Chapter 46 CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Scarlett’s POV
That Saturday morning, I had one goal which was to stay indoors. I didn’t want to see whatever storm Mr. Linden was bringing through the gates. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching Rachael move around our small room. She was doing some light cleaning on her side, humming a tune I didn't recognize.
"I’m heading down to do some laundry," Rachael said, tossing a towel into a plastic basket. "Is there anything you want me to throw in?"
I thought about it for a second. "Yes, just these three shirts, please." I pulled them from the small stash in my locker and handed them over.
"Got it. Stay put, okay? You look a little pale."
"I will," I promised.
Rachael left, and the room went quiet. I lay back down, the springs of the mattress groaning under me. My surgery site was flaring up with a dull, throbbing heat that made it hard to get comfortable. I reached for the pain pills on the nightstand and swallowed two, waiting for the drug to settle the fire in my side.
To distract myself, I picked up a textbook I’d borrowed from the library. It was about psychology, specifically focusing on attachment styles. It was a fascinating concept—the idea that how we were loved as kids dictated how we sought love as adults. I was about a third of the way through a chapter on 'Avoidant Attachment' when a knock sounded on the door.
I checked the time. 8:10 am.
My heart did a nervous little skip. Who could be here this early? It definitely wasn't Rachael because she wouldn't knock. I stood up, adjusting my sweater to make sure I looked presentable.
"Who is it?" I called out.
"It’s Stan," a deep voice rumbled from the other side.
I walked over and pulled the door open. Stan’s broad frame seemed to cover the entire doorway, blocking out the light from the hall. He looked restless, his eyes darting toward the end of the corridor.
"Hi, Stan. Do you need something?"
"You need to come with me. Now," he said. There was an air of urgency in his voice that made my stomach knot.
"Why? What’s happening?"
"I’ll explain on the way. Just move, Scarlett."
I didn't argue. I grabbed a small bag with my essentials, stepped into the hall, and closed the door firmly behind me. As we hurried down the hallway, I struggled to keep up with his long strides.
"So...?" I prompted.
"I made a deal with Blue," Stan explained, not looking back. "I’m taking you somewhere safe. In return, he’s doing something for me."
I felt a surge of panic. "Somewhere safe? Why do I need to be somewhere safe? Am I in danger?"
Stan stopped for a split second, looking at me with a solemn expression. "A lot of danger, Scarlett. You don't really know what you signed up for by getting involved with a guy like Blue. But for now, I have a plan. Just trust me."
He led me toward the infirmary. I decided to stop asking questions and just focus on moving my feet. When we reached it, he pushed open the door. The nurse—the one I remembered from my last unfortunate visit after the surgery—was standing by a cabinet.
When she saw me, her smile froze. She looked behind me toward the door, her eyes wide as if she expected Blue to materialize out of thin air with a gun.
"Stan, why are you here?" she asked, her voice hushed.
"This is the person I told you about," Stan said, gesturing to me.
The nurse let out a long, weary sigh. She looked at me and shook her head. "You again. It seems like you are always in one kind of trouble or another, aren't you?"
"I'm trying not to be," I whispered.
"Come with me." She led us toward a small examination room in the back. Once we were inside, she knelt down and lifted a corner of the heavy rug. To my complete surprise, there was a wooden latch hidden in the floorboards. "The management has probably forgotten this underground space even exists, but it’s going to come in handy now. It’s a bit stuffy down there, so you can stay in this room for now. If you hear anything, you go under. Understood?"
I felt a wave of gratitude so strong I almost felt lightheaded. I sat on a small stool in the corner of the room while Stan stood guard by the door.
"Thank you," I said to him. "I know you're doing this as a trade with Blue, but I’m still grateful. You didn't have to help me."
Stan nodded in acknowledgment, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe.
"Can Blue’s father really kill someone?" I asked, the words feeling heavy in my mouth. "He can't possibly do that here, can he? Who is he, really? Blue hasn't told me much."
Stan looked at me, his face unreadable. "If Blue hasn't told you, I won't be the one to spill it. To be honest, I don't know the full story myself. Only his inner circle knows the truth. Wait for him to tell you. It’s better that way."
I realized he was right. I looked around the cramped, sterile room, trying to keep my mind busy. "How do you know the nurse?"
"She and my elder brother went to the same university," Stan said. "They’re old friends. My brother is a doctor and he’s the reason I was sent here instead of jail. He pulled some strings."
I wanted to ask what he’d done to get sent to Bellamy in the first place, but I’d learned the unspoken rule of this place: you don't ask people about their past unless they offer it.
"That’s cool," I said instead. "What about your parents?"
"Dead," he said blankly.
I blinked, caught off guard by his bluntness. It made me think of my own mother—my sweet, quiet mother. I realized with a pang of sadness that I couldn't remember her face as clearly as I used to, but I still felt the ghost of her love. She had fought so hard to keep me with her when she and my father separated. It felt so unfair that she had died, leaving me with a heart that wouldn't stop aching and a stepfather who only knew how to be cruel.
"I'm sorry," I said softly.
"Don't be," Stan replied.
We sat in silence for a while, occasionally talking about small things. I found that I actually liked Stan. He looked like a mountain of a man who could crush anyone in his path, but deep down, he had a soft heart.
Suddenly, the nurse poked her head in, her face pale. "They’re coming," she hissed. "Someone must have spotted you two coming in here."