𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 [𝟏𝟖+] ✔

61

A door slams, followed by uncontrollable coughing and Justin telling someone to stop bleeding all over him.

Ewan.

All of my hairs rise, a sinking feeling, like a heavy weight in my chest, an overwhelming sense of dread that makes me feel nauseous.

"Ahh, perfect timing," Toby says with a smile before raising a brow, regarding me as I press my palms to my bump protectively. "I trust you aren't dumb enough to try anything."

I stay silent, trying to hold myself together as he leaves the room.

Faint voices can be heard, but Gabs muttering makes them impossible to make out. "We're going to get out of here, I'll make sure of it," she says as I slide down to the floor, my back to the wall, legs bent as I clasp my hands over my shins. "There must be a way out."

"He said that they want to cut the babies out of me."

I don't look at her, but I can see in my peripheral vision that she's nodding in disgust, her chin trembling as tears fall down her cheeks. "She told me." Her head tilts to Violetta in the cage next to her. "Disgusting."

Narrowing my eyes at his mum, I try not to jump up and slap her through the bars. "You knew?"

I scowl at her as Justin and Toby round the corner to the corridor, my heart dropping as I see Ewan slouching in between them with blood streaking his face, one eye swollen shut, top ripped with obvious deep slash marks down his chest. They pull him along the floor by his elbows, his feet hauling behind him.

His left eye widens as he lifts his head. "Aria!" he cries out as soon as his bloody gaze falls on me, Toby's grip on his arm stops him from lunging forward, his voice panicked. "Are you okay?"

"She's fine," Toby answers with a huff as they get to the middle of the room, dropping him in front of me. "Get this over with already."

I crawl to him, overlooking the mix of blood and water on the ground while my hands wrap around his, my eyes taking in every wound on his face and deep cuts on his chest. "Oh my God." My palm shakes as I lift it to his cheek, being careful not to touch the gaping gash on his forehead with blood pouring out of it like a red river. I snarl at Justin, looking proud of himself. "What did you do to him?"

He shrugs, glancing from Toby, to me, to Ewan. "He tried to hit me with a hammer, so I returned the favour... and more."

Ewan's body is shaking, and I can see Toby out of the corner of my eye, glowering at the two of us on the floor, my face contorting at the sight before me. Tightening my hand around his, I run my thumb over his skin.

"Aria, get the fuck away from him," Toby orders me, but I shake my head at him as we both scurry back to the wall. "I mean it... move away from him now before I make you."

Ewan grunts in pain as he moves in front of me, sitting with his back to me, his hand curled around him to hold mine, the other wrapping around my back from behind, protecting me in any way he can. "I got you," he says with a groan. "I won't let him hurt you."

Toby laughs, really laughs. "What the fuck are you going to do? Look at you." I watch him take a step towards us, and I brace myself, closing my eyes, my grip tightening on Ewan's hand and his ripped top.

"Can't you see?" Gabriella blurts out, sneering at Toby as everyone snaps their heads in her direction. Her fingers curl around the metal, eyes blazing with hatred. "That right there." She tilts her head at Ewan and I, smiling at Toby vindictively, but I can see the fear in her eyes, trying to distract him from attacking us. "That is what normal people call true love, not this obsession you have with her. You will never have Aria, you will never have happiness, and you will never be a good person." She laughs, flattening her lips to a straight line before continuing. "Never."