He led the way one step in front of me through the dark hallways. Only one bulb lit the end of each turn. He snuck me past wing three, distracting security detail in the process. Once I reached the stairs, I hung back to wait for him and swiped my hands through my hair.
I’d done this same escape last year, Oscar leading me out and across Dolor grounds to check on Mia in the looney bin. I’d never told him her name, afraid he’d find a way to meddle or use her against me. Oscar had a way with words and a knack for control. Keeping the two hidden from each other had been the best decision. Little did I know, they’d already met in more ways than one.
“We’re clear,” Ethan whispered, appearing from around the corner. I lifted off the wall, adjusted my sweats, and followed him down.
Once we reached the basement, he turned and held up a palm. “Stay here.”
I dropped my chin as he took off behind the steel door. Nerves set in as my body grew closer to hers, every part of me pulling in her direction like it always did, but forcing myself to stand still.
The sound of a door shutting echoed through the chamber, and seconds later, the steel door opened, and Scott ushered me through. “Had to convince the guy to take over my wing tonight. I’ll be out here, but you have to be back in your dorm by sunrise.”
“I understand.”
Scott walked me through the hall until we reached another door, and we stood in front of it. Soft cries came from inside, and I jerked my head in his direction. “Somethings wrong.”
“This is how it always starts. It’s a nightmare.”
“A nightmare?”
Scott paused with a key in the doorknob to meet my eyes. “It gets worse. She’s had them ever since the day you left. Imagine having to listen to it every bloody night.”
“You’ve been helping her?” I asked, surprised.
“Trying.”
The cries turned into screams, and my focus bounced from Ethan to his keys. “Get me in there.”
Ethan snapped his eyes back to the doorknob and jiggled the key to get the door opened. I busted through and ran to her side.
In the dark, cold room, her small frame shook, drenched and hot with her hands into a fist. “Mia,” I whispered, brushing my hand over her hair. I looked back to Scott to see him gone and the door ajar. “Wake up, my love. Open your eyes.”
Every scream from her lips grabbed my own emotions and shook them harshly. I dropped my head into my hand and clenched my eyes when I felt a hand over my shoulder. I glanced up to see Scott standing over me with a towel in his hand. Snatching it from his grasp, I turned back to Mia and smoothed it over her glistening forehead. “Mia, open your eyes for me.”
“Ollie?” She cried out.
My heart clenched, and a breath left me at the mention of my name. “Yeah, love. It’s me. I’m here.” Her eyes slowly blinked open, and the color shifted from a black to a golden brown instantly. “It’s alright.”
She scanned the room as her body shakes turned into a shiver. “Where am I?”
I looked around. “Where do you want to be?”
When her eyes met mine again, a weak smile flashed across her face. “How did you get here?”
“Funny story,” I tilted my head, “Your boyfriend let me in.”
Her smile vanished, brows pinched together. “That’s not funny.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“You had enough going on. I didn’t want to burden you with nightmares.”
“That’s nonsense.” I withdrew my hoodie and sat over the mattress beside her. “No matter what, you can always talk to me. You know better than that.” After stretching out my legs, I pulled her up and over me so her head could lay in my lap. My fingers slipped under her shirt and I ran them down her back. Scrapes and marks protruded beneath my fingers, and I lifted her tank and leaned in to get a closer look. “What in the hell … ”
“It’s nothing,” Mia’s voice broke and pulled away from my grasp.
It wasn’t nothing. My touch knew every detail of her skin. Those had been scars. Fresh scars. Ones I’d never touched before. “Take off your shirt,” I demanded with a rattled tone as I silently prayed I had been wrong.Please, God, tell me I’m wrong.
Mia faced me with humiliation in her eyes, and I tried to control my emotions from spilling out. “Mia,” I urged, and for a moment, she hesitated, but then sat up and took off her shirt. The room was dark, and she turned her back toward me. I tilted her enough to hit the red blinking light coming from the corner of the room when I noticed scars covering her. “What the fuck happened?” She hung her head, and my stomach twisted into knots. “Mia? How the hell did this happen? Who did this to you?”
