“Do you even like movies?” I asked Charlie, looking behind me. “You can’t really watch them.”
“I can listen to them,” Charlie said with a shrug. “But there are special captions for blind people that they make for movies— it’s like listening to an audiobook. Sometimes, when you go to the theater, they’ll give out audio assisted headphones for the blind, to give narration to what’s on screen. It’s actually really exciting.”
There was so much to learn about Charlie’s blindness. I was learning more every day.
“When we get out of here, I want to try it,” I said.
Loud voices came from the angel cell block up ahead. Charlie’s eyebrows knitted together. “That’s Chancey.”
“And that’s definitely Ivy,” I added. “Ancestors, half the Institute can hear them.”
After the disastrous date between Kallie and Marcus, neither one of us had any desire to get involved with our friends’ relationships. We tried to go the other way, but the voices got closer. It sounded like Ivy was trying to get away from Chancey, and he was chasing after. We were forced to halt in place as the two of them came tearing around the corner.
“Just leave me alone, Chance,” Ivy snapped. “I’m sick of you.”
“Me? You’re sick of me.” Chancey gave a cruel laugh. “That’s real rich, after the shit you’ve put me through.”
“You ain’t no saint. You got a lot of promises, but you sure as hell can’t keep them,” Ivy said. “What comes out of your mouth is pillow talk, nothing more.”
"It meant more than that! I told you I was gonna set us up real good once we got outta here—" Chancey started.
"I'm having a hard time believing you can keepyour ass out of jail!"Ivy screeched. He whirled around to face Chancey and put a hand on his chest, shoving him backward.
"Oh yeah, and you can't put down the drugs, can ya?" Chancey flung at him.
"Take your righteous act and shove it. I fucking saw you snort coke in the bathroom," Ivy said nastily.
"Back when we first met! I dumped all the blow I had down the drain when we started dating, you know that?" Chancey snarled. “I haven’t touched anything since, but I sure as fuck can’t say the same about you.”
Ivy made a scoffing sound. “Like you could give two shits. You make one thingveryclear, all this is between us isyouwanting to fuckme. And I used to be that for you, but not anymore.”
“You gonna say that to me, after everything we’ve had?” Chancey demanded.
“I caught you sleeping with her!” Ivy screeched.
“That was a mistake. I didn’t care about Scarlet. I was pissed!” Chancey pleaded.
“So you get back at me for doing drugs by fucking around with someone else. That’s a class act, Chance. You’re just like every other bum that comes crawling into my life looking for a piece of ass. I’m done with it; I really am.”
“You go ahead and accuse me of that, but you know I’ve always loved you. I’m sorry I didn’t know how to end it any other way,” Chancey said.
“Bullshit. You did what you did because you wanted to punish me,” Ivy spat. “You’re a coward, Chance. You always have been. And no matter what you say, nobody who truly loves me could do this to me.”
Chancey caught my gaze and froze. Ivy spun around. Both of them became deadly silent. Neither of them had realized we were there until just then.
“Ava,” Ivy whispered. “I…”
Chancey shoved his hands in his pockets. “You gonna tell her, Ives? Or should I?”
“What’s going on?” I asked, innately realizing I didn’t want to know.
“Ivy’s been using,” Charlie said bluntly. “He has been for months. I’m sorry, Ava. We didn’t want to upset you.”
Chancey looked down at the ground, and reality hit me like a brick to the face. That night at The Devil’s Playground last semester, when I’d performed my song… a guard had asked Ivy about a shipment. I assumed it was alcohol, but I knew now what it had to be.
Ivy was ferrying drugs through the club. Worse than that, he was using them.
Ivy’s eyes started to water. “Yeah, so it’s all out in the open now, huh? Everyone knows I’m back on nightshade.” Ivy started to shake. “My business can’t be my business, I guess.”
