Page 56 of The Favorite Girl

“What is it?” Conrad asked without emotion. Bradley lifted me from the ground and held me in his arms as my body convulsed and my voice grew hoarse from the shrieks I couldn’t stop.

“Demi, it’s okay… Just breathe,” he whispered against my hair, brushing my back.

I couldn’t breathe, my ears were ringing from the echoes of my own voice, and my heart was pounding so hard I thought it’d crush through my chest walls.

“I… It was… Brad… I…” I fumbled through my words that made no sense.

“Oh, babe… it’s just this. This is what made the wine you just consumed so very sweet.” Conrad stood and held up a finger. A crushed, stabbed finger.

My head felt fuzzy, and suddenly, everything went black.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

I didn’t want to open my eyes. I wanted to force myself to believe that I was dead. That I didn’t exist in this demented world. Should I flip over into the pillow and suffocate myself? Could a human even do that? I could slit my wrists with my razor… but this house was the equivalent to a padded room.

“Demi,” a soft voice caressed into the depths of my darkest thoughts. The dark thoughts felt more comforting than my reality.

“Demi…” he repeated. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw his face.

Bradley.

“Hey.” He sighed and sunk into the small sliver of space between me and the edge of the bed.

I didn’t know why looking at Bradley made me want to cry. Maybe it was because I couldn’t believe this man was forced to work for the family who was abusing his sister. Or the fact that he was able to stay composed and loved her enough that he willingly spends his life trapped in hell just to see her.

“You have to clean Dr. Ivory’s office today. He’s losing his mind with how dirty it’s been and has wanted to find someone to replace you, but they can’t find?—”

“Someone as stupid as me?”

“Come on, Demi.” Bradley stood and pointed to the outfit he must have laid out for me.

“Conrad… he had a finger…” I began and felt my mouth grow dry at the thought.

“They’re proceeding with the wedding ceremony, and Daisy is getting married tonight. We have to clean Dr. Ivory’s office, and then set up the viewing room.” Bradley turned away as I forced myself out of bed.

“Bradley, look at me,” I whispered.

“Change your clothes and meet me in the hall. It’s going to be a long day.” The door slid open and he left.

But just as the door began to close, I could hear Bradley sniffle, biting back his tears.

Standing in Ian Ivory’s office felt equivalent to standing in a morgue. It was cold and the air circulating was that of death. I hadn’t been in it in a while, yet it looked spotless.

“They have a team of cleaning staff. You’re not even the maid, Demi; they just wanted to test you…”

“What?” I looked at Bradley, who hadn’t said anything on our walk over to the Ossis wing.

He shrugged as he wiped down the desk. “Just a way to get you into their house without throwing you into the back of a van. And you fell for it,” he said spitefully. But I knew he wasn’t trying to be hurtful. Hurt people, hurt people, and that’s all he was doing. He was displacing his heartache on me.

And I was going to let him.

“Why do we have to clean, then?”

“Because they love watching you…” His eyes shot to the camera in the corner of the room.

Grabbing a dusting cloth, I walked over behind Dr. Ivory’s desk. It was the most elaborate and intricately designed wall I had ever seen. I began wiping the textured, white pieces slowly. Growing closer, I ran my fingers across the grooves. I knew it was a wall of bones. I think I had known all along but forced to not believe it.

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