Page 32 of The Favorite Girl

“Don’t engage with her. She’s getting moved soon.” Conrad tugged me away and quickly shut the curtains.

“Why is she in there, Conrad?” My voice shook as I closed my eyes with my hand across my pounding heart as if I could steady it.

“She’s in there by choice.”

“If she has psychiatric issues, then why is she not seeing a psychiatrist? Why would she need your dad?”

“My dad is helping them, Demi. He’s doing a free experimental study—it’s actually FDA approved. He’s saving the lives no one else could.” Conrad tilted my head up, forcing me to open my eyes and look at him.

“Do you actually believe that?” I squinted at him as his fingers traced my jawline.

“Yes, I do.”

“You’re living in denial, because denial allows us to be blind to the truth we don’t want to see since our minds don’t think we’re ready to handle them.” I moved his hand off my face.

“You may be right, Demi, but denial also keeps me alive here, and it’s in your best interest to submerge yourself in it, too. Please, Demi.”

Forcing myself to nod in agreement, I walked to the cart and looked around the meticulously clean room. “I think I’m done here. What do I need to clean next?” I whimpered.

I could see Conrad release a breath of relief as he waved the small gold card across the glass door.

“Today was more of a trial day, and I think you deserve a short day, all things considering. Besides, Raina is here to see you. Apparently, she brought a bag of your belongings you left at her house and wanted to check on you. I didn’t know she knew you.”

“Do you know Raina well?” I was eager to see her. She’d help me; she’d figure out a way to get me out. I’d find a way to get her to see that this wasn’t some sweet family who lived close by to her. This family was unhinged. I wasn’t about to be a part of the next true crime podcast: ‘Brown, unidentifiable girl abducted by wealthy Caucasian family and sliced like deli meat.’

“Yeah. Kind of.” Conrad shrugged, then glanced at my outfit. “I’m going to take you back to your room so you can change and then go see her.”

“Okay.” Pushing the cart through the narrow hallway, Conrad abruptly stopped in front of me.

“Let me.” He grabbed the handle and began to push the cart for me.

Why did he have to be the son of psychopaths?

The halls all blended together, and if I didn’t have Conrad to guide me, I would never have known which way I was going. This wasn’t a house; this was a monstrous estate that was monochromatic and sterile. There was no end and no beginning. It was the perfect trap. And I was the perfect victim.

The temperature shifted as soon as we left the Ossis wing— warmer in the rest of the house and not biting cold like it was down there.

A shiver ran up my spine as we got to the hallway with what I knew was my bedroom.

Key word: was.

I never even slept in it. I blacked out on my first night here, and now the day was already winding down. “Just wave your card over the door, and it’ll open. Sometimes your card won’t work and you’ll have to be collected. I’ll wait for you out here.” Conrad left the cart in the middle of the hallway and had one leg pressed against the wall, watching me as I tugged out the small gold card and waved it over the door.

As soon as it opened, I slid in and waited for it to automatically shut. Spinning it around the room, I felt sadness knowing I had assumed this was some ticket out of my own personal hell and series of bad luck. Instead, my life was spiraling downhill like an avalanche.

Opening the small closet, I found a few new outfits had been neatly hung. Two were identical to the dress I was already wearing, along with a white blouse and slacks.

“Wow, so much variety.” I rolled my eyes and tugged out the slacks and blouse. Peeling off the sheath dress, I threw it on the bed and quickly dressed. Running into the bathroom, I pulled the itchy, tight bun out and let my wild curls hang over my shoulders.

I couldn’t wait to get out of this place; I didn’t even need to pack anything. The best thing about not having anything to my name was that I never got attached to any place. I never had a real home… I didn’t even know what that felt like.

The greatest part of never having anything is never losing it, either.

As soon as I walked through the door, Conrad pushed off from the wall and let his eyes do a very obvious once over.

“I like your hair down.” He gave me a lopsided grin, but I didn’t laugh, I didn’t smile. I was ready to get out of here. What I had seen in the past two days had my mind spinning. A girl in a ‘cage?’ A murder I know without a doubt happened in the peony garden. And magically, no one was saying a thing about it. No one cared. This was their normal.

I followed Conrad through the hallways and counted seconds until we reached the main room I had initially met Dr. and Mrs. Ivory in.

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