I locked myself in my room. It had been a whole week since the altercation with Mike happened and I decided it would be best to lay low, especially with Sebastiano prowling the halls like an animal hunting its prey. That means it's been a whole week since I've talked to him.

The first three days he tried to talk to me through the door, but I ignored him until he got frustrated and left. The number of times he would attempt to talk to me dwindled until he stopped trying altogether. I'll admit, it hurt, but I like to stew in my own grief. That's just who I am. That's also why I hadn't talked to Cara in a week. She knows not to take it personally. I'm just collecting myself, plotting my next course of action. And listening to depressing, sappy, love lorn songs. In fact, I hadn't spoken to anyone...

Okay, so maybe I was a little depressed. But that's not the point. 

I stared at my ceiling, the walls of my room closing in, suffocating. My throat felt like it was closing. My vision blurred in my unblinking eyes, tears leaking down my cheeks as I involuntarily blink. The ghost of what Mike had put me through flashed behind my closed eye lids for a millisecond and I'm thrown into the past.

The knock on my door brought me back to the present and I viciously wipe my face on the sleeve of my hoodie. 

At first, I contemplate ignoring the door, but to both my surprise and to the surprise of my visitor, I throw myself from bed. 

I don't open the door, instead I lean my forehead against the dark wood with an audible thump.

My visitor doesn't say anything at first, but after a moment, they speak to me. 

"Ayla..." A similar thud reverberated through the wood as they, too laid their forehead against the door. The soft voice said slowly, almost as if they're afraid to break me. Even with the heavy door separating us. I still don't answer, but I let out a little huff of air in response.

"You don't have to talk to me. Gesu, you don't even have to look at me, but be ready in an hour. I want to show you something." I felt the wood budge under the weight of my visitor as they pushed themselves off, using the momentum to make their way down the hall, shoes softly clicking against the polished floors of Addee and Al's estate. Taking my visitor away from me.

***

Against my better judgement, I did what I was told. That means I must really be out of it. Look at me, listing to other people and what they want. I must be going soft. 

Either way, I looked at myself in the floor length mirror and grimace. My hair was an ebony rat's  nest, a permanent greasy knot atop my head. My face was tear- stained and blotchy, puffy around my eyes and I wonder how the Hell it stayed blemish free with all the greasy food and crying I had done. Then my eyes traveled to my attire. My black joggers were covered in little beads of lint, cheeto dusted finger prints etched the thighs. But that wasn't the worst part. Oh no, that would be my pull over hoodie. As gross as it was, snot and tears encrusted the wrist bands of both sleeves and the top of the neck hole, proof of my sleepless, nightmare and anxiety plagued week. 

I decided my visitor was right. I need to get out of my funk, get over Mike. That slimy pezzo di merda. 

So, I slunk to my en suit bathroom and got undressed. In the light of my bathroom, I finally got a good look at the deep circles under my eyes and my pink tinged nose.

I started the shower, turning the knob as far as I could. I like my showers as hot a physically possible so I can practice for Hell. Don't worry, friends. That's just a joke. Kind of. Regardless, I undress myself and hop right in as soon as the steam starts pouring out like a fog. At first, the water stings, almost unpleasantly. Almost. But soon it starts to melt the chill in my bones. The muscles in my back unwind and I sigh in relief. I didn't realize how tense my shoulders and back were. 

After standing under the steady stream of molten water, I reach for my peach scented shampoo, pouring it first into my hand, and then working it into a rich lather in my thick, knotted hair. Once my scalp is evenly scrubbed, I tilt my head back under the water and rinse all the shampoo out and then turn to the matching conditioner, starting the process again. This time I try to get a majority of the knots out. It was a losing battle. 

I leave the conditioner in my hair as I begin to wash my body and face, then go back to tending to the mass of black curls. 

When I'm content, I cut the water and wrap myself in the fluffiest towel I can find and get to work on the mess that is my face. At first I just sit in front of the mirror and marvel at the magic the shower worked on my appearance. There was a flush to my cheeks now, a huge difference than the pale, colorless hue my skin took on before. I looked a live again, healthy. I still had those dark bags hanging beneath my eyes, so that's where I started.

Once my skin looked more even in tone, I decided on a thick band of jet black eye liner to frame the top of my almond shaped eyes and some mascara to coat my long dark lashes would suffice and I finished my face off with a swipe of light pink tinted gloss to my lips. I smacked my lips together and nodded in appreciation. I sure do clean up good. 

Next was the outfit. I didn't know where exactly the night would take me, so I decided on something simple and comfortable. Not. Now that I was in a better state of mind, I was back to my old self again, I wanted to look hot and confident. 

I threw open my closet door and walked inside, towel still tucked firmly under my arms as a hand reached out to gently caress my wall of clothes hung to the left of me, a wall of shoes and accessories to my right. I quickly found the tightest black high waisted pants I owned, along with a black fishnet cropped top, and a strappy bralette. I tossed them on the couch on the back wall and then made my way to my shoes. I immediately grabbed my favorite pair of heeled black combat boots and my under clothing and got dressed. I also grabbed a thin gold chain with an intricate cursive 'g' in the middle that hung right at the base of my neck where my collar bones met and paired that with a pair of very expensive gold hoops Addee and the kids had gotten me for Christmas a couple years ago.

Once I was done with all that, I stood back in my room, in front of that same floor length mirror and admired how good I felt. The wonders just a little self love could do!

"Alright, Ayla! This is it! You are going to get out of this funk. You're going to have fun tonight, you're a bad bitch and you look amazing." I pointed to myself in the mirror and talked up my reflection.  

All too soon, a gentle knock sounded at the door, ripping my attention away from my reflection. 

With a final glance and a firm nod, I turned to the door and slowly pulled it open to reveal my mysterious visitor.

***A/N: Yall, I am so sorry for not updating this in like 8 million years! I had horrible writters block, I started college and then quit college and now I am in the waste land of adulthood lol. Please tell me what you think! I love you guys!