I look at them.
I know them.
Of course, I know them.
I would know them anywhere. In any room. In any light. In any mask.
I look at all three of them standing in my doorway in the dark, and I feel every complicated layer of it, the anger and the want and the grief and the devastating truth that my body has known something my mind has been arguing with for six weeks.
Nobody moves.
Nobody speaks.
Then the tallest takes one step closer.
Theo.
I don't step back.
Chapter 62: Adela
"No,"Isay.
Cody takes a step forward.
"No." My voice is harder this time. "Whatever this is— no. You don't get to do this. I told all of you to leave me alone. You walked out, and none of you don't get to just—"
Theo takes another step.
I grab the first thing my hand finds on the desk — a book — and I throw it at him. It hits his chest and falls to the floor. He doesn't even flinch, and that sends a shiver through my body. He looks at it and then looks back at me. They all step forward.
"Don't." I back up until the wall finds me. "Don't you dare. I will scream. I will scream this entire building down, and I swear to God—"
Beckett moves to my left.
Cody to my right.
I look between all three of them. I’m outnumbered, and I know I can’t fight them off. It’s clear they’ve made up in their sick minds that this is how they want to handle things.
"Are you guys out of your fucking minds?" I say with a tremble. I’m not scared — I’m fucking angry. They’re here like I’m something to be collected, like I don’t get a say in any of this. "You can't just walk in here—"
Theo reaches me.
I shove him. Both hands flat against his chest, everything I have in me. He absorbs it completely and doesn't move an inch. The eyeless mask stares back, so I shove him again. He catches my wrists.
"Let go of me!" I pull against his grip. "Let go — Theo, I swear to God, let go of me right fucking now—"
He turns me, and Cody steps forward.
I look at his mask and say, “I hate you, Cody.” My voice breaks.
He doesn’t say anything.
I get one wrist free and hit him. “I fucking hate you!” I turn back to Theo. “Let go of me!”
Beckett has my bag, and he’s shoving my laptop and books in it. Then he grabs some of my clothes.
“Why are you––”
