Chapter 46
W ill says the only way to get through the night is to stick together. His reasoning is that if we’re not alone, we will be safe.
I’m still not entirely sure if I trust him. Then again, most of his plan includes going back to his room and reading John Irving books for the rest of the night. It feels like the sort of plan that I can get on board with pretty easily.
“I still can’t believe you defaced your copy of Garp ,” I say when we get back to his room. “It’s hard to look at.”
“I know.” He pulls a frown. “But I didn’t have a choice. I tried taking the medications—you know, for authenticity—but I couldn’t think straight on them.”
Jade always complained about how hard it was to be on antipsychotic medications.
Not that I thought she was making it up, but I’m beginning to realize what she has gone through over the last eight years.
How hard her life has been because of her illness.
Although I’m still baffled as to why she would make up a lie about Will being her boyfriend.
“So,” I say, “was anything you told me about yourself true?”
“Sure. The best lies stay close to the truth.”
“Like what?”
“Well,” he says thoughtfully. “I really did used to drive for Uber when I had my first crappy online paper job and my salary couldn’t pay the bills without a side gig. Also, I do live alone, and I’m single. And also, John Irving is my favorite author.”
“Have you read all his books?” I’ve now looked through the entire stack on his nightstand, which also includes A Widow For One Year and Avenue of Mysteries .
“Of course.” He taps the frame of his glasses. “You think I got these thick lenses because I don’t like to read?”
“I always loved to read too.” I flip through his dog-eared copy of Owen Meany . “Whenever we were assigned to read a book in school, I would always finish it after two days, even though we were only assigned to read like two chapters.”
“That just makes you a nerd,” he says. “I, on the other hand, was a reading renegade . In class, while the teacher was teaching a lesson, I would be reading a book under my desk. I actually got detention for reading . My teacher was always saying, ‘Will, put that book away!’”
Despite everything, I have to giggle. “You’re right. I was never a reading renegade.”
“That’s how I always knew I wanted a career that involved writing,” he muses. “Every time I would read something really great, it made me want to write.”
The passion in his eyes is unmistakable. He’s being completely honest. I would bet my life. “Will, tell me the truth. What do you think is going on here?”
His hazel eyes cloud over behind his lenses.
“Honestly? I don’t know. But I do know one thing.
Sawyer has been a problem ever since he got here.
They had him isolated from everyone else even before they locked him in seclusion.
And ever since they locked Sawyer in Seclusion One, I’ve heard loud noises coming from that room.
But then after the power went off—nothing. ”
“So…?”
“I think he must have gotten out.” He shudders. “When the power died, the locks must have turned off as well. And he took advantage.”
I clasp a hand over my mouth. “You think so?”
“I hope I’m wrong. Because from what I’ve heard, that guy is seriously disturbed.”
When I close my eyes, I can picture Mary Cummings screaming his name. Damon Sawyer is going to kill all of you! And then Spider-Dan’s insistence that Sawyer had come to him and said he was going to hurt me.
Why would he want to hurt me ?
I shiver.
“Don’t worry.” Will reaches out and places his hand on mine. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting him near you. Like I said, let’s stick together and we’ll be fine. It’ll be morning before you know it.”
I want so badly to believe him. I remember my first impression of Will when I came into his room at the beginning of the evening.
Despite his diagnosis, I thought he seemed like a nice, normal sort of guy.
A cute guy. The kind of guy I might agree to go out to dinner with, if it ever came up. But appearances can be deceiving.
Can I trust him?
“Don’t worry,” Will says again as he squeezes my hand. “I won’t let anything happen.”
But I have a terrible feeling that Will can’t protect me from Damon Sawyer. Nobody can.
Just like nobody could protect me from myself when I was sixteen years old.