Page 41 of Until the Ribbon Breaks

“Are you okay?”

She doesn’t acknowledge me, and I don’t push. It has to be hell to be injected with the thing you fear most. I’m actually surprised she holds herself together as well as she does.

I kick off my shoes before placing them against the wall in the order in which she approves. After sharing a room with Max for the past month, I’ve gotten used to her OCD and have learned that it isn’t worth it to dismiss her rules. The chick may be the size of a toothpick, but her temper is downright crazy.

Once Shanice unlocks my closet and hands me my pajamas, I change, slip into bed, and wait for the nightly head count before the lights are shut off.

As I stare at the ceiling, I think about what everyone beyond these walls is doing. Sebastian mentioned summer, but I’ve yet to see a minute of it. Noah and I had talked about spending some of our days in Seattle, catching a concert, and possibly taking a day to hike at Rainier. Not that I like to hike, but he seemed excited about it, so I agreed to go.

I wonder how many times he’s tried calling or if he’s shown up at my house. I wouldn’t put it past my mother to have actually told him where I am. My eyes close at the embarrassment of it all.

She wants to fix me so badly, but all she’s doing is breaking me more. I finally made a friend, but no doubt, once I return, he’ll view me as the plague—just like they all do. God only knows what the lies will be this time.

No, this time will be different because it won’t be lies. There won’t be any need for them because they’ll have Sebastian telling them the truth.

I’m not even sure it matters since I’m never getting out of here. There’s no way I’m opening up in group with him sitting there, which means I’m stuck.

The beam from a flashlight spears into the room and shines in my eyes. Squinting, I look over to the door to see Rosie. Night staff is the worst, and she’s the worst of the worst.

“Check,” she says as if I need to be reminded of the fifteen-minute safety checks, and then she moves along to the next room.

“You should tell your father,” Max says quietly.

I lift onto my elbows. “What?”

“He should know what your mom is doing behind his back.”

I drop back down. “I doubt he’d believe me. No one ever does.”

HARLOW

“So, how was everyone’s weekend?” Dr. Benson asks once we’re situated in our seats.

Group therapy, I loathe it, but today, with Sebastian sitting across the circle from me, I’m extra tense.

“I see we have a new face.” Dr. Benson looks down at the files on his lap and pulls one out of the stack. “Sebastian West, welcome to the group. How are you settling in?”

“Fine, I guess.”

“I know it can be a difficult transition for some, perhaps a little scary, but I assure you that we don’t bite.”

“Okay,” he responds wearily.

“Okay then, why don’t we start by you introducing yourself.”

Sebastian is slumped in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest and a smug look on his face as if this is a joke. Unfortunately, for all of us, this is very real.

“Umm, I’m Sebastian. I’m seventeen, and I live in Edmonds.”

The group gives a collective, “Hi, Sebastian.”

“What do you like to do for fun?”

He shrugs. “Typical things ... hang out with my friends, play lacrosse, go to parties.”

“Do you party a lot?”

“I guess.”

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