Page 102 of Bleed for Me

Swallowing back my fear, I dropped my bag on the floor and kneeled before unzipping it. My fingers trembled as I reached inside, sifting through the assortment of clothing I’d been gifted.

I tugged out a black shirt, roaming my gaze over it with indecision. It was a little lowcut for my taste, but it was no more provocative than some of the things I’d been wearing. Plus, I’d be wearing a lot less than that soon, anyway.

The girls fell into chatter around me, helping to put me somewhat at ease. It was easy to focus on the task at hand when I didn’t think they were paying me any mind. I reached into the bag again, feeling around until I found a pair of black leggings.

Joy swelled in my chest. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d worn anything other than a skirt.

Once all my clothes were gathered, including a flimsy black bikini, I swapped my clothes for them as quickly as possible. Just as I was tugging my shirt down, Angelina gasped, startling me in the process.

“What happened?” she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

I froze, jerking the hem of my shirt down to cover the stab wound she caught a glimpse of.

Kim rolled her eyes. “Wow Ang, real subtle.”

Angelina frowned, but didn’t press it anymore, which gave me a way out, and I’d be stupid not to take it. Zipping the bag back up, I lifted it from the floor while rising and sloppily tossed it onto the top bunk.

I didn’t bother waiting for the others, slipping my shoes back on and making a beeline through the door. As soon as I entered the hallway, a weight lifted from my shoulders. Twogirls were seated on the couch, giggling and talking amongst each other when I made my presence known. There was another girl, leaning against the breakfast bar as she snacked on what appeared to be a container of grapes.

It didn’t take much longer for the other girls to join us. The noise in the room only amplified with each patient who entered. Once we were all finished, Tawnie and Kim led the way outside, followed by Angelina and a bunch of other people I didn’t know. Unsurprisingly, Valentine was already outside, flanked by all of the boys.

My gaze immediately pinged to Archer, but I averted my attention as soon as we locked eyes. Getting involved with him was the stupidest thing I could have done.

Valentine removed the clipboard from under his arm and started reading off names, checking to see that we were all present. Once he was finished, he went over a list of rules we needed to abide by.

Stay close, don’t wander off alone, if we need to pee, to tell him—as if that wasn’t humiliating or anything. He said a lot more, but my head was reeling and the voices were whispering at the edge of my subconscious.

“—We’re going to do quite a bit of walking today,” he continued. “There’s a hydration station at our destination, so I hope you all took the time to use the restroom, eat, and that you drank something beforehand.”

Exasperated murmurs and shouts of protest erupted around me.

Pastor Valentine’s lips twitched slightly, as if he was enjoying this. He was confusing, intriguing, and didn’t fit the stereotypical preacher. I wanted to peel back the layers of his mind—to know his every thought. What kept him up at night? Why did he decide to become a pastor in the first place? What were his darkest fantasies?

“Once we return, I expect you all to get showered, dressed, and meet me outside again,” he explained, raking his eyes over the clipboard again while simultaneously ignoring more complaints strewn his way.

After he said his piece, he started off toward the woods, leaving us to follow behind him. I couldn’t help but notice how some of the girls automatically migrated toward the guys. I suppose it made sense. We weren’t allowed to see them otherwise, and?—

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Tyler of all people slid up beside me.

“Hey.” He shot me a small smile.

My fingers curled into my palms as nervous energy prickled along my skin. “Hi,” I replied lamely.

He blew out a breath, keeping his eyes forward. His dark brown hair was scattered across his forehead, and he was a good couple of inches taller than me. He was attractive, and probably evensafe—as safe as you could get in a place like the psychiatric institute, anyway.

Twigs and leaves crunched beneath our shoes as we walked through the trees.

“You’re not angry with me, are you?” he finally asked after a few long moments.

My eyebrows dipped in confusion, and I turned to take him in again. “Why would you think I was mad at you?”

He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “You’ve just been…distant.”

“Yeah, but not because ofyou,” I admitted.

He fell silent again as he processed that. Nothing but trees surrounded us, followed by the assortment of bodies flanking us from all around, with Valentine leading the way up front.

“Is it because of what Shay said?”

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