Page 95 of Jerk

Hannah groans. “That is thelasttime we’re having a heart-to-heart.”

“No, it’s not. And you’re mad about it.”

My fingers pinch the area above my nose. “What the fuck is going on?”

“It’s bad,” Hannah says. “But I…weneed you.” Blame it on the gin, but her words make my palm sweat, the phone pressed into it. “We need to get out of here.”

“Are you in danger?” I ask, pacing along the stone.

“Yeah,” Hannah says.

The yard spins around me as silence takes over. My stomach flip-flops, and I can’t focus on how I’m feeling. What kind of danger? Is it her father? Or something worse?

“Rye?” Hannah’s voice softens and I wish I had something else to break. “We don’t have much time.”

My pacing quickens, weighing the two options in front of me. Lean into this, or let her suffer.

She deserves to suffer. Doesn’t she?

I told Ember I didn’t care. And I meant it.

So why thefuckam I heading to my car? “Tell me what I’m walking into.”

Hannah

“You need to meet Eden.”

I blink at the back of Krystal’s cloak as we make our way from our cabin to the main building, the moonlight guiding our path. “Who?”

She glances behind her. “You know, the chatty girl always talking back to Father and his Chosen? Pink hair? Wild eyes?”

“Oh, you mean the girl that got me in trouble?” My sneakers crunch over a branch. We pause, waiting to hear anything in the distance. After a beat, we continue as I lower my voice more. “You know her?”

“Everyone knows her.” Krystal maneuvers around a tree, and I follow, careful not to step on anything else that’ll make a loud noise. “She knows the schedule of the guards and cameras better than I do. She taught me the little I know. That’s how I got us wine the other night.”

“Wait, how often do you guys hang out?”

“You could say often.” She’s as detailed as her brother. “She can help us.”

“And you don't want to leave with her instead?”

“Well, I’m here with you, so no.” And I’ve just confirmedallthe Rowens are this dry.

“You said you need at least two people to escape this place,” I recall the conversations we’ve had. “More than two would be beneficial, but it comes with the risk of getting caught. If you could escape with Eden, why didn’t you?”

“We need a getaway car, and now, thanks to you, we have one.”

Even the vague mention of him quickens my heartbeat. “Rye didn’t actually agree to anything.”

“Of course he did." We turn the corner around another shabby cabin. It’s bigger than ours. No windows.

“No, he said he’d think about it.”

“He’s playing hard to get ‘cause you hurt him.” My chest squeezes together. “He’ll be here. I was sure about the call, and I’m sure about this. I just wish you’d both stop being so annoying and get it the fuck together, you know?”

I open my mouth to protest, but Krystal brings her finger to her lips as we stand at a rickety wooden door. She taps her knuckles against it as I glance towards the big building in the distance.

The old stone building of the academy looks even more bleak from here. The moon casts a sombre light on the tall arches and iron gates, illuminating ivy-choked walls and towering turrets. The isolation cabin sits in the middle of the field at the back of the property, still enclosed within SOL’s stone walls. Tonight, we thought it best to avoid the main building and handle business back here.