Page 70 of The Casualty of Us (Philosophies of the Heart Duet #1)

Barely managing to get that out before he disappears.

He immediately turns and heads past where Sutton is standing at the bottom of the cot I’m lying on.

Not stopping as he pushes past where the security guard is standing in front of Ollie at the door.

Fully charging to where two others are leading an already bruised-looking Thomas down the hall and proceeding to pin him to the wall by his throat.

Holy shit.

“If I ever see you again, I will not stop.” The other two security guards rapidly change tactics, grabbing his arms, but he holds on for long enough to get out, “I’ll fucking love it actually.

” A choked sound leaves Thomas, and they pull Hayes away, pushing him back toward our room as he roars, “And I’ll be looking!

” Making me blink yet again a little stupidly at the crazy he’s been hiding in there.

“Real fucking close, Thomas! I can’t wait to see you again! ”

Sutton brings a hand to her head with a long sigh, walking to the door as the security guards finally push him back in and closing it quickly. Ollie makes his way over to my side and grabs my hand as she does, fingers shaking when they wind through mine. “You’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” I clear my throat and use my hold on him to sit up a bit, trying to get my bearings as Hayes leans his back up against the door.

I take stock of the nurse’s room I seem to be in before turning back to see him crossing his arms and looking worse than he has since last semester.

No little lights in his hazel eyes right now, making me wonder— “Where’s Bethany? ”

“Miss Hastings will make a full recovery as well,” Sutton informs me quickly.

“She woke up about an hour ago and told me her recollection of the night’s events.

” She gives me a small smile that contradicts the clear concern in her eyes before pressing.

“I’ve just been waiting to hear your version before making my final recommendation to the board. ”

“Recommendation?” I stare at her as the words sink in before stating, “He’s a fucking rapist. There’s a recommendation for them.”

Ollie’s hand clenches around mine at the same time as Hayes steps away from the door again and Sutton calls out, “Freeze! Both of you!” Her face is full of admonishment as she turns back to me with a sigh. “Please, Ophelia, walk me through what happened if you can.”

I open my mouth to do just that but pause, my mind immediately going through the list of definitely not allowed things happening out there.

“Ophelia, I am aware that students use the Ruins as a recreation area from time to time,” Sutton adds when I continue to just lie there. “And I am not looking to punish anyone tonight that doesn’t deserve it, okay?”

“Okay.” I give her a nod, squeezing Ollie’s hand and still starting the story when I stepped outside just to be safe.

“I had to pee, so I went outside to find somewhere to do my business.” Ollie gives a soft snort at that, and I roll my eyes, quickly stilling again when they land on Hayes.

Noting the full-on brood he’s settling into before looking back to Sutton with the rest. “I was almost to the treeline when I noticed someone moving around, so I called out.”

“Of course she did,” Hayes mutters darkly, and I shoot him a glare as Ollie whispers back, “Later.”

Clueing me in that apparently the two of them aren’t too happy with me either.

“I didn’t know it was Thomas at first, but he called back that they were fine, that she was just sick, but—” I suck in a breath, trying to stop the way my stomach is starting to roll all over the place before admitting.

“I had a bad feeling.” Keeping my eyes on Sutton’s to make sure she understands.

“It just didn’t feel right, so I went over there. ”

“What happened then?”

“I realized it was Thomas and Bethany pretty quick and that she wasn’t really conscious.

” I swallow the sick feeling down that the memories are sparking and try to keep it simple.

“I told him to give her to me if she was sick. He called me a bitch and told me to go away, and things went bad from there.” Ollie’s hand clenches around mine so tight it almost hurts, and I give him a quick squeeze back while hurrying out.

“So I started screaming trying to get someone’s attention, and eventually Lisette found us. ”

Her eyes narrow, running over my face. “And your injuries?”

I pause, knowing that my next words might just tip the other two people in the room over the edge before eventually telling her for Bethany’s sake more than anyone.

“I tried to grab her, so he grabbed my wrist.” The admission brings the throbbing there to the forefront of my mind.

“We were fighting over her when he jerked around and elbowed me in the face. He let go of us both after that, and I hit my head when we fell.”

I see the disappointment flicker across her face before she presses once more. “That’s it?”

Ollie scoffs angrily. “What do you mean, that’s it?!”

But I understand, pushing back and questioning, “What did Bethany say?”

“Miss Hastings.” She pauses, an apology filling her eyes while informing me. “Unfortunately, doesn’t remember much beyond someone passing her a drink at the party, but she did state that Thomas is not someone she would have gone off with.”

The innate kind of understanding slips past my lips next, words as empty as they feel. “So it’s he said, she said.”

“What the fuck do you mean?” Ollie pulls his hand from mine while turning on Sutton. “You’ve got to be kidding me, please tell me she isn’t—”

“Kyler was there.” My eyes flick to Hayes with the quiet admission, and I see the way he pushes off the door again with it.

How he’s about two seconds away from launching into another assault if the quiet anger pulsing in the air around him is anything to go by, and it has me adding quickly.

“I don’t know where he was—I mean, I couldn’t see him, but I heard him at the end. ”

Sutton’s face falls a little, which I get, because Kyler possibly being involved just makes it messier. “What did Kyler say?”

“Not much.” I shrug. “I think he was just trying to calm me down.”

“Why would he be trying to calm you down?”

I flick my gaze up to Ollie’s confused one, not having the heart to say it right now and crush some more of his innate goodness, instead just looking back at Sutton to finish. “Maybe ask him what he was doing out there.”

“What he was—” Hayes’s voice bursts through the room before cutting out with a growl as he crosses it, making it to my side in maybe four steps and pointing at my wrist. “She has marks on her, fucking bruises on her skin—”

“I understand your outrage, Mr. Flynn.” Sutton lifts a hand, trying to quiet him, and I finally glance down to see what he’s freaking out—

Oh, that doesn’t look good.

“Did someone give me pain meds?”

They must have because it’s all red and purple with the clear outline of fingers, and I should definitely be feeling that more.

Although that could be the lingering alcohol talking too.

“And I share in it, but Thomas is saying it’s a misunderstanding, and the facts as they stand—”

“How much?” Hayes bites out, drawing my gaze back up to see him crossing his arms and squaring off with her across the bed. “How much do you want to get that fucker out of here?”

“Mr. Flynn!”

“We both know it’s always about the money in the end, so—”

“Mr. Flynn.” Sutton raises a hand, cutting him off with a hard look.

“I do not accept bribes, and even if I did, it would not change my recommendation to the board, which will be that Thomas is expelled.” A beat passes before she adds.

“He’ll be put on probation and sent home for now pending their decision, although I can’t guarantee what happens from there. ”

That is apparently not the right thing to say though.

I can see how it sets him right off again as he growls back, “Well then, tell me who to pay off on the board or please pass along my regards to them with Thomas’s head.”

“Whoa.”

“Suspension!”

Ollie’s impressed mutter is quickly followed by Sutton’s shout, and Hayes curses back. “Bullshit!”

“One more word, and it’ll be probation!”

His mouth opens, and I shout before he gets himself into something that I can’t fix. “Hayes!”

Flinching at the volume of my own voice as his gaze snaps to mine.

Hazel eyes instantly running over me with a good dose of panic in them before coming back up to find the blue again.

They settle there with me silently begging him to just shut the fuck up right now and seeing when his shoulders sag a second later.

I clear my throat, injuries making themselves known the longer I sit here, and take the momentary win to ask, “Can I please go?” Turning my head back to find Sutton looking between us curiously and Ollie staring at Hayes like he’s never seen him before. “I’m really starting to not feel good.”

Because if we stay here…Hayes or Ollie is going to get themselves expelled, and then I’m really going to puke.

“Of course.” Sutton’s face fills with concern, and she immediately starts rattling off, “The nurse checked you over when you got here, and you needed a few stitches in the back of your head, but otherwise she said everything else should heal up on its own.” Her gaze darts to the boys before coming back to mine with a sigh.

“Although she did say that someone will need to be responsible for waking you up every two hours tonight to make sure you’re still okay if you don’t want to stay here. ”

“Fine,” I agree, knowing that there will be no shortage of options for that. “That’s fine.”