I can't believe I just left them. How could I leave them? Trusting Joel was necessary, as he said he'd get Jess and the twins. Joel said Luka can handle himself, so I had to trust him. Trying to calm down, I stopped crying and took slow, deep breaths, as taught in grief therapy. I felt more in control of my emotions as I turned around. I pulled the hood over my head and breathed in Lukas's scent. It helps calm me. There was no way someone could have hurt Luka. He ran into a burning building to save my mom for me. He could get through whatever he was after. I told myself, and I might have been a bit delusional in my thoughts, but until otherwise proven, I held onto those thoughts.
"Don't worry, Danni. It will be okay. Luka is a badass." Matt tried to reassure. I nodded my head in wagreement. Spoken words were still too hard. I noticed that Kayla was staring at me. I guess staring would be the wrong word, more like glaring, and if she could, she'd probably shoot laser beams at me.
I didn't say anything as I looked at her. She coughed again. "I don't understand what the fuss is about you."
I didn't say anything, but I raised him a brow. What does she mean? Who's fussing over me?
"Kayla don't start" Matt warned.
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what makes her so special, she a plain no body. With nothing to offer. Yeah she has leaders from different group fighting over her."
"Kayla" Matt warning was almost a growl now.
"what? I'm not the only one who thinks it! I'm just the one with the balls to say it!" Kayla barks at Matt " what kind of things are you doing to get these important men so invested in you, is it sexual? Is it black mail? explain it to me because otherwise it makes no sense. Why you."
She looks me up and down making me feel small and "a worthless human who is so poor she needs hands out to survive!" Kayla lays into me making me feel small. I try shirking into Luka's hoodie. I wondered to myself why did these men care so much about me. I had nothing to offer them. I was feeling I was more of a burden then anything else now. Why should I bother now.
" Kayla that's enough you are such a bitch. No wonder why no one gives a shit about you. You're awful. Dani is sweet, caring and treats people respect unlike you. So of course she has people in her corner helping her and taking care of her." Matt laid into her. Kayla's face grew red with anger. But she didn't say anything else. She gave me one more hateful glare before turning away from me.
Even though Matt defended me. I felt weak and small. I hated myself. Nothing that Kayla said was a lie. Since it wasn't a lie it had to be true. Thus began my self pity spiral.
We quickly arrive to the hotel. Kayla leaves the car quickly and heads inside not giving Matt or me a second look. Matt came over and opened my door.
"Hey, we are here." He tells me. He looks me over. "Are you okay?" He asks a little more serious then his normal demeanor.
"Yeah." I respond. And pull the hood more over my face. I just wanted to hide.
"Hey," He stops me from walking past him. He pushes back the hoodie abit, not to remove it but to get a better look at me. Or was it to get a better look at him? I wasn't sure. "Nothing Kayla said was true." Matt says Seriously. "I mean it Danni, I know I am a flirt. You have always been a kind and wonderful person. It is why people care about you." Matt tells me.
"Yeah." I mumble out. I didn't want to hear this. I was just going to spiral further if he kept this up.
"I am serious Danni. You don't judge or expect anyone to be anything but themselves. A lot of people appreciate that. Money and status makes people around them weird. You never do that, regardless of if people have money or power. You treat them kindly and with respect. Don't ever stop change that." Matt tells me. I dont know how to respond to that. I just look up at him. "Come on, lets get you inside cutie."
Matt brings me inside. I follow him in. He grabs a plate and starts loading up with some snacks and grab and go sandwiches. In the mini fridge he grabs a couple of Old Timers Root Beer and leads me to a room a few hallways down and three flights of stairs from the communal area I put blueberry muffins in not that long ago. It felt like a lifetime now.
"Here we are, your room." Matt announces.
"My room?" I ask confused. I have never had room here before. Matt laughed and now I was even more confused.
"Yes, your room. I believe its been here a while now? Just in case you ever needed a place to stay." Matt explains.
"Why did no one ever tell me about it before?" I asked out loud more to myself than anything, but Matt answered.
"I don't know. That would be a question for one of the Holloways." Matt shrugged. He went inside and placed the plate of food down on the counter. "If you feel hungry" He winks. "Joel wants you to stay in here until he gets back. Then he will take you to Jess."
"Oh? Thank you." I tell him.
"No Worries cutie. I hope you have a goodnight. I will see you around." With that Matt winks at me and leaves. Shutting the door behind him.
Once Matt left I began to explore my room. I could hardly call it a room with how large it was. It was So huge, it had its own personal bathroom with a jacuzzi tub. I might have to come back when life wasn't so crazy to soak in it. Twenty minutes go by and I am still exploring. I hear a knock at my door. I run to open it. Excitement at finding out what was going on and at knowing Luka and Jess were okay. I swing the door open and am instantly greeted with a fist to my face.