Blame

"Who the hell does he think he is?!" Gia muttered angrily, getting rid of the thin garment she had been forced to wear while deliriously unconscious.

Still, she was grateful for the chance to finally put on some decent clothes. Staring at her reflection in disbelief, Gia's expression turned into a grimace.

"Shit," she uttered, undeniably disgusted by her appearance. No amount of water could erase the image and the way she felt so filthy. But for the more part, Gia was infuriated.

Yet, she couldn't even decide who to focus her anger on.

A soft knock on the locked bathroom door made her jump, pulling Gia out of her miserable thoughts.

"Do you require assistance?" Leila's muffled voice echoed from outside. Gia felt sorry for her and was tempted to spill the truth.

It was clear that they had mistaken her for Gaia, whom they referred to as Faye Lewis.

'A woman I know nothing about, apparently,' Gia thought, her insides quivering. She leaned on the sink, gripping the edge so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

"I'm okay," Gia answered, throwing on a grey sweatshirt and pants that the arrogant man got her. "Very fancy."

Gia complained even though the tag was still attached to them, and the fabric was soft to the touch.

"Alright. Are you sure that you feel better, though?" she asked. "I mean, the medicine you took will only last for a few hours. Once the effects begin to fade, your body will again be in so much pain."

Gia scoffed. She felt something warm burning inside her chest.

"I'm used to it," she mumbled, unable to say it any louder. It left her to clear her throat afterwards. "Leila."

"Hm?"

Gia cleared her throat again.

"Can I call you Leila?"

"Of course," the assistant nurse immediately replied. "May I call you Faye?"

"You can," Gia answered, her brows furrowing. "Um, I kind of need your help with something else."

"I'd be happy to," Leila perked up. "What kind of help do you need?"

Gia took a deep breath, lowering her voice to a whisper as she leaned toward the door.

"Is there any other exit out of the clinic?"

Leila was silent for a moment, making Gia anxious.

"Why do you want to know?"

Gia pressed his lips together.

"I just need five minutes."

"I don't like the sound of that," Leila admitted. But she was only expressing what she thought. "But promise me that you'll be back in five minutes."

Gia crossed her fingers.

"I swear."

"Okay," the assistant whispered. "I'll help you sneak at the back door. It will lead you to an alley. You know your way around Carlisle Avenue?"

"Yes," Gia answered, biting back the snarky attitude that was bubbling to come out. "I know my way around the entire town."

"That's a relief."

"I won't cause you any trouble, Leila. That's a promise."

The assistant nurse chuckled in response, finding her comment really hilarious.

"Trouble is my last name,"

Gia unbolted the lock, peeking at the small opening. She caught Leila's gaze, sheepishly smiling.

"I had a strange feeling that we had been friends from a past life," she mumbled. "Or maybe I'm just imagining things. Anyway, I am forever indebted to you."

"Stop talking and get moving," Leila answered, glancing around to make sure no one else would catch on to their plan. "Get out before he could come back. I can stall him but go beyond fifteen minutes, and you're on your own."

Gia dragged herself out of the bathroom, pulling the assistant nurse into a brief hug. The latter patted Gia's back before ushering her to go.

While the two other medical staff tended to prepare the papers and prescriptions, Leila covered Gia walking toward the back door.

Once they had reached it, Leila produced the set of keys and unbolted the locks, carefully opening the door.

"Remember Faye," she whispered, keeping watch of their surroundings. "Fifteen minutes tops."

Gia pursed her lips, reaching for Leila's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you," she answered before disappearing into the night.

Making sure to hide her face, Gia immediately turned to her right after making it outside of the alley.

She scurried to get to the place where the accident happened, trying to recall how her sister ended up dying.

"Come on," she murmured, coaxing her mind to work. But it was a lost cause. She could barely recall anything other than the sound of screeching tires.

Frustrated, Gia pushed her legs to keep moving. She had half a day's rest, yet her body still screamed bloody murder.

She hurried along, fearing that the effects of the medicine would wear off anytime soon. Taking another turn, Gia finally stumbled on the familiar street. She stared at the surroundings, looking for any sign of the wreckage that night.

But she found nothing. There was no broken glass, car parts or dried blood. It was as if what happened to them was nothing but a dream.

"No," Gia mumbled, running a hand through her hair. She bit her lower lip, uncertain of what she was looking for.

Clenching her hands into fists, the events before their escape flashed in her mind, triggering her anger to spike tenfold.

Without thinking twice, Gia rushed to get to the brothel. She was driven blindly by rage. Upon arriving at the destination, she was greeted by odd stares from those who took notice of her appearance.

Other than the sweatshirt and pants, the bandage wrapped on her head was a deal breaker. However, in places such as that, people didn't bother to ask who she was and where she was from.

No one considered it unless she walked in looking like she owned the world.

Still burning with anger, Gia found the staircase and took two steps at a time. She located the same room, halting an inch away from the door, her heart hammering inside her chest.

She raised her hand, intending to knock. However, the sound of a loud thud stopped her, her eyes widening as a realization hit her.

Gia took a step back, wanting to escape before she was caught, but before she could turn around, the door of the room creaked open.