Ollie’s hand froze over his doorknob just as Ethan closed my door behind me four rooms down. Green eyes dragged from Ethan to me, and I could see his jaw tense from where I stood. Ethan pressed his chest into my back and grabbed my arm. “Come on,” Ethan urged.
Ollie’s lip twitched, and his arm flexed, and I shook my head.
Don’t, Ollie. He’s not worth it.
I yanked my arm from Ethan and started forward. My gaze fixed in front of me. The tension in the hall stretched around us like a rubber band ready to snap at any moment. Though I couldn’t see Ethan’s face, I felt every rush of emotion coming from Ollie to my left as we passed by. His eyes on the two of us replaced my blood with lava. The thoughts going through his mind somehow ripped me open from where he stood rigid. Ollie was ready to launch at any moment.
We made it around the corner, but the pressure didn’t let off my shoulders. Ethan remained quiet the entire way to the Dean’s office, down the stairs, and through the cold building. He paused when we reached Lynch’s door and turned me around to face him. “Relax, Jett. Just be honest.”
My brows pinched together, and Ethan used his knuckle to knock on the door.
Lynch welcomed us in and advised me to take a seat. Ethan stayed by the door, back straight, arms crossed over his chest, gaze looking out the window into the dawn of October. Lynch’s red velvet curtains laid open, overlooking the side of the building, the Looney Bin visible.
“Where did you rush off to yesterday during dinner?” Lynch cut to the chase. I snapped my eyes forward. The shade around his eyes seemed dark, making his brown eyes look lighter.
My brain filtered through yesterday’s events.
Bria. Tyler. Jude.
“I had to use the restroom.” I shrugged, having no idea where he was going with this. Lynch leaned back in his rolling chair, and he rested his elbow over the arm of his chair, propping up his chin. His eyebrows pulled together as his eyes locked on mine, searching for answers—nerves set in. My mouth went dry.
“Don’t lie to me, Mia,” his eyes slipped to Ethan behind me before falling back on mine.
“This is ridiculous. I didn’t do anything.” The words came out faster before I could think.
“Ridiculous? You could have really hurt someone with your clever stunt. Not to mention cost Rhonda her job.”
“What are you talking about?”
Lynch released his fist and held up a key. “This was found in your room.”
I twisted back to face Ethan, but his focus remained out the window. Returning my attention to Lynch, I jumped to my feet. “I don’t even know what that is!”
“Looks like a key to me,” he scoffed, examining the object in his fingers. He leaned forward and slapped it over the top of his desk. “The key to Rhonda’s medicine cabinet, found in your bloody room!”
“Well, I didn’t take it! I have no idea how it got in my room!”
“A freshman is in the hospital. I have to find someone to replace Rhonda’s job. What I want to know is, why? Why do you feel the need to take others down with you to prove a point?”
“You can’t seriously believe I had something to do with this,” my head spun, “Ethan, tell him I didn’t do this!”
Ethan opened his mouth, but Lynch quickly interjected, “I’ve done all I can to keep you here in this program, but this is out of my control.”
“Someone’s messing with me! You know someone’s been out to get me. I didn’t do it!” My nails dug into the palms of my hands, trying to wake myself up because there was no other explanation as to why this could be happening. “Ethan, tell him!”
“Where were you yesterday during dinner?” Ethan asked, taking a step forward.
“Bria pulled me aside, and we went to Jude’s. They were pissed and confronted me, but that was it! I swear to God, I wouldn’t have fucked with people’s medication.”
“Not even to try and switch Oliver’s?” Ethan questioned, but it came out more like an accusation. “You know, to get him off his medication? Switching it with something else?”
I fell back in the chair and dropped my head in my hands. “This can’t be happening.” I lifted my head with tears in my eyes to face Lynch who waved Ethan forward. “You’re going to kick me to the curb now? Just like Bruce!” I stood back up and put my hands behind my back. “Innocent until proven guilty. Something we respect back in the states. You should fucking try it,” I spat out, waiting for Ethan to put me into cuffs.
“Relax, Mia. You’re being sent to solitary until we can do more investigating. I’m not giving up on you just yet,” Lynch said with a tap over his desk.
Ethan’s eyes filled with relief, but his mouth set into a hard line. “This isn’t going to take well with authorities,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Mia is under my supervision. They’d have to force my hand before I let her walk out of here until a thorough investigation is completed.”
“Your call boss.” Ethan dropped his chin and released a held breath.
“I don’t get it. You were so quick to point the finger at me.”
“You’re right. You deserve to be heard. Let’s hope your story sticks.” Lynch tossed his head to the side. “Solitary, Scott. No visitors.”
Ethan’s hand landed on my shoulder to guide me out.
“Scott,” Lynch called out.
Ethan and I turned back at the same time.
“I know,” Ethan stated, answering an unasked question. Ethan pushed me forward, opened the door, and led me to confinement.
For how long? I had no idea.
Chapter Sixteen
“You’re not broken,
only bent to perfection.”
—Oliver Masters
Ollie.
“WHERE THE FUCK is she?” I asked, slamming the red-headed wanker against the cement wall. My patience completely depleted after Mia’s been M.I.A. for the second day in a row. “Last time I laid eyes on her, she left with you. Where did you take her?”
“You’re a lucky bastard. I should drag your arse out of here,” Scott snapped, pushing against my chest. “Now calm the fuck down, yeah?” Scott fixed his shirt as he scanned the empty hall.
My stomach churned, threatening to reveal the fact I’d been chucking up my pills since my last visit to Dr. Conway. I closed my hands into fists to bite back the honest tremors.
Something wasn’t right. I’d shown up to the nurse’s station to see Rhonda gone and a new nurse handing me over my cup with a chipper smile on her face, and my love unseen and unheard of in two days.
“I want her out just as bad as you,” Scott admitted, evening out his hushed tone. His fingers flew to his temples.
“Out of where? Where is she? Psych?”
“Confinement.”
“What the hell for?”
“You’re kidding, right? Have you been so fucked in the head,”—he pushed against my temple with his pointer finger— “you have no idea what she’s been through.”
I slapped his hand away and pushed past him. “I have to go to her.”
Scott grabbed my arm, but quickly released it as a student walked past from lunch. “It’s more complicated than that. You can’t just show up in solitary and demand to see her. You want her out? Find out who threw a spanner in the works. Find out who put the newbie in the hospital. Someone,” he lowered his tone, “someone stole Rhonda’s key, switched pills, and planted the key in Mia’s room.”