Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
MAVERICK
I lean against the exterior wall of the Bowbrook Academic Hall, trying my hardest to keep my impatience from bleeding over into outright anger as I wait for Nolan to be done with his classes for the day.
It’s hard given the circumstances. Still, I try. I’m better than what this place has made me. I took my meds this morning, I tried going to sleep at a normal hour, and I’m making sure to eat all my meals. I need to be mentally clear, not just for my sake, but for Everly’s.
I choke down the rage that boils up at the thought of her.
It’s not directed toward my girl, not anymore.
The rage is directed everywhere else—at her family, at Rowan and Braum, at myself…
Everything is wrong. Just so fucking wrong and I can’t immediately fix it.
The feeling of helplessness only fuels the anger inside me.
My teeth grind together as I shoot a reluctant glance toward the pointed rooftop of Rookwell Tower.
It’s all I can see from here but its presence is a constant reminder that this place is a farce.
This insane asylum, with all its fancy bells and whistles, isn’t here to help the patients that come seeking aid.
Parts of this place are used to torture people.
I jerk my head away from Rookwell Tower to glare at Barrington Regal House. My skin starts to prickle as the anger beneath it rises.
From all recent reports, Everly hasn’t left that building since they dragged her into it. Braum and Rowan have been in and out though. Nolan said Rowan has been attending all his classes, and Braum’s been seen wandering aimlessly around campus like a freaking zombie.
If they’re out and about, what have they done with Everly? Where is she now? My body grows tense as I consider all the fucked up shit Rowan and Braum are capable of. She shouldn’t be with them. It’s my fault she’s up there, enduring whatever fucked up games they’re putting her through.
I swallow down the self-loathing welling up.
Because I hadn’t been at my best, I forced Everly to make a deal with two devils.
I have to get her out of here. My attention swings to the White Stag Chapel.
I thought grabbing the backpack would be the easy part in all this, but the last few nights I’ve found all the doors and windows to the chapel locked.
How am I supposed to get the stuff Everly needs to escape if I can’t get inside the building?
My stomach rolls. I’m going to get that bag. Then I’m going to grab Everly. Braum and Rowan can try to keep her under lock and key, but there’s no force strong enough to prevent me from getting her back.
“Hey.”
So lost in my thoughts, I don’t hear Nolan’s approach.
The snarl that slips past my lips is more animal than man.
My arms drop from my chest and my hands turn into fists at my sides.
But by the time I whirl around to face him, in just under a fraction of a second, I realize I’m overreacting.
With a deep breath, I force myself to relax and rein back the anger.
“Sorry,” I manage to spit out through clenched teeth.
Nolan shakes his head dismissively. “Don’t worry about it.”
That’s what I like most about him. Nolan isn’t quick tempered and he’s genuinely a decent guy.
“Come on,” he says, jumping straight to the point. “Let’s get moving. It’s Thursday, which means I have therapy in a bit.”
We move away from Bowbrook, taking the wide walkway leading south.
“How was the calculus test?”
Nolan snorts. “It sucked ass but I’m pretty sure I passed it. But that’s not what you wanted to ask me, is it?”
No, it’s not. “Just because I’m a little distracted doesn’t mean I don’t care about what’s going on in your life, Nolan.”
“It’s fine, Vick.” He shoots me a grim look. “What you have going on is… well, it’s big. Your life could change for the better if you get the fuck out of here.”
My stomach knots. Change has never been a good thing for me. Just the thought of it makes me nauseous. That’s why I haven’t given the opportunity Everly’s presented much thought.
“This isn’t about me, it’s about her,” I tell him.
I’ve told Nolan everything about my life; the parts I remember and even the fragmented pieces I’m not sure are nightmares or reality.
There’s nothing about me he doesn’t know.
All except for the truth, which is, “She’s on a fool’s mission, Nolan.
As much as I want to leave, I… I can’t. You’ve seen me at my worst. I can’t go out into the world with the ability to spontaneously burst into violence like I’m on a hairpin trigger. ”
“That’s a bullshit excuse and you know it,” he snaps sharply. “You’re just scared.”
I scoff. “Fear has nothing to do with this. I’m just trying to be smart.”
Nolan shoots me a frustrated glare. “As much as you hate it here, Vick, you’ve grown comfortable with your life.
You’ve gotten comfortable with being miserable .
Face it, outside these walls you have a chance to be happy but you don’t even know what being happy looks or feels like anymore and that scares the shit out of you.
And, if I’m being one hundred percent honest, you’re probably scared of finding happiness with a chick who came to break you the hell out of here.
She’s part of the family that screwed you over in the first place. ”
“She had nothing to do with that,” I grumble distractedly as his words sink in.
“I know,” he shrugs. “I wouldn’t even consider helping her right now if she had.”
Swallowing hard, I lower my voice and ask, “Did you… hear anything about her today in any of your classes?”
Nolan doesn’t answer right away. Judging by the darkness that gathers in his eyes and the way his jaw clenches, the news isn’t good.
I hold my breath, bracing myself for whatever he has to say.
Whatever it is, I won’t flip out. I have to remain calm and cool.
Flying off the handle won’t do Everly any good.
“She was seen with Rowan this morning heading to the library in Bowbrook. Bev said she saw…” Nolan’s voice trails off.
“What? What did she see?” I press, my heart rate starting to pick up speed. My question must’ve come out harsher than I intend because passing patients shoot me a worried look before giving us a wide berth.
Nolan adjusts his bookbag with a heavy sigh before he answers. “There were bruises around her neck and a bandage on the back of it. Apparently, she was walking pretty stiffly too.”
I nearly trip over my own feet as the blood drains from my face.
Shit. What did they do to her? And why? If hurting her is supposed to be a trigger to cause me to lash out, why haven’t they shown off what they’ve done?
Are they looking to hurt her more before presenting me with her broken body?
Bile climbs up my throat at the thought.
“Nolan,” I whisper, horrified. “We can’t let them continue to?—”
“I know and we won’t. We’ll figure this out. But first,” he nudges his head to the building we’ve stopped in front of. “Let’s get her stuff, alright? After that, we can figure out how to get to her and how to get the two of you out of here.”
I open my mouth, ready to object to leaving, but Nolan holds up a hand to stop me.
“One thing at a time. You can kick up a fuss later but we need that backpack before we can do anything else.”
I concede with an annoyed shake of my head. “Fine.”
Nolan grins. “Then let’s go.”
The fire alarm eats up Nolan’s laughter as we race through the woods. We take the long way back to Sortage, out of sight of patients and staff who are undoubtedly wondering what set off the alarms in the quietest building on campus. His exuberance is contagious and I can’t help but grin.
We did it.
It took some creativity to break in, but we got the backpack.
It bounces against my back as we run. When I snagged it, I was surprised by how heavy it was even without the clothes Everly had for me inside it.
I’m more surprised now, as we burst out of the tree line with the back of Sortage Residence House insight, that she managed to carry this for a long period of time given how out of breath I am.
I pull my keycard from my pocket and tap it against the black electronic pad. A green light lets me know it’s unlocked. Yanking open the door, I allow Nolan to head in first and I follow behind him.
Hank, the security guard at the front desk, hardly spares us a glance as we skirt past him and head to my room. Once inside the security of my four walls, I toss the bag onto my bed and let out a laugh of my own.
“Thanks man. I couldn’t have done it without you.” I look at Nolan who leans against my dresser and shoots me a smug smile.
“Yeah, I know,” he jokes. He jerks his head at the bag and asks, “Well? Aren’t you going to open it?”
I hadn’t considered it actually. Turning back to my bed, I reach for the thing and unzip it.
“Think she has a gun or something? Maybe you could just use it to walk out the front gate,” Nolan muses as I begin pulling items out.
“It’s all hiking gear,” I mutter, frowning.
There’s a map of the park with a thin black line marking the trail from Serenity Falls to an X, a small hunting knife, car keys, a smaller unmarked key, a compass, rope, a hammer, a small shovel, a bag of snacks, a thick book on plants, heavy duty gloves, a heavy duty steel water bottle, a first-aid kit and…
“What’s this?” I wonder, lifting a waterproof bag out of the backpack next. Tugging open the drawstrings and flipping it open, I watch the items that fall out. Inside are two manilla envelopes. Grabbing the one on top, I open it and pull out the contents.
I freeze.