Page 70 of Bleed for Me

My throat was tight with anxiety. Since I started coming here, my highlights had always been seeing Alex, but now the mere thought of looking into his eyes sent a current of dread spiraling through me. I wasn’t the same person I’d been two months ago. The old me wouldn’t have even contemplated suicide. The old me wouldn’t have allowed strangers to touch her, regardless of how good it felt. The old me wouldn’t be surrounded by darkness or terrified of falling asleep. The nightmares were brutal, and they never went away.

I was looking forward to visiting with my mom, though. It had been two weeks since I’d seen her, and despite our relationship being strained, Ididwant to know how she was holding up. She didn’t only lose Daisy that night. Even if I couldn’t understand why she cared for Gentry so much, she still did.

“Fine,” I replied as we turned the corner, spilling out onto the hall that held the visitation room.

Gloria glanced at me with skepticism. “You’re sure? It’s not weak to admit you’re struggling.”

We stopped outside the door. “Isn’t it?”

Since I came here people have told me how easy of a target being weak made you. They could sense fear like snakes. I might not have been strong, but everyone didn’t need to know that. I’d fake it until I made it.

Before she could reply, I pulled the door open and stepped inside. Confusion twisted my features as I glanced around the room, my gaze skimming over the multitude of people littering the tables.

Why did Gloria bring me here if no one was here to see me?

My stomach bottomed out and humiliation settled within me. Sighing, I turned back to the door, ready to just head back to my room and be done with the day already. But the sound of my name rolling off an unfamiliar tongue had my spine straightening. Furrowing my eyebrows, I did another sweep around the room, trying to figure out who had called for me—who had come to see me.

My first thought was our neighbor, Ruby, or her daughter. But we weren’t that close to them, and after what happened at my family home, I knew they’d probably paint me as some kind of heartless criminal who had a psychotic break. Hell, maybe that was what happened. My mind was foggy surrounding the events that took place that night.

A girl seated at the table next to Seven’s caught my attention. She shot me a hesitant smile, waving her hand in the air to grab my attention.

She was beautiful. Long, silky brown hair that shone beneath the bright lighting and olive skin with dark green eyes. My eyes danced over her, snagging on the dark blue hoodie she wore withthe wordsNorthbrook Universityplastered on the front. So, we obviously went to the same college, but I’d never seen her before in my life.

Reluctantly, I crossed the room and dropped into the seat adjacent to her. It was bad enough that my neighbors probably knew where I was, but for people from my school, too…that was a lot to take in.

“You’re prettier than I expected,” she complimented, though it seemed painful for her to do so if the wince was anything to go by.

My fingers curled into my palms where they rested on my lap. “Who are you?” I asked, looking around the room again for any sign of Alex or my mom.

She sighed, the polite smile dropping from her face. “Straight to the point, then, huh?” She shifted uncomfortably, her demeanor putting me on edge. “My name is Ava Long. We went to college together.” She swallowed thickly, meeting my gaze again.

“Why are you here?”

“Look,” she began with a sigh, bracing her forearms on the table between us. “I don’t know how else to say this, so I’m just going to come right out and say it. I’m sorry if the direct approach is too much, but I did come here for a reason.”

My heart thundered against my chest cavity, knowing that whatever she was about to say, I probably wouldn’t like. It was a gut feeling. Like when you felt deep into your core that something bad was about to happen only to be proven right later on.

It wasn’t like I could just run away and choose to stay ignorant. She already had her claws in me, and I was curious.

When I didn’t say anything, she continued. “I don’t have much time. He’s on his way, but I swear I didn’t even know you existed until I followed him to your dorm.”

Oh God.

She wasn’t about to tell me what I was expecting her to say. There was no way he’d do that to me. But the fact that she knew about me, knew where I was, that was confirmation enough. Now all I needed was the confession.

She reached across the table, holding out her hand. My eyes dropped to her blue acrylic nails that were sharpened into points and against my better judgement, I slid my hand in hers. If she was about to say what I thought she was, touching her might just keep me from losing my mind. Doubtful, but maybe.

“I’ve been seeing Alex for the last year,” she admitted with an apologetic look in her eye.

It felt like the air had been knocked from my lungs. My stomach coiled with disgust, betrayal, and a raw, agonizing pain. “Like…dating?” I whispered.

She winced, her gaze dropping to the table before meeting mine again. “Just sex. He told me he didn’t date, and he was always sneaking off. So, I followed him to your room one day. All the evidence was there.”

“Just sex,” I whispered.

He wouldn’t have sex with me, but he’d do it with another girl? My fingers slipped from around hers and she didn’t protest, probably knowing better than to antagonize a psych patient.

Ava glanced at her watch and grimaced. “He’s probably almost here by now. I’m sorry. I really didn’t know, and I hate that I have to drop this on you just to leave.”

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