Chapter Eleven
Everest
Axel chose not to make a phone call before we were escorted back to our new rooms, but I made a quick call home.
Mom answered, but Callie supposedly wasn’t home.
I left a message for her, but I didn’t have a whole lot to say.
There isn’t anything happening here that I want her to know about yet.
She would just worry about us the whole time if she knew the shit we’ve been going through.
Thorne meets us outside of Maven’s office and walks us back to our rooms silently.
Axel is the first one to slip inside as Thorne and I continue walking down the hall to my room.
It was weird at first, the solitude, but it didn’t take very long to get used to.
They deliver our meals to us every couple of hours, and honestly, it’s nice not having to cook anymore. I hate cooking.
“Will we see you again?” I glance up at Thorne as we take the last few steps toward my room.
He hesitates before he finally answers. “Possibly at the end. Otherwise? Not likely.”
“Ahh…“ I say as we both come to a stop in front of my door. It’s a weird sensation, being trained to drop our emotions and how quickly they seem to come flooding back at the worst moments. I choke back tears as I pull him into a hug, and surprisingly, he leans into it instead of pulling away.
“Thank you for everything. I’ll miss having you around.” I mumble into his shoulder.
“Don’t lie,” his body shakes as he chuckles. He pats my back as he pulls away. “You’re both tough. I think you’ll do fine. I chose your night guard and I think he’ll be the perfect fit.” He says with a wink.
A single tear escapes that I quickly wipe away with the sleeve of my hoodie. “Thanks, Thorne. I hope I get to see you again before we leave, but if not, I want you to find you a cute little boy to look after. Okay?”
“Promise,” he replies with a curt nod. He shifts on his feet as if he isn’t quite ready to leave yet but knows that there isn’t really anything left to say.
As much as I prefer to spend the rest of my time here with him, I’m also keenly aware of the fact that I wanted to come here so I could break out of my comfort zone, not create another safe space to hide.
I plaster on a fake smile as I give him another quick hug before taking a deep breath and opening my door.
This is it.
The end of the beginning.