...☤...

𝟔 | 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧

PRESENT, SEATTLE

𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟓

"Of all the fine doctors in this city, you accept a consult from Addison Shepherd?" Derek accused Bailey.

I rolled my eyes and stood in the elevator. I glanced at the numbers waiting for them to stop so that it would let me off and away from the craziness of my brother's life.

"Montogomery-Shepherd, isn't it?" Bailey corrected.

"The point is that she should be on her way home," Derek explained. "You're tryin' to drive me crazy, aren't you?"

I raised a brow. "I think you're doing that all on your own."

Bailey glanced at him before moving and pulling the stop button.

A ringing from the elevator sounded as it came to a halt, and I shook my head at my brother.

"Oh, hey, now, don't do this," Derek complained.

"Do you think this has somethin' to do with you?" Bailey asked. "Do you think I'm even thinking about you and your romantic problems?"

I watched my brother's face drop as Bailey wouldn't let him get a word in.

"I'm tryin' to help a patient very near and dear to my heart," Baliey ranted. "And if consultin' with your wife, your ex, your mistress, whatever it is that she becomes, if that's the thing I have to do to save my patient, then I'm damn well gonna do it."

I bit my lip to hide my smile as Derek nodded, "I understand that."

I move between the two and push the stop button as the ringing stops, and the elevator moves again. Derek goes to open his mouth, and I put my hand up to stop him. "Not a word."

"Look, you have put yourself between two very fine women, and you lookin' for an easy way out." Bailey continued. "You want to use me and the hospital—somebody to make the decision for you, and it's not gonna happen."

"Could I just—" Derek began.

I let out a breath as the elevator doors opened. "No." I walked out of the elevator before glancing back at him. "It's all on you, brother."

I watched as the doors closed and walked down the hallway.

This is gonna be a long day.

...☤...

I rushed into the room beside Meredith, and my eyes widened as I glanced at Cristina. She was sobbing hysterically, and I stared at George and Izzie, who stood scared looking at her.

"What's going on?" Meredith asked.

"I can't stop." Cristina cried. "I can't. I can't stop..."

"Crying." Izzie voiced. "She can't stop crying."

I nodded, slowly walking towards Cristina. "What the hell did you guys do to her?"

"Nothing." Izzie defended, holding her hands up.

"She's going to dehydrate," George informed, not blinking. "Cristina, do you want some water?"

Cristina shook her head. "No. No. No."

Meredith walked towards Cristina and opened her arms when George pulled her back, yelling, "No!"

"I already tried that." Izzie sighed. "It just made it worse."

I rolled my eyes and sat beside Cristina, pulling her into her arms. "You push me. I will kick you." Cristina's sobbing got quieter as she clung to me.

"I knew she'd break sooner or later." An older woman who had her hand at her throat admitted. "Just a matter of time."

"I will kill her!" Cristina growled, pointing at the woman.

Meredith walks over to the woman as I hold Cristina, who tries to fight me and lunges toward the woman. "Get her out of here. Now!"

"I am her mother." The woman argued.

"We don't do well with mothers here," Meredith told her. "Why don't you leave and come back later?" Meredith led Cristina's mother out of the room and turned back. "Cristina."

Cristina sobbed. "Make—make it stop. Make it stop." George held a tissue fearfully to give to Cristina, who snatched it from his hand. "Somebody sedate me!"

I rubbed Cristina's arm and glanced at her friends. "I got this, guys." They all gave me a weary look but nodded and walked out of the room before closing the door behind them. "You remember my brother's best friend."

Cristina nodded. "Yeah."

She sighed. "Well, I slept with him after my ex dumped me." Cristina turned and gazed at her as she ran a tissue under her eye.

"Oh," Cristina sniveled.

I pulled back as Cristina faced me. "I was drunk, and he was too. I knew I shouldn't of, especially because it was only a month after Derek caught him with his wife."

"But you did anyway," Cristina said as a tear trailed down her cheek.

I nodded. "It was only supposed to be one time, but then we started hooking up. It was just sex. A lot of sex." Cristina nodded, waiting for Rayne to continue. "But after four months in, there was less sex and more talking. He started noticing the little things I did and—"

"You like him." Cristina guessed.

Rayne bit her lip because she didn't want to admit that her feelings for Mark, which she tried to ignore, weren't going away.

"Thanks." Cristina breathed.

I smiled. "I can stay if you want."

"No." Cristina sighed. "I need it to be alone."

I stood and watched Cristina scoot backward and rest her head on the pillow. "I'll be in the hall charting if you need me."

"You're a good friend," Cristina mumbled against her pillow.

...☤...

I slide onto the bar stool beside Meredith as she drowns in another shot of tequila.

"I actually said, 'Pick me.'" Meredith said. "Right? Did I? 'Pick me'?"

I stared at her. "I believe those words came out of your mouth."

"I think it's romantic." Joe offered as he wiped down the bar.

"It's not romantic, Joe. It's horrifying." Meredith ranted. "Horror movie horrifying. Carrie at the prom with the pig's blood horrifying."

I grabbed the shot glass out of her hand and downed it. "At least Carrie got revenge."

"I said, 'Pick me.'" Meredith repeated.

I looked at Joe. "She's done for the night." I turned to Meredith. "First, my brother doesn't know what the hell he wants. He says he doesn't want Addie but won't sign the divorce papers." Meredith blinked at me in her alcoholic daze. "He loves you, not her, and I don't think that will change." I grabbed her hand. "But he's not coming."

"Why not?" Meredith huffed.

"Because he won't leave the life they built." I sighed. "I'm sorry."

"You're not what I expected," Meredith said.

I lift a brow. "What did you expect?"

"A bitch." Meredith answered.

I laughed and shook my head. "I'm still a bitch, Meredith. I'm just a bitch who happens to like you."

I grabbed my pager off and sighed. "We've got to go."

"Looks ugly," Joe said from his gaze on the TV, looking at the train wreck.

I pulled Meredith off her stool. "That tends to happen during a train wreck."

I pushed Meredith out the door and turned to grab my jacket. When the door opened, I turned and sighed at my brother, looking around the almost empty bar.

"Rae." Derek breathed.

I placed a hand on my hip. "You're late."

...☤...

"So, are we going to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about," I mumbled, applying ointment to the patient's burned arm. 

"So I didn't see Mark kissing you in your apartment two months ago," Addison said.

I applied a dressing to the woman's arm and looked up. "Addie..."

"Ow!" The woman cried out. "Oh. Ow." Her gaze widened. "Did...was that a...did I have..."

I glanced at the printout as Addie held it in her hand. "A contraction."

"It was definitely a contraction." Addie agreed. "We need to book an OR." I took off my gloves. "Look, you are in no shape to push, and the baby is still in distress. You're going to have to proceed with a C-section."

"Ok." The woman breathed. "Ok, but can we call a lawyer first?"

I raised a brow. "Lawyer?"

"I don't have a will. And there's no father. And in case something happens to me..." Brooke gasped out.

Addison smiled. "There's no cause for a panic Brooke. We have some time, ok?"

I walked out of the room and paused as Addison called my name. I half turned and lifted my gaze to hers. "Yes."

"We need to talk about this," Addison told me. "You need to think about what you're putting Derek through."

I scoffed. "And you wondered why I didn't tell you."

"I guess I don't understand," Addison said, walking into the elevator with me.

I pressed a button, and the doors closed. "What's not to understand, Addie?"

"Why aren't you pissed I cheated on your brother?" Addie pointed out. "Why were you with Mark when you know how your brother feels about him?"

I pulled the emergency button, and the elevator abruptly stopped. "One, I'm not pissed at you because I know it was a mistake." I lift my gaze to meet her eyes. "I very Глупав mistake but still a mistake that I know you would take back if you could." Addison looked away. "Second, the Mark thing sorta just happened."

I pressed the button, and the elevator continued its descent. I looked at the numbers trying to distract my thoughts, but all I could think about was him. His piercing blue eyes and smile were always on my mind haunting me because I knew that no matter what, I couldn't shake off Mark Sloan, no matter how much I tried.

"You love him." Addison gasped.

I didn't look at her. "I don't know."

...☤...

I closed my eyes and leaned back in my car. It was a rough shift; I only wanted to go home and sleep.

"Rae," Addie said.

I guess not.

I peeked an eye open, looking at her. "What do you want now, Addie?"

"Just listen to me," Addie said. "I messed up. I lost my husband and all because I was lonely." I shifted in my seat, my full attention on her. "Derek's giving me a second chance, and I don't know how long that will last."

"So he picked you," I said.

"Yes." Addison nodded. "But I guess I'm trying to say that if you feel something for him, why did you leave him."

I blinked. "I left because of James."

"Your birth mother's husband." Addie frowned. "Why?"

"Because he already took someone I care about away from me." I breathed. "I'm not letting him do it again."

"What did he do?" Addie pushed.

I steeled my jaw against the hurt and pain washing through me. "He sent my father to prison, framing him for murder because I didn't love him enough. Because I wasn't the obedient girl that he wanted me to be. I was more like my father, and he made Catherine give me up when he was done with him." Addie opened her mouth, but I gripped her hand, stopping her. "I can't be responsible for something like that again."

"But you were five years old, Rae," Addison said.

"It didn't matter to him, Addie." I scoffed. "He has a sick obsession with me and has too much power for anyone to do anything about it. Look, I appreciate what your trying to do, but Mark is better off without me."

Addison shook her head. "No, he's not." She looked into my eyes, searching for what I had no idea. "If he feels something for you as much as you do for him. He's not letting you go."

"He needs to," I said.

"Mark Sloan doesn't back down from something he wants." Addie started. "He wants you, and usually, what Mark wants, he gets. Consequences be damned."

But he can't want me, not with James still looking for me.

...☤...

A/N: ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 277 READS.

Because I couldn't help myself.

So now you guys kinda have some background on Rayne and her life before with the Shepherds. Also, Addie is in her corner, and the other interns are slowly warming up to her.

THANK YOU TO 548 FOLLOWERS.

Anyway, I hope you guys like it.

QUESTIONS: What did you guys like about this chapter? When do you think Mark should come in? Do you like Addison and Rayne's relationship?

SONG: Rome by Dermot Kennedy

-MakenaBlack