Page 52 of Mask and the Magnolia

Well, I was until the human equivalent of dog shit showed up to escort us tothe quad.

“You’d much rather ride in with me, wouldn’t you, Magnolia?”

I push the bile down and try to stay calm. “I… I-I-I don’t w-want to offend?—“

“She doesn’t want to offend the twins by canceling, Cam.” Evie stands in front of me as her brother takes a step in my direction. “And they were treating us to donuts so it’s not just a ride you’re hijacking. We had plans.”

My best friend reaches back and takes my hand before trying to push past Camden once again, but it doesn’t work because he doesn’t move.

“Jesus, Cam, would you just get over yourself? Maggie is allowed to be around other people and you don’t have a say in who they are. Get a fucking grip on?—“

In the blink of an eye, Camden grabs Eve’s free arm, yanking her away from me as he spins her back to his front. He pulls her arm up into an unnatural position that could easily dislocate her shoulder, forcing her hand between her shoulder blades, causing Evie to cry out in pain.

“Stay out of it, Evelyn,” he growls in her ear before turning toward me. “It’s none of your goddamn business, and I’m sure Magnolia feels the same.”

Eve yelps again and I quickly move forward, desperately trying to pry my best friend from her brother’s grip.

“Right,” I say as I force a smile. “I can ride with Camden, Eve. Just tell the twins I’m buying donuts next time.” I hold Evie’s arm gently, not pulling but not about to let go until he loosens his hold. “You go without me. They’ll understand.”

”Maggie,” she whispers as tears fill her eyes.

I’m not sure if it's from the pain in her arm, or the pain on my face but either way I know this asshole with an overinflated ego is the cause for it. Considering my best friend rarely ever cries, I hope we figure out a way to make him pay because this is all bullshit.

I nod and give her a more genuine smile. “It’s ok, Evie.”

I’m not about to let Camden break her arm just because I won’t ride to the asylum with him. It’s not worth it, and Eve is way too important to me to let something happen when I have the power to stop it before it does.

“You heard her, Evelyn.” Camden lets go of her and takes a step back but my best friend immediately spins around, cockingher arm back and taking a swing on him like she’s some prize fighter.

He dodges, though.

”You fucking hurt her, Cam, and so help me I will find a way to make your life a living hell.”

He laughs as he lifts his hands in surrender. “I’m shaking in my boots,baby sis. Better not piss you off, huh?”

We watch Eve stomp her way to the stairs, running down those few flights so she can get in touch with the twins and avoid that hassle. As soon as she’s out of view, what little courage I used to come to her defense dissipates, leaving me clinging to the strap of my bag like it’s my only lifeline.

Camden and I enter the elevator in silence, a smug look on his face the only indication of what might be going through his head. He doesn’t say anything when we get to his car, just opens the door and waits for me to get in, and it almost feels even quieter once he starts to drive.

This isn’t so bad.

I’m still terrified but if we aren’t going to talk to each other when there isn’t an audience, maybe I can fake my way through this until I find a way out of it.

The problem is, if Camden is willing to physically injure his own sister to get what he wants, there’s no telling what he might do to me. He’s escalating, getting comfortable with letting that side of himself show. Camden isn’t worried about anything but getting what he wants and he doesn’t seem to care about what he has to do to get it. Faking it isn’t going to change that. Neither will anything but some sort of divine intervention.

Every second in this man’s presence is dangerous. Seconds alone together are even more so.

”Why haven’t you gone into heat?”

I choke on absolutely nothing, not even my own spit because my mouth is as dry as a bone, my eyes snapping to his profile as we start up the drive toward the asylum. “What?”

Camden sighs, long and low as if he’s completely put out by my response. “Don’t play stupid, Magnolia. Your IQ is too high for that.”

I hate that he is tracking this. Hate it with everything in me.

My last heat was in June, just before I received the information about the transfer and my start date, which means I was supposed to go into heat again in September.

It’s October 7th.