Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Irush back to the cafeteria where I’m expected to prepare everything for dinner. Which basically means that there isn’t a tower of plates that are too high, and make sure that the knives and forks don’t get mixed together. Things like that.
It sounds boring, and it is, but it’s easy work. The fact that I can do it with Ami makes it ten times better. She’s currently giving the tables a quick swipe of her cloth so they are as clean as you’d expect in a cafeteria.
She looks up as I move closer. “Everything alright?”
Normally I’m perfectly capable of hiding my emotions.
The fact that she asks, must mean my mask slipped.
She’s the only one that would notice, of course.
“Let’s say things got pretty intense at the infirmary.
” I give her a short summary of what happened, leaving out one tiny detail regarding a certain male.
Her brows nearly touch her forehead. “A stab wound? I really thought they kept everything behind locked doors by now.”
I lift my shoulders. “Someone must’ve smuggled it in or picked the lock. It doesn’t matter, she’s dead either way.”
Before I know it, I’m pulled into a hug. She’s the only one I’ll ever let me touch like that. She’s also the only one that wants to do so, but that’s beside the point.
A clearing of someone’s throat breaks up the silence and we quickly step away from each other, but he already saw it. ‘He’ being Dom, short for Dominic. The staff are a mix of men and women, some kinder than the other. But Dom is more ruthless than anyone else.
I break into a cold sweat, followed by a heavy feeling in my stomach. My body begs me to run away, hide, do anything to get away from him. But there is nowhere to go right now.
Ami, bless her, recovers faster than me and moves towards him, putting herself between us as a human barrier. Not sure if it would do anything honestly, but the gesture is kind either way. “Can I help you, Dominic?”
She has seen the scars on my back, ones I didn’t have when I arrived here. She has helped me get dressed when I couldn’t lift my arms or move for that matter. She tended to my wounds when I didn’t feel like bothering Doctor Herbert with another one of my aches.
“No physical contact. You know the rules, Amira.” The sound of his voice alone sends shivers down my spine and when his eyes find me, I forget how to breathe. “You do too, Scorch. Or would you like me to repeat them for you?”
You see, maybe in another world, this would seem like a kind and genuine offer. But if you know Dom, those two words are not written in his vocabulary. Nothing he offers comes out of the goodness of his heart.
Ami moves a little bit closer, trying to draw his gaze to her. “We’re so sorry. We do know the rules and it won’t happen again. We promise.” She looks over her shoulder, offering me an encouraging smile. "Don't we, Maily?”
I know she asked me a question, but my vocal cords somehow don’t know how to work, so I nod. Hoping, no, praying it will be enough.
Dom steps to the side and moves closer, completely ignoring Amira. It takes everything in me not to shrink back. My throat tightens to the point where it’s hard to breathe. “Did you lose your tongue? I asked you a question.”
Of course it wasn’t enough.
“She understands and agrees —”
“Silence! I wasn’t speaking to you.”
Our eyes lock at the same time and we both know there is nothing more she can do. He needs to hear the words from me, even if he has to beat them out of me.
Fucking asshole.
I bow my head, showcasing the innocent child he sees me as. I know it’s his favourite play. He’d enjoy it even more if I would fall to my knees, which I will definitely not do. Yet.
“I apologise, Dominic. I will continue my tasks and keep enough distance between Amira and me.”
As my gaze is still cast downward, I thankfully don’t have to meet his gaze, but it also means I see him move closer until his our boots are nearly toe to toe. I know what will happen now, it’s always the same routine.
Ice cold, slightly wet chunky fingers grab my chin and roughly lift up my head until our eyes meet. “That’s a good girl.” He licks his chapped lips and I am seconds away from passing out. I’ve stopped breathing too. “Continue. Now,” he barked.
He releases my face and walks away to sit down at one of the tables near us. I can breathe again, although my chest feels tight, my body equally tense.
I know Ami wants to reassure me, but it would only anger him more and I do not need that right now, so I subtly shake my head.
Thankfully, the sounds of a quarrel outside of the cafeteria draws Dom’s attention away from us and when the shouts get louder, he has no other choice than to find out what is going on.
Ami rushes over and holds my pinky with hers, a small habit we picked up. “I’m so sorry.”
“You shouldn’t apologise, Ami, nothing happened.”
She analyses my face and sighs. “I don’t think people worse than him exist.”
When the cafeteria is ready for its hungry patients, we take advantage of the fact that no one has entered yet - thank you commotion! - and the chance to select the…better options of the food they offer.
Ami gives one of the chefs a compliment, the poor woman has to make do with what she has, and of course she starts loading up Ami’s plate so she can try everything.
Go on, she whispers, and I turn around, wanting to walk to our habitual table when I bump into a hard chest instead. Expecting for my tray to fall to the ground and my clothes to look like a battlefield on its own, I close my eyes and wait for the loud sound to echo through the cafeteria.
But instead a hand is on my waist, keeping me steady and another covers my hand that holds the tray, preventing it from topping over. How my other hand ends up on that very muscled chest is a question I do not have the answer to.
I don’t mind though, especially when Noah’s mischievous eyes meet mine. “And so we meet again.”
The tray nearly topples over, but Noah’s fast reflexes kick in and he places the tray on the table next to us, still holding on to my waist.
“I am so sorry, Noah, I…I didn’t see you.”
I try to move back, completely embarrassed, but his hands - both of them on my ribs now - keep me in place. “Hey, nothing happened, you weren’t expecting me. Everything’s good.”
He’s right, but if it would’ve been anyone else, they would’ve scolded me, called me names, probably empty my plate over my head and make me eat it off the floor.
“Besides,” his voice cuts through the very clear vision in my head. “I don’t mind bumping into you. Or…you bumping into me. At all.”
Dear lord, have mercy.
I try to think of something to say, but thankfully the doors swing open and a tidal wave of hungry wildlings enter the cafeteria. It distracts Noah, giving me the opportunity to step away from him.
“She really is the kindest of them all,” Ami says while waving at the chef. She moves closer to me and takes in the situation, before her eyes land on my plate, where the food is all over the place. “What happened here?”
“Nothing,” I quickly respond, which only makes Ami’s brows rise higher. I pick up my tray with both hands this time and walk past Noah, who can’t contain a grin, and take a seat at the table.
Ami sits down in front of me, but doesn’t touch her food. I patiently wait until she can’t contain herself anymore. “I turn my back to you for five short minutes and here you are, flirting away and —”
My fork falls out of my hands and clatters onto the table, earning me a few annoyed glances. “I was not flirting.”
“Hm be that as it may, but he definitely was.”
I look away, my gaze somehow automatically drawn to him and finding his eyes are already on me. He winks and I quickly drop my gaze.
“So,” she says, waving her fork at me. “when did you two get so close?”
“We’re not close,” I respond a tinge too quickly.
“Oh, come on, babes, I could practically feel the tension between you two.”
Lies, lies. “Weren’t you talking to the chef lady?”
“Don’t. Change. The. Subject.” She boops my nose with each word. “His eyes are currently burning a hole through my back, aren’t they?”
I don’t want to look, but I can’t help it and yes, he is watching me. I avert my gaze and feel how my cheeks warm. I hate to admit it, but it actually feels good to be watched by him. My heart softens at the thought alone.
“Please, a penny for your thoughts. When did this happen?”
I bite my tongue for two seconds, trying to contain my excitement and fake nonchalance. “He had a nosebleed, Irene brought him in and since Doctor Herbert was busy, I took care of it.”
“Our dear Noah was in a fight now, wasn’t he?”
“Maybe.”
She arches her brow. “From what I have heard, he stepped in between one of the younger kids, defending them, taking a hit or two. It was really kind, actually.”
When my eyes find him for the third time, his attention is focused on his companions, so I observe him in the same way he did before. There still exists goodness here, which shouldn’t surprise me, but it does.
I tilt my head up and continue eating. “Well, there is nothing going on between us.
“Mhm,” Ami hums, clearly unconvinced. “if you say so.”
She thankfully manages to talk about anything else but Noah, and I can breathe a little easier again. I avoid his gaze at all costs, even though I feel his eyes linger on me every now and then. But trying to figure out what all of this is, makes my heart stumble.
We finish our meals and are about to take the turn to the recreative area when an ice-cold voice stops me. “Maily. Here.”
You see, it’s not only his tone, it’s the way he speaks to me. And I know if I don’t listen, it will only make things worse. Ami hesitates, not wanting to leave me alone with Dom, but knowing it will not do me any good if she stays. “Go,” I whisper silently. “Please.”
She doesn’t answer or even acknowledge that she heard me. But eventually she moves one foot in front of the other and leaves me alone, with Dom.
“Come.”
All the joy I felt minutes ago evaporates instantly.