Page 157 of The Casualty of Us
“Oliver, please remember there are cameras in this school, and I will not tamper with evidence for you.”
I scrunch my nose at the shouts before something feathers over my brow and a soft rasp fills my ear. “Freckles.” The air from his breath tickles over my skin and makes me sigh before he adds, “You’re scaring me, baby. Please, I need you to open those pretty eyes now.”
His voice is all low and gravelly and makes me scowl because I don’t like him upset—
“Ow.” I crack my eyes at the twinge of pain in my cheek, dropping the scowl to try and stop it, but a sting from the back of my head quickly takes its place. “Oww.”
The featherlight touch on my face lifts, making me repeat the whole process over again as a pair of hazel eyes fill my vision and immediately demand, “You’re okay?”
I blink at the harsh light coming from behind his head, focusing enough to see the tension lining his face before taking stock of myself. Finding that besides the cheek and head giving me some trouble, nothing else seems to be amiss except some throbbing in my wrist. I’m even still in my devil costume which, by the looks of things, is kind of awkward considering that—
“Ophelia.”
I blink again at the bite in his voice before giving a little nod. “Yeah, I think so—”
Barely managing to get that out before he disappears.
He immediately turns and heads past where Sutton is standing at the bottom of the cot I’m lying on. Not stopping as he pushes past where the security guard is standing in front of Ollie at the door. Fully charging to where two others are leading an already bruised-looking Thomas down the hall and proceeding to pin him to the wall by his throat.
Holy shit.
“If I ever see you again, I will not stop.” The other two security guards rapidly change tactics, grabbing his arms, but he holds on for long enough to get out, “I’ll fucking love itactually.” A choked sound leaves Thomas, and they pull Hayes away, pushing him back toward our room as he roars, “And I’ll be looking!” Making me blink yet again a little stupidly at the crazy he’s been hiding in there. “Real fucking close, Thomas! I can’t wait to see you again!”
Sutton brings a hand to her head with a long sigh, walking to the door as the security guards finally push him back in and closing it quickly. Ollie makes his way over to my side and grabs my hand as she does, fingers shaking when they wind through mine. “You’re okay?”
“Yeah, yeah.” I clear my throat and use my hold on him to sit up a bit, trying to get my bearings as Hayes leans his back up against the door. I take stock of the nurse’s room I seem to be in before turning back to see him crossing his arms and looking worse than he has since last semester. No little lights in his hazel eyes right now, making me wonder— “Where’s Bethany?”
“Miss Hastings will make a full recovery as well,” Sutton informs me quickly. “She woke up about an hour ago and told me her recollection of the night’s events.” She gives me a small smile that contradicts the clear concern in her eyes before pressing. “I’ve just been waiting to hear your version before making my final recommendation to the board.”
“Recommendation?” I stare at her as the words sink in before stating, “He’s a fucking rapist. There’s a recommendation for them.”
Ollie’s hand clenches around mine at the same time as Hayes steps away from the door again and Sutton calls out, “Freeze! Both of you!” Her face is full of admonishment as she turns back to me with a sigh. “Please, Ophelia, walk me through what happened if you can.”
I open my mouth to do just that but pause, my mind immediately going through the list of definitely not allowed things happening out there.
“Ophelia, I am aware that students use the Ruins as a recreation area from time to time,” Sutton adds when I continue to just lie there. “And I am not looking to punish anyone tonight that doesn’t deserve it, okay?”
“Okay.” I give her a nod, squeezing Ollie’s hand and still starting the story when I stepped outside just to be safe. “I had to pee, so I went outside to find somewhere to do my business.” Ollie gives a soft snort at that, and I roll my eyes, quickly stilling again when they land on Hayes. Noting the full-on brood he’s settling into before looking back to Sutton with the rest. “I was almost to the treeline when I noticed someone moving around, so I called out.”
“Of course she did,” Hayes mutters darkly, and I shoot him a glare as Ollie whispers back, “Later.”
Clueing me in that apparently the two of them aren’t too happy with me either.
“I didn’t know it was Thomas at first, but he called back that they were fine, that she was just sick, but—” I suck in a breath, trying to stop the way my stomach is starting to roll all over the place before admitting. “I had a bad feeling.” Keeping my eyes on Sutton’s to make sure she understands. “It just didn’t feel right, so I went over there.”
“What happened then?”
“I realized it was Thomas and Bethany pretty quick and that she wasn’t really conscious.” I swallow the sick feeling down that the memories are sparking and try to keep it simple. “I told him to give her to me if she was sick. He called me a bitch and told me to go away, and things went bad from there.” Ollie’s hand clenches around mine so tight it almost hurts, and I give him a quick squeeze back while hurrying out. “So I started screaming trying to get someone’s attention, and eventually Lisette found us.”
Her eyes narrow, running over my face. “And your injuries?”
I pause, knowing that my next words might just tip the other two people in the room over the edge before eventually telling her for Bethany’s sake more than anyone. “I tried to grab her, so he grabbed my wrist.” The admission brings the throbbing there to the forefront of my mind. “We were fighting over her when he jerked around and elbowed me in the face. He let go of us both after that, and I hit my head when we fell.”
I see the disappointment flicker across her face before she presses once more. “That’s it?”
Ollie scoffs angrily. “What do you mean, that’s it?!”
But I understand, pushing back and questioning, “What did Bethany say?”
