Not too long after, none-other-than fucking Scott showed up at the door.
“Ethan, hi. Can you walk with Oliver to the nurse’s station? Make sure he’s checked out?” Conway asked as I rubbed over my temples.
Ethan dropped his chin in a nod before waving me out. “Let’s go, O.”
My knuckles turned white against the desk before I pushed off it. “Ollie,” I corrected him in passing. “It’s fucking Ollie.”
“Po-tay-to, po-tah-toe.”
I shook my head he fell in step at my side. Silently, we strolled through the halls until we entered strange territory. “I think you’re lost, mate.” Ethan’s pace didn’t slow beside me as he kept forward, turning another corner and down another hall. “Hey, man. This isn’t the way.” Ethan remained quiet, keeping his eyes out in front of him. One turn later, and we reached a dead end when I turned to face him. “Is this a bloody joke to you?”
Suddenly, he grabbed me by my shirt collar and slammed me against the concrete wall. Before I had a chance to react, his fist came across my face and a cracking bounced in my head. Ringing sounded in my ears, and I lost my balance before another blow to my stomach knocked the air from my lungs, taking me to the ground. “Get up you fucking pussy,” Ethan barked.
My hand reached for my gut with one hand as I stumbled to my feet. Spitting out the blood pooling in my mouth, I fell back against the wall for support. We both knew this was about the bruises I’d left on Mia. “Give it to me,” I offered with my fingers begging for more. “I won’t even fight back. I deserve it. I fucking deserve it.” There was no amount of pain he could inflict on me than what my heart was already doing. “Hit me!” I screamed.
His right-hook connected with my jaw and a jolt of pain shot through my skull. Another cracking sounded in my head, and I fought through it and caught my balance. Before I could right myself completely, another blow entered my ribs and I hurled over.
“Does it bother you, O?” he asked, and I straightened my posture. Blood poured from my lip as he gripped my hair in his fist. “Every night, it’s my name she’s screaming. Every night, it’s my fucking hands all over her body. And every bloody night, I fuck her into morning.” His fist made impact again, and my head jerked back against the concrete before I slid to the ground. My face swelled and my vision blurred, but I didn’t have to see his face to know he was scared.
This wasn’t about what I did to her.
This was about him gradually losing her.
“No,” I struggled to get out, and a laugh blew past my lips. “Mia wouldn’t fuck you.”
“Yeah? What makes you so sure?”
I spat a mouthful of blood off to the side. Every bit of strength I had was wasted on holding myself upright. “You wouldn’t be here if she was.”
As if he answered a silent prayer, his boot came over my face, and all the lights went out.
Chapter Fourteen
“I smiled,
temptationcould try
to finda way in.
but no handcan touch
the places I’ve been.”
—Oliver Masters
mia.
WHEN SATURDAY MORNING came along, I didn’t waste time hurrying over to Zeke’s, excited for the chance to play the piano and for a little human interaction with someone who didn’t completely hate me.
Last night during dinner, Zeke had looked back at me in confusion as I’d sat in the far corner. It had been a while since we spoke, and I made a mental note to myself to pick up our Saturday piano session in the group therapy room to mend our time apart. Seeing him sitting at my old table last night as the rest of them talked blindly around him, not showing him an ounce of attention, had stirred an agitated snake awake inside me. Countless times, I’d thought of removing him and taking him over to my new longer table, but Zeke thrived on routine. And as routine would have it, that had been the table he ate at.
I missed Zeke. It was hard not to, given he had become my first friend upon arrival and the only one who stayed by my side through everything.
So, here I was.
Zeke cracked the door and stuck his brown-curly head through.
“Piano date?” I asked with a hopeful smile. He looked to the ground and shook his head. I tried to see past him, but he blocked my view. “Zeke? What are you hiding from me?”
