he'll ever lay a finger on me" it's true. My dad would do anything but touch me sometimes I think it's because I remind him of my mother, I'm the one who killed her probably That's why.

"And why does he hate you" why does this guy care? It's not like we will be friends after this, but I don't want to be rude and as I said, he is a stranger that I'll never meet again, and all I want to do right now it's express some feelings because I have them all bottled up and I just want to explode.

"He says that it was me who killed my mother, that I'm worthless, and that I don't deserve anything good that happens to me...I believe him" a sob escaped my mouth. This is what I mean. I don't want this guy who I barely know to console me I just want someone to listen to me without judging me.

"You shouldn't waste your tears on him then" I'm pretty sure he can see my look of confusion because he quickly adds; "I'll tell you what, if you believe you're worthless then there is no need in crying because you already believed it, now if you are crying it's because it pains you."

Yeah probably part of me doesn't believe that but it doesn't change the fact that I have my father to remind me basically wanting me to believe it so what's good. "How do you know," I ask wiping away my tears with my shirt sleeve. "Know what," the guy asks back.

"How I feel, you just described it for me" I may not see him but I know for a fact he just shrugged. "Been there" he says standing up.

Oh, shit is he going to come close? What if he's a criminal and wants to kill me? Or what if he just pretended to listen so I could trust him whilst he's planning on murdering me. Okay, I have to stop watching too much tv, he's probably just leaving for all I know. "What happened to you?" I asked trying to swallow my fear.

He walks out and the moonlight it's hitting his face, oh my go-he's so cute, like those guys from the movies the kind every girl falls for, he's...hot. "Now why would I tell you that," he says jumping over a rock to cross through me. God, he's getting so close.

"Because I already told you mine," I tell him scooting a little so he knows I don't want him closer. He scoffs and says; "you probably told me half of it, it doesn't matter"

"considering that I at least told you something I should g-get something i-in return" I started stuttering when he stood on the rock beside me.

He looked at me intensely it kind of made me feel uncomfortable, was he checking me out? I don't know he's probably thinking what a cry baby I am. "You're a ginger." He stated kind of surprised what was he expecting?

I only nodded and stood up.

"It was nice talking to you..." I forgot his name, I feel my cheeks heat up from embarrassment.

"Raymond"

I nod and put a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "Well I think that I should go home now," I say walking backward, Raymond grabs my forearm yanking me forward as a gasp escapes my mouth.

"Watch your step, one more and you would've been dead" he released his grip on my arm and then said something that maybe me a little confused. "Come on I'll give you a ride"

"Oh no, i-it's fine I-I can walk" his grey eyes darkened and I found myself gulping-loudly.

"It's late you're in the middle of the road and it's your birthday, Think you should spend it somewhere else" he starts walking to where the park is and I follow behind him, we both remain silent as we walked to the other side from where I came from.

I know I probably shouldn't let a stranger take me home but for some reason, I feel comfortable around him, or maybe that's what he wants me to feel before eventually kidnapped me. I don't think he will though. We arrived at a black Lamborghini with tinted windows it must be his car but got these brands are expensive how rich is this guy?.

He opened the door for me and I step in, how generous this is the first time a guy does something for me rather than telling me how 'hot' i am. He gets in and starts the car and he rode off, I didn't know what to say while sitting here so I just looked out of the window.

Who would've thought that I would make a new friend while I was crying in that lonely river, however, he doesn't seem to talk much and if I'm being honest he looks mean but I'm sure he's a good person. Raymond asked for my home address and I gave it to him but I knew that this wasn't the way to my house, where is he taking me? Is he seriously kidnapping me?.

"Relax I'm not going to do anything to you" I must've been shaking for him to tell me that, god this is kind of embarrassing so I only nodded. Three more minutes in the car and we soon arrived at a...diner, okay what is going on here.

"Um, Raymond?" He looks at me. "What are we doing here?"

"You'll see" was the only answer before he climbed out of the car.

*************

A/N: Yassssss I finally updated my second book! I hope you like this book and let me know what you think of this first chapter. Also, I have a finished book already so if you guys would like to read it please give it a chance.

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Sending lots of love ✨🤍