DESTINE, finnick odair

CHAPTER EIGHT

ೃ࿐ ୨⎯ "act one" ⎯୧
CHAPTER EIGHT:

RYLIE

Pacing in her room, Rylie anxiously waited for her own thoughts to make sense. She tried to waste time, reading and braiding her hair but no distraction could keep her mind from what Finnick Odair had done.

Not only had he betrayed her sister. But he'd kissed her. He'd kissed her after their past. After all the fights, the names and the never-ending hatred.

That hatred wasn't going away, and it never would. She couldn't understand what was going through his head to make him do a thing like that. And she didn't at all understand why she liked it.

She liked the thrill, the eagerness, the passion.

She'd never had anything like that.

Was it the sudden male validation she was craving? Or was it him? It was almost impossible to tell.

Flopping backwards onto her bed, she grabbed her face. Screaming silently into her hands she wished he could just leave her mind.

Downstairs below her the three other girls in the house laughed over whatever memories Nova was sharing. Halle and Orna carefully listening with perfect eagerness.

She wondered what Finnick thought of it all. Rylie knew why he kissed her, it was for a distraction from Nova. A way to get over her. He would never like Rylie, it had been Nova from the very start - it would always be Nova.

A wave of pure nausea rushed over the girl. While her sister was downstairs enjoying herself, she was left alone with the guilt. She couldn't tell her, it would absolutely break her.

So she stayed alone in her room that night. Drifting off, her arms wrapped around her solitary body, she had never felt less comfortable.

Falling slower and slower into her dreams, she was awoken by a knock at her door.

The person on the other side of the door didn't even wait for approval before barging in, frightening Rylie in an instant.

Rylie wished she could scream in defence at the invasion but once seeing who strutted through the door, she knew it was near impossible.

"My gorgeous darling, where have you been all day?" Orna exclaimed, bellowing across the room before Rylie could even let a breath out.

Since her incident with Finnick, Rylie had been isolated in her room, missing dinner and all the group laughter she could hear echoing through the walls.

"It's a long story" Rylie sighed, hoping to push away the chance of having to explain to Orna.

"Oh my sweetheart, you know I have all the time in the world when it comes to listening to you" Orna smiled, sitting down next to Rylie in the bed, "Somethings up isn't it?"

"What do you mean, somethings up"

"Lele, Ive known you way too long to know that somethings up. You've barely spoke to us all day!"

Lele. Rylie had her fair share of nicknames, but no name could ever top that one. Orna had called her that the first night they'd met, the night of her reaping. Neither could remember how it came about, but the name stuck.