Page 9

NINE

ROSALIE

I held up one of the bright, yellow pieces of paper, pressing it against the wall while I retrieved a piece of tape and secured it there. Taking a step back, I admired my handy work. My hands trembled as yesterday’s service invaded my mind. Jordan and Valentine were cousins —which meant that Jordan had killed his parents. He had been so heartless about it, too. My chest tightened, remembering Valentine’s hurt expression which he quickly tried to hide.

I couldn’t imagine going through something like that. When I thought Gentry killed Daisy, all I felt was resentment and hatred, but he’d been a horrible person anyways, so even if he hadn’t been the one to kill her, he was still the reason she was dead, and my feelings weren’t misplaced.

Sighing, I hung up a few more flyers before a hand landed on my shoulder, sending fear snaking through me. I jolted, whirling around to face the person who had chosen to invade my personal space.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Ryder said sheepishly, holding his hands up in surrender with a charming smile etched into his features. He was cute in a skater-boy kind of way but wasn’t really my type.

I blew out a sigh of relief. “It’s okay.” I forced a small smile of my own.

His eyes bounced to the wall, his forehead creasing as he read over the brochure I’d just hung up. “A wellness retreat?” he asked with interest. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he ripped his gaze from the wall and fixed his attention on me again. “Are you going?”

“If Dr. Blake approves it. I think it would be good to get out of this place for a while.”

He nodded in agreement. “Can I have one of those?” he asked, motioning to the remainder of brochures in my hands.

I took one and offered it to him, glad that I was making some progress. “I’m going to put these up really fast. Are you on your way to group?” I inquired.

He nodded, stuffing his free hand in the pocket of his black sweats while clutching the brochure with the other. “I’ll walk you there,” he offered, his eyes skirting down my body. Heat blossomed within my chest, not sure how to feel about all the attention I’d been getting lately. In a way, it was kind of nice. Since coming here, I’d been so lonely and scared. I had no intention of acting on anything, but it helped keep my mind elsewhere sometimes.

I made my way to my room with Ryder walking at my side. Slipping through my door, I placed the papers on the foot of my bed before venturing back out into the hallway.

When we made it to group therapy, I noticed that all the tables were folded up and pushed against the walls today. The projector at the far end of the room was on, the only light in the room coming from the screen on the wall. Everyone was seated on the floor facing the makeshift screen. I guess we were watching a movie today, which I didn’t mind.

I found a spot next to Cheyanne near the middle of the row of patients. Ryder slid into the spot beside me right as the commercials started to play.

Mrs. Octavia’s voice sounded out over the noise. “Today, we are going to watch a classic romance movie,” she explained in an authoritative tone. “I want you to focus on the feelings you have while watching it. There will be a quiz on Wednesday.”

Cheyanne and I exchanged glances, but neither one of us said a word. It took a few moments, but the opening of ‘The Notebook’ bled across the screen, causing my breath to catch. This had been one of my favorite movies growing up. I could probably recite every line.

Movement sounded from behind me, followed by someone saying, “Move,” in a low growl. Glancing over my shoulder, my eyes widened as I watched Archer kick another patient out of their spot, so he could take the place behind me.

I’d been trying to avoid him since he gave me the tour around the asylum. He’d been extremely intense and forward, and I had a feeling he took what he wanted, regardless of consequence. That thought alone scared me. To my surprise, he left me alone, and my body relaxed. I focused my attention on the movie, watching as Noah hung off the edge of the ferris-wheel in order to impress Aly.

“Why can’t guys be like this in real life?” Cheyanne whispered from beside me, making me laugh—a genuine laugh that sounded foreign to my own ears. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d allowed myself to feel an inkling of happiness, but that was short-lived as guilt crept into my chest, reminding me that I didn’t deserve it.

I extended my legs after a while, thankful for how spacious this room was, so we weren’t forced to invade each other’s personal space. As Aly and Noah started undressing on the screen to be…intimate, Archer slid up behind me, placing a leg on either side of my body. Heat enveloped me instantly and I glanced around the room for the staff members, but they were all in the back, unable to see me from where I sat. His hands ran up the sides of my arms, his chest pressing against my back. Goosebumps prickled along my skin, making my heart elevate.

“Relax,” he whispered, his hot breath fanning against my ear, making me shiver.

His warmth felt inviting, too inviting. My head spun as he dropped his lips to the column of my neck, his tongue darting out to taste the skin there and a shudder rolled through me. My hands snapped out, landing on his thighs instinctively. What was it about this guy that couldn’t take a hint? I knew I could pull away right now if that’s what I wanted, so why didn’t I? His hands moved to my sides, his fingers resting right beneath the curve of my breasts. I’ve never had anyone kiss me on my neck like this or even hold me like this for that matter. It felt good .

My body trembled against him as my focus waned from the movie playing ahead. A gasp fell from my lips as he continued to lick and suck on the sensitive spot of my neck. My grip tightened on his legs and a low growl escaped him but was drowned out by the TV. My heart raced, pounding furiously against my chest cavity. I couldn’t think straight if I tried.

Alex.

“Alex,” I whispered. It was the only thing I could say through my ragged breathing.

Archer froze, his grip on me tightening. “What?” he demanded in a low, dark tone that had chills careening down my spine.

I swallowed thickly. It probably wasn’t the smartest move to utter another guy’s name while he was doing intimate things to me, but I had to put a stop to it somehow, and it was the only thing I could think of at the moment.

“My boyfriend,” I whispered. “His name is Alex.”

His warm breath feathered against my ear. “The next time you say another guy’s name while I’m touching you, I’ll stuff my cock so far down your pretty little throat, you won’t be able to say anything.” My breath hitched at his crude words, but it sent an electric current pulsing through me. He loosened his grip around me but didn’t let go.

Ryder turned, his eyes zeroing in on Archer who held me flush against his body.

“Turn the fuck around,” Archer hissed, holding me possessively against him as if he was staking his claim on me. I didn’t know why that sent a thrill through me, but it did.

Archer wasn’t like anyone I’d ever met before. He was straight to the point, didn’t beat around the bush, was direct. In just the short amount of time I’d known him, he’s already had my body reacting in ways it never had before. That terrified me, if I was being honest. When Ryder turned back around, Archer tugged me backwards, forcing my head against his chest. My breathing was erratic. He didn’t care that I had a boyfriend, didn’t care that I’d rejected his advances before. None of that deterred him from pursuing me. He was persistent. In a weird way, it made me feel desired. Even if—and this was a huge if —I’d given in, he’d probably grow bored of me once he got what he wanted. Guys like him enjoyed the chase, the obsession . Once there was no thrill anymore, he’d move onto the next. That was life.

As the movie continued to play, I felt myself relaxing in his arms. I didn’t have the strength to move—not when this felt comfortable. More comfortable than it should have. I was in an asylum, and he was here for a reason. He was bad news, but my body didn’t get the memo. It wasn’t like he could harm me right now, anyways. We were surrounded by people.

I liked the way his body fit around mine. This was the furthest it would go; I’d make sure of that. I just wanted to revel in the way this felt for a little bit longer, knowing I’d probably never experience it again.

Archer’s hand moved up my body and closed around my throat. My pulse quickened, his earlier words ringing in my ears.

I slid my hand around her throat and squeezed.

He had the power to do that to me right now. My back arched into him absently, as if it had a mind of its own. He never tightened his hand around my neck, though. He just held it there in a firm grip. With his other hand, he brushed it along my thigh, his fingers dancing upwards, eliciting a series of goosebumps as he halted at the hem of my skirt.

“Tell me, Rosalie.” He breathed in a low, husky tone. “Have you ever been touched down there?”

My hand clamped around his. There was no way he was going to touch me there, especially in a room full of people. He was stupid if he thought for one second that I’d allow him to. When I didn’t immediately answer, he released my neck and used that hand to continue his advances.

“Answer me,” he demanded, slipping his fingers beneath my skirt, his long digits gracing my panty line. I tensed immediately and shook my head, shock punching through my chest. “With words, Little Salvation.”

“No,” I choked out, grabbing his other hand to stop it from going any further. “Stop.”

He was silent for a moment, my words taking a moment to register in his mind. “Have you noticed that every time I touch you, the line where you tell me to stop goes further and further away?”

I shook my head, refusing to believe that. “You’ve only touched me twice now,” I pointed out.

“Maybe I just need to keep touching you then, to prove my point.” The smirk was evident in his voice. Then, his tone turned serious. “You shouldn’t have told me that,” he whispered, nipping my ear and sending a shudder through my body. A gasp fluttered free, my hands tightening around his.

“W-what?”

“That you’re a virgin, my innocent fucking girl.”

I made my way to the cafeteria for lunch with my heart in my throat. Nausea and guilt churned my stomach as I wrapped my arms around my body. Alex has never spoken to me the way Archer did—has never touched me the way he did. It was wrong, so damn wrong, but I realized then, that as he was touching me, the horrible memories and thoughts remained buried. Not once had I been plagued with unwanted images or reminders of the things I’d done. While I was glad for the small reprieve, it also made me feel guilty. Then there was the fact that I had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who never made my heart race, a boyfriend who never made me gasp in both shock and pleasure, a boyfriend who never whispered dirty things to me.

What was happening to me?

I was content with Alex. He cared about me and was comfortable. He stood by my side even now, despite the awful things that I’d done. I was the one who agreed to being celibate with him and waiting for marriage. Even though it had sometimes bothered me, it was a choice I’d made. Our relationship was strong because of it.

We had just gotten back from a concert, adrenaline pumping through my veins from our night out. I smiled, widely, wrapping my arms around Alex’s waist and peered up at him as he rested his hands on my hips, returning a smile. We were holed away in my dorm room; he never spent the night with me, but he was around often enough that it didn’t matter.

Rising up on my tiptoes, I planted my mouth against his. He reacted immediately, parting his lips to kiss me back. My hands moved up his body, trailing over the solid form of his abdomen. My teeth nicked his bottom lip gently. When he didn’t pull away, I kissed him harder. My hands dropped down to the button on his jeans, my heart racing wildly. I wanted to lose my virginity, to know what it felt like. He tensed as the button came undone, his hands moving to grip my arms, and he eased me backwards, breaking the heated moment.

“Alex…” I said hesitantly, my insecurities getting the better of me. Did he not want me the way I wanted him? Was he not attracted to me? Did I not turn him on? “What’s wrong?”

He sighed, dropping his head. “I thought you understood.”

“I ‘do’ understand. I just thought ? —”

“Thought what?” he demanded, an edge to his voice that had me taking a step back. “That I’d cave and have sex with you? I thought I was clear on what I wanted.”

Guilt trickled in and I wrapped my arms around my body. How could I have been so stupid? It was selfish of me to press him for more. “You were.” I sighed. “I’m sorry. I just got lost in the moment.” My gaze darted to the floor, and I shifted uncomfortably.

He took a step toward me, enveloping me in his arms and planted a kiss to the top of my head. “It’s okay.” He breathed. “Temptation can be a dangerous thing. We’ll just have to work harder to keep sight of what’s truly important.”

I nodded, my heart resting in the depths of my stomach.

When I reached the front of the lunch line, the cafeteria lady handed me a bowl with macaroni and cheese with cut up hot dogs inserted within. I thanked her absentmindedly, my mind still focused on Alex. I grabbed a sweet tea and made my way over to Cheyanne’s table, sliding up beside her and placing my food on the table.

I took my spoon, placing it in the bowl and stirred. My stomach grumbled eagerly, but I couldn’t bring myself to take a bite just yet. This was one of Daisy’s favorite foods. Nearly everything reminded me of her. My chest tightened. Even thinking about Alex reminded me of her. He was around for most of my visits with her throughout college. He loved her like she was his family.

“You good?” Shaylynn asked from across the table, her gaze pinned on me.

“Oh…yeah,” I murmured. “I just miss my family.”

She nodded understandingly. “It gets easier.” That’s the same thing Cheyanne had said, but it didn’t offer me any comfort. She leaned across the table, sweeping her eyes over the three of us. “There’s a party this weekend in the woods if you want to take your mind off it,” she suggested in a low voice.

The woods. I remembered Archer showing them to me briefly, but I’d refused to go in there with him, not wanting to spend any more time with him alone in secluded areas than necessary.

“A party?” I repeated in confusion, finally willing myself to take my first bite. The warm cheese coated my lips and mouth, and a satisfied moan tore from my throat. This was better than any mac and cheese I’d ever made.

Shaylynn nodded, leaning back in her seat. “The staff never venture out that far, plus Mr. Mitch is on duty at night and he’s a lot more lenient.” A smile curled the corners of her mouth as she glanced over at Cheyanne who shifted uncomfortably.

Tyler sat on my other side and leaned toward me, making my body tense. “Why is Seven Price staring at you like you murdered his grandma?” he whispered.

I glanced up, locking eyes with Seven from across the room. His scowl deepened when he captured my attention and the hair on the back of my neck rose. “I don’t know,” I murmured. I didn’t know what his problem was with me. From the first day in group therapy, he acted like he was too good to talk to me. Now, he was giving me dirty looks.

“Yikes,” Cheyanne said. “You might want to stay off his bad side. He’s fucking insane.”

I couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of my mouth. “Isn’t everyone here insane?” My eyes widened, realizing what I’d just said, and I quickly backtracked. “I-I didn’t mean?—”

Cheyanne snorted in amusement and waved a dismissive hand. “You’re not wrong.” She shrugged, turning her attention back to her food.

Ryder turned to Shaylynn, interest flashing across his face. “Day and time?” he pressed, referring to the party. “And will there be alcohol?”

I sputtered, choking on my own spit at the mere mention of alcohol. Alcohol ruined my life in more ways than one. I’d been surrounded by it my entire life, and nothing good ever came from it. My mom was an alcoholic, as was Gentry. From the brief mention of my biological father, he had been one, too. He left when Mom was pregnant with Daisy, opting for someone younger.

“Friday night at eight,” she replied, cutting through my thoughts.

My stomach turned when everyone looked at me, but Ryder was the one who spoke. “Are you planning to go?” he asked.

I shifted uncomfortably, dropping my gaze to my food. Just because there was alcohol, didn’t mean I had to drink any. But that would also be opening myself up to the possibilities of peer pressure and temptation. Then again, it might have been the only chance I had at fun. My stomach turned as I tried to sort through my options.

Blowing out a breath, I brought my gaze back to Ryder’s. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”

I sat on the edge of my bed, coloring a picture of a Pegasus that was flying through the clouds. I’d made the creature’s body purple with a rainbow mane—a lot like Cheyanne’s hair. The clouds were white, obviously, with a blue sky. I still wondered who gifted me this coloring book. I wanted to thank them for it, but if they sent it to me anonymously, there was probably a reason for that.

I flipped to the next page once finished. This picture was of a girl, bowing her head against a Unicorn’s in a loving embrace. They were surrounded by trees, indicating that they were most likely in the woods. I started on the woman, grabbing a yellow crayon out of the box and coloring in her hair.

When I was younger, I often wanted to escape in the Barbie movies I watched. It would be so easy to get sucked into another realm, surrounded by loyal friends without all the pressures of the real world weighing you down. In this life, I was alone—forced to endure the hardships of reality all by myself. Alex was the only thing that had been constant since he entered my life. But now that I was here, stuck in this place, he wasn’t, and that wasn’t his fault.

Just as I was moving onto the girl’s skin tone, my bedroom door swung open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. My heart jolted into my throat as I glanced over at the intruder, fear coiling around my stomach instantly. Seven let it close behind him, securing us alone in the room. His jaw was tight with tension, his blue eyes darker than usual. He seemed erratic, unhinged as he slowly stalked toward me.

Ms. Catalina was around the corner all the way down the hall the last time I saw her. Even if I screamed, she wouldn’t hear it from there.

As he drew closer, I scrambled backwards on my bed with trembling arms until my back was flush against the wall and my knees were pulled to my chest in a protective stance. Daisy’s bear was in the corner of the bed where I’d left it, sitting only inches away from me now.

I swallowed thickly, forcing my gaze to his. “W-what are you doing in here?” I stammered.

He didn’t respond. Not until he was standing before me, his legs pressing against the mattress. Terror rattled me to the core when he raised his leg, placed his knee on my bed, and pulled himself forward, joining me. He didn’t stop until there were only a few inches between us and then he leaned in, bracing his hands against the wall on either side of me.

“You think I don’t see the game you’re playing?” he growled, a slight ruggedness to his smooth tone. His dimple moved with every word, capturing my attention.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered, tearing my attention from the indent of his cheek and refocusing my eyes on his.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up from his chest, the sound making me wince. It was the laughter of someone maniacal, of someone who aimed to hurt . “Don’t fuck with me, little bitch. I saw him kiss you. Saw that you liked it. Saw his hands drift up your slutty ass skirt. But that’s where your attraction for him ends, right?” He breathed, his arms beginning to shake. “You’re leading him on and letting him fall for you when all you want is his cock. You’ll destroy him.”

I shook my head profusely. That wasn’t it at all. Yes, things got out of hand with Archer, but it wasn’t my intention. I licked my lips, my entire body beginning to tremble now. Nausea twisted my stomach at his crude words. He really believed what he was saying, and that made it worse.

He moved one of his arms, directing his hand to my throat and he pressed down, pushing me into the wall behind me. A whimper tore from my lips, my eyes blown wide with fear.

“Please,” I whispered through shallow breaths. My eyes darted to the bear, another kind of fear taking root inside me. To my utter horror, he followed my gaze, a sinister smile curling his lips. Finally, he released his hold on me and lunged for the bear, taking it in his hands.

“I could rip this to shreds right here, right now.”

I could call his bluff, pretend it didn’t matter to me as much as it did, but that was a huge gamble, one I wasn’t willing to take. “What do you want?” I blurted out. “I’ll do it. I’ll do anything . Just don’t—don’t ruin it. Please .” The desperation in my voice was impossible to hide, not that I even had the energy to try.

“Fuck,” he groaned. “I love it when you beg.”

He wrapped his hand around the bear’s neck, a jolt of pain slicing through my chest at what he was about to do. He placed his other hand on the body of the bear and began to pull. Its neck strained with the movement, and I pushed myself away from the wall. It no longer mattered that he could snap my neck with a flick of his wrist if he wanted, it didn’t matter that he was staring at me with pure hatred. The only thing that mattered to me was that he was threatening the only thing I had left of Daisy. The only thing that mattered to me.

I shoved my hands against his chest, my uncoordinated balance causing me to fall into him with the movement. Surprise registered across his face, and he dropped a hand from around the bear, settling it against my waist and pulled me with him as he toppled off the bed. A gasp expelled from my lungs as I tumbled on top of him, bracing myself against his chest as he landed on his back with a thud.

My chest rose and fell rapidly as I pushed myself upright, my legs moving to straddle him. I wrenched the bear out of his hand, cradling it against me with relief. If something happened to Daisy’s stuffed animal—who she named Beary—I’d never be able to live with myself. Images invaded my mind, ones of her holding this same animal by the arm while she walked around the house.

Seven peered up at me, his eyes still holding a level of surprise in them, like he hadn’t expected me to fight so hard for a mere stuffed animal. I moved to get off of him, but his hands snapped out, gripping my hips in a tight embrace as he held me in place.

My heart was still beating rapidly, but still managed to increase in rhythm. “Seven,” I hissed, already done with his stupid games.

In one swift movement, he was rolling me, placing me on my back while he hovered above. His eyes hardened, a feather forming along the edge of his sharp jaw. “Stay the fuck away from Archer,” he ordered, his hot breath fanning against the side of my face. “Or the bear will be the least of your worries.”

“Fine.”

Staying away from him was probably in my best interest anyways. Seven just gave me another reason to do so. If I needed to be more firm with Archer to protect not only my relationship, but Beary, too, then it was exactly what I’d do. Things shouldn’t have escalated the way they did in group therapy today. It had been so easy to get lost in his touch, and that alone was terrifying.

Seven pushed off me, rising to his feet. He shot me one last scathing glare before heading for the door and slipping out of the room. I sucked in a sharp breath, not bothering to get up from the floor immediately.

After a few moments of staring up at the ceiling, I scrambled to my feet. My heart was still in my throat and my legs shook with every step. Panic seared through my chest, opening my eyes to an entirely new door of horrors. I shifted back on my bed, not caring that my coloring book was now on the floor with the box of crayons. Heat spread through my limbs, moving to the back of my eyes and for the first time in days, I allowed my tears to fall.