Chapter 25: Eve

Kasey was released from the medical wing the following day, and I was elated to have her back in the room with me. Getting to know the Rogues had been an exciting venture, if not a bit nerve-wracking, but having my closest friend here to lean on was more than I could have asked for.
“You need to catch me up on everything,” Kasey said, securing a set of fresh sheets to her bed. Her arms were still tightly bandaged, and it pained me to look too long at them. Even now, I wish I could have done something for her to prevent the incident. But letting go was still something I struggled with daily.
“It’s been interesting,” I told her, hopping up from the edge of my bed to help her with the sheets. “Getting to know the boys. Spending time with them. They’re all so surprisingly different. That wasn’t my first impression of them.”
“I’m not sure I’m convinced,” Kasey said with a laugh. “They all seem like the same arrogant, big-headed jerks they always have to me.”
“Well, yeah. I didn’t say that wasn’t still true,” I said with a giggle. Kasey collapsed down on her bed, exhausted, arms splayed at her sides as she stared quietly up at the ceiling.
“Have you met anyone else?” she asked. “Or hung out with anyone? Besides the Rogues and me, of course.”
“I’ve been getting to know that guy Max,” I told her. “The dude who introduced himself my first day. He seems sweet.”
“I know who you’re talking about.” Kasey sat up to look at me. “I don’t know much about him, but he seems like a pretty chill dude.”
“He is.”
“And how do the Rogues feel about you getting cozy with someone who isn’t them?”
“Who cares?” I said defiantly, jutting my chin. “I’m my own person, Kasey, and I can do what I want.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “No need to tell me,” she said. “I’m not the one in cahoots with Keane Hearne and his gang.”
I sighed, rubbing my fingers over my temples as a headache tugged at me. “I’m not in cahoots with anybody,” I insisted. “I am simply—playing my cards right if you will.”
“So you don’t have feelings for them?”
My hesitation was brief before answering. “Absolutely not. I don’t care who they are on the inside. They’re psychopaths. But it’s better to be on their good side while I’m here, right?”
“Right.” Kasey sighed, swinging her legs over the bed. “I’m hungry. Wanna walk to the cafeteria for lunch?”
“Sure.”
Hoping we wouldn’t run into the Rogues, I walked with Kasey to the cafeteria, where lunch was just being served. I half expected to see one or all of the guys already down there, torturing the poor people in the room, but to my great relief, they weren’t anywhere to be found. While I didn’t mind being with them all separately, it was far more intimidating to deal with them while they were all together. Especially if one or all of them decided they were having a shitty day.
“Hey, Eve!” someone shouted from across the room, and a moment later, Max appeared, carrying a tray of questionable-looking lasagna and bread. He grinned at me and then at Kasey. “Mind if I sit with you?”
“Of course not.” I took a bite of my apple and chewed slowly, glancing around once more for any of the Rogues. If they decided to show up at that point and found me with Max, hell might just break loose.
But I didn’t care, right?
Or maybe I did.
“Kasey, right?” Max said, offering his hand to my friend. “I heard about your, erm, accident. Glad to see you’re doing better.”
“Thanks,” Kasey said with a grin, as though they were talking about the weather. “I’m feeling much better now. Carter adjusted my meds, and I think it’s helping.”
“Gotta love those pills, right?” laughed Max, and I rolled my eyes. I had no idea what kind of concoction I was even taking and for what, but I didn’t care enough to ask. Apparently, we were all on some sort of medication. I wasn’t surprised, though. Even at home, my primary care doctor had me on antidepressants. They were probably the same ones.
“Speaking of pills,” Kasey said, finishing off her garlic bread as she got to her feet. “I have a session with Carter in fifteen minutes. Can I leave you two alone?” She raised her eyebrows at me and winked; I returned it with a scowl.
“We’ll be fine, I think,” said Max, a shy dimple appearing on his right cheek when he smiled. He was very boy-next-door-ish, probably the exact kind of guy I should have been getting to know. Besides, the Rogues weren’t around, so my stress levels were currently pretty low.
“Have fun,” I told Kasey. “Don’t flirt too hard with Carter.”
“Ha-ha.” She winked at me and walked away, leaving Max and me to finish up our lunch at an otherwise empty table.
“What are your plans today?” he asked, shoveling lasagna into his mouth. I shrugged and took a sip of water, checking the cafeteria once more for the Rogues.
“Nothing at all. Why?”
“Want to hang out? I need a walk and some fresh air.”
“That sounds excellent,” I said, and I meant it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to sit around in one place for too long like a sitting duck. So, once Max had finished his meal, we got up and went outside together. It was a nice day, a rarity on this island, and I had to shrug off my jacket as the sun teased us, peeking in and out of the clouds like a playful child. Many others were out as well, enjoying the sunny bliss, and Max and I walked together toward the forest, veering onto a wooded path different from the one I usually took to get to the cemetery.
“I come out here to think,” he said as we walked, separating ourselves from the other students in no time at all. I didn’t mind. I loved exploring this little island. Getting out of the academy was mandatory unless you wanted to feel like a legitimate prisoner with nowhere else to go.
“It’s peaceful,” I agreed, swatting a branch out of my way before lifting my face to the sky. The trees were starting to hide the sun, but the warmth pushed through, caressing the goosebumps on my arms.
“Have you been up here before?” Max asked as we continued to climb. The trail began to get steeper and more narrow, as if we were heading up a mountain instead of down toward the dock.
“Not this way, no.”
Max nodded and continued on, so I followed him, trying to pretend like I wasn’t running out of breath as we finally, after twenty minutes or so, reached the top of what I realized was a bluff overlooking the water.
“Holy shit,” I said, coming to a stop a few feet from the edge of the cliff, looking over at the rolling waves that crashed against the jagged rocks below. “This is absolutely stunning.”
“Told you,” said Max with a grin, sidling up beside me. “The view is magnificent, isn’t it?”
For a moment, we simply stared, taking it all in, basking in the scenery and the view. The ocean went on for miles, and fog floated on top of the water in a hauntingly beautiful way. I looked down at the drop, feeling dizzy at the thought of losing my balance and falling to an unforgiving death. I took a step back, and Max laughed.
“Scary, huh?”
“A little bit.”
“Not a fan of heights?”
“Heights are fine,” I assured him. “Falling is the problem.”
“Fair enough,” Max said with another laugh, stepping up to the edge to look down. I admired his brass balls, but I wasn’t about to take my chances as I turned and headed for a large boulder to sit upon, watching the view from a safe distance. A moment later, Max joined me. I scooted to the side so he could sit on the rock with me, and for a beautiful, quiet moment, we just enjoyed each other’s company.
“Thanks for this,” I said. “It’s nice getting to know more people than just the Rogues. I have Kasey, but the more friends, the better.”
“I agree,” said Max. When I shivered, he scooted closer to me, his arm rubbing mine. I pretended not to notice. “We try to look out for each other here,” he continued. “It’s good to have people on your side. Otherwise, Blackwood can be, well, not so friendly. Or safe.”
“It hasn’t been terrible,” I admitted. “Aside from the guys, I guess. They really put me through the wringer in the beginning.”
Max scoffed, shaking his head as he looked down at his hands. “Yeah, they tend to do that to the people they claim,” he said, the bitterness in his tone was clear. I wasn’t sure what to say to this because I really wasn’t in the mood to defend them, so I said nothing at all, hoping we could drop the subject.
“Sorry,” he said after a few moments of silence. “I’m just not a big fan of Keane and his cronies.”
“That’s fine,” I told him. “I don’t think you’re the only one, honestly.”
Max scoffed. I could feel the anger radiating from his body as he scooted closer to me. “Are you cold?”
“I’m not bad,” I lied, although the sun was now hiding behind the clouds, and I’d been considering putting my jacket back on. Despite my answer, Max scooted even closer, his body pressed against mine. He smiled innocently as one hand reached out and rested on my leg.
“Want my jacket?”
“No, thanks. I have mine.”
He didn’t take the hint. Instead of backing off, Max leaned into me, his fingers caressing the top of my thigh as his face came towards mine. He wanted to kiss me, and I recoiled immediately, heat rushing to my neck and cheeks.
“Max,” I pleaded, gently pushing him away. “Don’t. I—I’m not ready.”
He sighed and leaned back, looking for a moment like he might just listen to me and back off.
“You don’t want them,” he whispered, one hand still lingering between my thighs. “So let me have you. Let me claim you.”
“Claim me?” I whispered, appalled. “I’m nobody’s to claim, Max, and I’m tired of hearing that.” I started to shove his hand away, caught off guard when he resisted. I tried again, fear bubbling in my chest as Max’s hold on me tightened. “I’m ready to go,” I said forcefully, scooting down from the boulder, but suddenly the air around us shifted, and Max’s hold on me only tightened. He followed me off the boulder, one hand still attached to me, and I bit back a squeal of terror as he shoved me down onto the rocky, hard ground. He was no longer smiling; he was snarling like a rabid animal ready to tear into me.
“I’m tired of always getting their sloppy seconds,” he whispered in my ear, one hand over my mouth as he straddled me, pinning my back against the jagged rocks. I struggled, kicking my feet, but it was useless. He had a good forty pounds on me, and a sob escaped my throat as he pinned my wrists above my head with one hand, using the other to unbutton the pants on my jeans. “Don’t struggle,” he murmured, pressing a knee into my stomach. “The more you struggle, the more it will hurt.”
I opened my mouth, and I screamed.