41. Veronica
Leo brought my stuff to my room the day after he snuck me back. I’m not sure how he did it, but I left in the morning to grab something to eat, and by the time I returned to my room, my stuff was there.
It’s been three weeks since the brief sleepover, and he has kept himself busy. I know it isn’t to avoid me. It’s avoiding the thoughts that keep tearing him down.
He had his sessions with Ruby and sessions with me that turned out, sadly, to be actual sessions until, during one, he kissed me and settled himself between my legs while I sat on the floor below the window bench.
My thighs press together at the memory of the way his tongue slid inside of me. How he pinched my clit between his fingers, sending pain to course throughout my body.
He ate me like he was feasting on his first meal in years, and I swear it lasted almost the whole session—almost as if he couldn’t get enough of me. He was comfortable between my legs and did not ask for anything in return when he finished.
“Ronnie?” The soft voice drags me from my pleasurable thoughts. I raise my eyes to find Eliza standing next to where I’m sitting in the chair. “You looked deep in thought. Am I interrupting?”
Dropping my eyes to the open journal; the tip of the pen is barely touching the fresh page. What was I going to write?
“No. You’re not.”
“Oh, good!” She sighs, taking a seat on the couch. “I was hoping we could talk.”
“Sure.”
“There’s this girl that’s been giving me issues. Every time she sees me in the hall, she shoves me...”
“Eliza.” Her name comes out harshly.
“I figured since you stabbed the one girl with scissors that you could…”
“I can’t.” I cut her off abruptly.
Her brows draw down in confusion. “But you said...”
“Yeah, I know what I said, and things have changed.” I roll my eyes because Goody Two Shoes doesn’t get it. “When I stabbed that girl, I got two weeks in solitary. Dr. Bennett said if I have one more outburst, he will move me to another ward.”
“Oh.” Her voice drops.
“Yeah , oh. I enjoy it in this ward and have no plans to move to another.”
She exhales. “This is all my fault.”
“No, it’s not. I had a plan for her that wasn’t as extreme but went way off track because I was angry at something else. My frustration took over my body, and without thinking, well...”
“I’m sorry, Ronnie,” she apologizes. “I would hate for you to be sent to another ward too.”
“So you understand why I can’t beat your bullies up anymore?”
“Yeah.”
The following words taste bitter in my mouth: “I’m sorry for agreeing to do those things for you and for having to take them back.”
Her eyes widen, astonished at my apology, but that surprised gaze softens. “It’s fine. I’ll figure it out.”
Silence overtakes our little bubble. I focus on the blank page while small chitter chatter surrounds us. Patients take seats at the tables, and nurses come in with clear boxes. I squint my eyes to see what is stowed in the boxes but can’t make anything out.
“What’s going on?” I ask Eliza, my eyes still roaming around the other patients.
She turns in her seat, taking in a new commotion. “Oh, it”s a craft day! They are trying to do it every Thursday.”
Craft day? Oh, hell no.I shut my journal and stand up. “That’s my cue to go.”
“You’re not going to stay? It would be fun!” She smiles, a teasing tone in her voice.
“Plunging this pen into my eyes sounds more fun than whatever they are planning.” I curl my lips in disgust and head for the door.
I walk down the hall toward the lobby, hoping no one is there because I want some time to myself. Yes, I know I can have that in the privacy of my room, but I’m sick of staring at those four beige walls.
I hear hushed voices before I round the corner to the hall leading to my destination: a male and female. I press my back against the wall, my ear pointed toward where the people are speaking.
The male voice reaches me first.
Leo. He sounds almost angry.
His quiet words make it hard to understand what he is saying. The woman now speaks in a pleading tone.
Scarlet.
My blood boils. Why the hell are they talking all secretive? I inch forward on the wall, approaching where I would turn to continue walking. Her voice is full of sadness, and it’s annoying.
Is he consoling her? My fingernails dig into my palms, surely drawing blood as I struggle to hear her words.
Then, the volume of her voice rises. “I shouldn’t have kissed you, Leo. I understand that, but you looked so sad and…”
“And you think that gives you the right to kiss me?” His low voice booms like thunder.
She sniffs, which makes me believe she is crying. What a sensitive piece of shit.
When did this kiss even happen? It was recent. My eyes lift immediately in realization.Scarlet mentioned she kissed Leo because he was sad. This happened after he found out about his mother.
That little bitch! What did she think she could do? Make him feel better? Distract him?
The blood boiling under my skin has reached a new temperature. I’m not sure what to even call this sensation, but the heat is tearing at my skin.
Shutting my eyes, I inhale a deep breath until the feeling slowly simmers down. Then I remember he let me distract him.
He chose me.
“Did you end up telling Myles?” her question comes out nervous.
“Of course, I told him!” he yells through his teeth. “What? He hasn’t informed you that he knows?”
“I haven’t heard from him since you returned.”
“It looks like he gained some common sense and decided not to deal with you anymore.” His voice has a bite to it. She cries again, but his words bring a smile to my face. “I asked you to leave me alone, Scarlet. Please respect that.”
I hear the office door slam shut instead of her response. She didn’t get the chance to mutter a word to him. I give it a couple more seconds before I round the corner.
Scarlet is wiping the tears from her eyes with the sleeves of her button-down when she hears my footsteps. She stops her hands, eyes shooting at me.
Standing there with the journal cradled against my chest, I tilt my head to the side and look at her with piercing eyes. “Scarlet.”
She breathes, rubbing her hands down her body to smooth out her dress. “Veronica.”
She doesn’t think this will be anything more than a greeting with how she is walking past me. “That was quite the conversation.”
She freezes, standing beside me, and her head turns towards me. Our shoulders almost brush because we are so close. With my eyes trained forward, I sense her looking down at me, her heels giving her an extra inch over me.
“Excuse me?”
“You kissed him, which doesn’t surprise me.” I tip my head to the side steadily, meeting her bright green eyes. “But you did it when he was upset. I didn’t think you’d stoop this low to make a move on someone when they were vulnerable.”
Her bright eyes grow dark as they zero in on me. “I’m sorry, but I don’t care to hear your opinion of me.”
“By opinion, you mean truth, right?”My eyes pinch to mimic hers. “Because we’ve had talks about how you truly are, Scarlet, and you know what? I take back what I said earlier.” My body twists to face her. “I’m not surprised you’d stoop this low. It isn’t the first time you preyed on someone at their weakest. What was his name again? Nathaniel?”
Her hard mask slips, eyes sliding open wide as I bring up the name of a guard who used to work here. Scarlet swallows hard, teeth clenching tight that someone knows about her dirty little secret.
“What was he dealing with again?” My pointer finger taps my chin as I think, and then I snap my fingers, making her flinch. “That’s right! His sister had just died in a car crash, and he was in despair. What did you think you were doing? Making him feel better? Making all his worries fade away with your cunt?”
Her breathing heightens, and I suppress a laugh. “That’s not how it was.”
“Yes, it was. We both know it, so why try to deny it?” I shrug, eyeing her up and down. “Must be your type. Men who are going through a really shitty time. Men who can’t think straight with all the demons weighing them down.”
She eyes me curiously, confused at my words. He never told her what happened, did he?
It’s not my place, but I can’t keep the words from falling from my mouth. “His mother is dying, you stupid bitch.”
Scarlet gasps, stumbling back as her hand covers her mouth and her eyes gloss over. “I… I didn’t know.”
“No, you didn’t.” I step into her. “He is my doctor, and for the second time since I’ve been here, I actually care about someone. Go near him again and see what happens, Scarlet. I dare you to disobey his demand that you leave him alone so I can finally put my hands on you.”
“Did...” She stutters, pausing before standing up straight. “Did you just threaten me?”
“Sure did.” I grin with pride.
“You’re already on thin ice, Veronica.” So everyone knows about the ultimatum I was giving.
Lovely.
“That I am.” My hands fall to my side and across around my back, one hand holding the journal, the other holding my wrist. “Dr. Bennett didn’t specify, though. He said that if I acted out again, I’d be sent to another ward.”
Suddenly, her face holds a conniving smirk. “If I go near Dr. Madden and you put your hands on me, then you will be sent to a different ward. It seems like something you need—more discipline. Less freedom.”
I chuckle to myself, my head falling forward. The laughter shakes my body until I stop and look at her through my lashes. My head dips to the side, and an evil grin makes its way onto my face.
“That would be unlucky for you then because with how fed up Dr. Bennett is with me, he’d definitely send me to your ward.” Her bitchy smile instantly falls. “How much fun would that be?”
Scarlet wouldn’t care if I were sent to another ward, but hers? She would make sure that never happened. “I’ll stay away from him.”
“See? You’re proving just how easy you are.”
Her face twists into pure anger before stomping away like a child. Satisfaction courses through my veins; the anger that was once stored there is dead and gone.
Opening the door to the lobby, Edith sits behind her desk as usual. She greets me with a sweet hello, eyes only glancing my way for a moment, then swiveling in my direction.
“Veronica, dear, what can I do for you?”
“I needed an escape,” I say. “Was hoping I could sit in the lobby for a little.”
“Go right ahead. The two girls are at the craft gathering.” She waves her hand to the empty lobby.
I sit on the couch facing the entrance to the hall where I have come from, and my journal drops in my lap. Tapping the pen lightly on the cover, I tuck it away in my pocket and peer over at the book on the side table.
Craning my neck to read the title sideways, I find interest in seeing Fahrenheit 451 sitting there. I’ve read it before, but I think it was for school.
As I pick it up, Edith speaks from over the counter. “I hear your sister is coming tomorrow.”
I flick my eyes at her. “She is.”
“How are you feeling about that?” she asks with genuine concern.
I shrug. “Surprised that she agreed.”
“When I heard the news, I was also surprised,” she agrees. “You aren’t nervous about seeing her again? Given...”
“That I killed her boyfriend?” I interrupt. “Nah. It will be fine. What’s the worst that can happen?”