Chapter 47 CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Scarlett’s POV
She rushed inside as Stan stood up, his muscles tensing. "Quick, get in!" she told me.
She flipped the latch open. I looked down and saw a vertical ladder leading into a dark, cramped space. It made my breath hitch with fear, but the bottom didn't look too far down. I figured even if I fell, I’d survive.
I climbed down as quickly as my stitches would allow. The second my feet hit the floor, the latch closed over my head, plunging me into near-total darkness. Thank goodness I wasn't claustrophobic. The room was tiny with just a chair and a small wooden table. I sat down, my hands shaking as the adrenaline surged.
Minutes passed. Then, I heard the muffled sound of shouting and loud bangs from the floor above. My anxiety skyrocketed. I wanted to climb back up and check on Stan and the nurse, but I forced myself to stay put. I wasn't going to be one of those foolish people in movies who leaves their hiding spot to "help" and ends up being a liability.
After a few more bangs and the sound of heavy footsteps, everything went silent.
A moment later, the latch opened. I ran to the ladder and looked up, expecting to see Stan. Instead, it was the nurse. Her eyes were red and teary. She held out a hand, stopping me from climbing up.
"Don't come up yet," she whispered, her voice trembling. "They took Stan. It isn't safe yet."
I felt a sob rise in my throat, but I bit it back. "Is he... is he okay?"
"I don't know. Just stay down."
She shut the latch again. I went back to the chair and waited. The minutes felt like hours. I felt sick knowing that Stan was likely getting hurt because he was trying to keep me hidden.
Eventually, I heard footsteps again. My heart jumped. These weren't the nurse’s light steps; these were heavy, slow and deliberate.
I was stricken with fear, but I reached into my bag and pulled out the green-hilted dagger Blue had given me. I wouldn't go down without a fight. I climbed the ladder silently, holding my breath, and waited at the very top.
The moment the latch opened, I thrust my arm upward with a shout, aiming the blade at the intruder.
A hand snatched my wrist with lightning speed, pinning it in place.
"Trying to kill me, Red?"
I looked up, and the breath left my body. It was Blue. His beautiful grey eyes were pinned on me, looking tired and fierce. His face was bashed up with a dark bruise forming on his temple and a cut on his cheek, but it was him.
I felt my face crumple as the terror finally broke, and I dissolved into tears of pure relief.
Blue gripped my wrist firmly, pulling me upward with a strength that made my heart flutter. As soon as my feet hit the solid floor of the examination room, the adrenaline finally bled through. Without thinking about it, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face in his chest.
Blue stiffened instantly. His body was like a statue, arms hanging uselessly at his sides as if he didn't quite know what to do with the sudden contact. He smelled like expensive cologne and slightly of the metallic scent of blood.
Someone coughed in the background. I’d almost forgotten that other people were there.
"Leave," Blue said, his voice dropping into that low, command-style tone. Does he ever say ‘please’?
I heard the soft shuffling of footsteps and the click of the door closing. We were alone. Slowly, I felt the tension bleed out of him. He relaxed against me, leaning his forehead against the top of my head. He didn't wrap his arms around me back, but that was fine. For Blue, this was enough. As long as he was alright, nothing else mattered.
I finally pulled away, feeling my cheeks heat up. I gave him a small, awkward smile, but the smile died when I saw his face up close. He looked like he’d been through a war. His lip was split, and a dark, ugly bruise was blooming across his temple.
"Were you scared?" he asked. His grey eyes were pinned on mine, intense and searching.
"Very," I admitted, my voice trembling.
"You did well, Red," he said, his gaze drifting to the dagger I was still clutching. "Thinking to use the dagger I gave you. You’ve got a bit of a sting in you."
I felt myself flush, preening under the rare praise. It felt good to know I hadn't just cowered in a corner. I tucked the knife back into my bag and took a calming breath. "Has he... has your father left?"
Blue’s jaw clenched, the muscles working under his skin. He nodded once. "He’s gone. For now." He paused, his expression darkening further. "But he left my cousin behind."
I blinked, confused. "You have a cousin?"
"Derek," Blue said. "He’s my father's sister's son. He arrived a little while ago, probably because my father summoned him."
"Why would your father leave him here?" I asked. "Can he even do that? I thought the government was the one that sentenced people to Bellamy."
Blue let out a short, humorless breath. "The government sees what my father wants them to see. Derek isn't here as a student. He’s here for another reason." He looked at me for a moment, then shook his head. "So many questions. Come on, let’s get you fed. I’ll see which ones I can answer."
Blue was a man made of secrets, layers and layers of them that I was only just beginning to peel back. But even with the danger lurking around every corner, I felt safe when I was near him. Still, the curiosity was burning inside me. What was the real story? What had happened to his mother? Why was his father so obsessed with controlling him?
He led me out of the examination room into the main area of the infirmary. I stopped short when I saw Stan. He was leaning against the wall, looking just as battered as Blue—maybe worse. His shirt was torn, and his face was a map of fresh bruises. My heart sank. Blue’s father clearly wasn't happy about not seeing me, and he’d taken that frustration out on the two of them.
Blue didn't offer any sympathy, he just looked at the nurse. "Check her stitches. Tell me when they can come out."
The nurse gestured to the cot. "Lie down, Scarlett."
Stan pushed off the wall, his movements stiff. "I'll wait outside," he muttered, heading for the hall. The nurse watched him go with an unhappy frown. She clearly didn't trust Blue to stay chill while she worked on me.
I lay down on the bed and gingerly raised the hem of my top. The incision site was tender, a thin line of black thread holding my skin together. The nurse moved efficiently, cleaning the area with a cold antiseptic that made me hiss. She checked for any signs of infection, her touch surprisingly gentle despite her obvious stress.
"The stitches need to stay in for five more days," she said, applying a fresh, clean bandage over the wound. "Don't go doing anything crazy. No more jumping down trapdoors."
"I'll try," I whispered.
Blue helped me sit up, his hand steady on my back. He walked to the door and opened it for me, letting me step out first. I took one step into the hallway and froze.
A guy was standing there, leaning against the opposite wall. He was dressed in expensive casual clothes that looked entirely out of place in a reform school. He looked up as we emerged, a slow smirk spreading across his face. He looked like he had been waiting exactly for us.