Gone Girl

Chapter 53

"Yeah?" Dominic mutters and I'm so relieved to hear his voice after a month.

I stay on the line in silence for a few seconds, confused about what I should tell him and Irène rolls her eyes, impatiently.

"Ronnie-" he mutters and I'm shocked he knows it's me. How?

"Yes, it's me," I say and I hear him laugh shortly.

"You always cause me a heart attack. What happened to you?!" he exclaims and I smile.

"Long story but I need a favor."

"Of course, when does Veronica Reeves not need a favor?" he teases me and I laugh while Irène is giving me the death stare.

Lighten up, Iri. Or should I name her Rèn? It sounds like a dog name.

"Ronny?" Dominic repeats when I'm lost in my thoughts.

"I need to see Derek. I know he probably hates me but-"

"Veronica, I hope you aren't serious right now," he says and I frown confused and Irène mimics me.

"You have no idea how horrible he is doing without you, and how worried he was when you almost died!" He raises his tone and I get so surprised. Derek still cares about me.

"He will be so happy to hear about this," he finishes and I smile.

"The thing is that- that I can't leave this place and I can meet him only for a few minutes."

"What? What place?" Dominic asks worriedly.

"I'm at a rehab center and my mom denied any kind of contact. I will let you know the plan later," I say and hang up as I hear a noise behind the door and I quickly hand back the phone to Irène and she widens her eyes.

"Idiot," she whispers annoyed and a woman enters in, without even knocking.

It's one of the therapists, I think it's Irène's therapist because there aren't many here.

"Is everything alright, girls?" the woman asks and I look at Irène and she smiles, putting a hand around my shoulder.

"Oh, yes! We are finally getting more close!" she says excitedly and I smile.

If you didn't know her, you would think she is the sweetest most innocent girl ever.

She is the devil in disguise.

Her therapist leaves and I sit on Irène's bed while she hides her phone in the back of the closet.

Irène turns to me and smiles, I never saw her smile with her mouth open and it's always mostly a smirk than a genuine smile. Her eyes also seem dull and empty.

"Vero, we are gonna have so much fun together," she says and I roll my eyes. I hate that nickname.

"If you call me that again I'll call you Rèn," I say amused.

"That's a dog name," she replies with the same amusement but she doesn't smile.

"It fits you." She shoves me playfully and I laugh.

She reaches under her bed, taking out a piece of paper, and unfolds it in front of me.

"This is the plan." She shows me the paper and it's a drawing with the map of the rehabilitation center. I let out a chuckle and she looks at me annoyed.

"My dad owns this place and several other places, but this is going to help us. There is an exit that isn't surveilled and only the cleaners use it."

"How are we supposed to use that exit?" I ask and she rolls her eyes.

"We will steal the key. Simple, you are gonna pretend you are having a panic attack—like you always do and disturb my sleep—while the cleaner is in our room. She will call the nurse and you steal the key from her cleaning products. She always leaves it there, especially Martha. I don't advise doing this to Naomi, she won't react and won't call the nurse," she explains and I'm amazed by her planning abilities.

"Also, Martha cleans only on Monday and Tuesday and the weekends. The problem is that she uses colored keys and there are so many fricking colors... and we have only today to figure it out."

"Why is your dad putting you in this place if he owns it?"

"To control me," she replies and I'm left even more confused. "But that's not the point."

"After I figure out which color is it, we have to wait until Saturday, you will steal it and she will realize it's gone because she only cleans for a few hours at night and will have to use it to leave. She will either suspect us or she will go back to every room to search it. Martha isn't stupid, but she is clumsy," she says and I look at her amazed, is this what Irène does when she is bored and locked up here for months?

I look at her amazed and she crosses her arms as in to say 'what?'

"Why do you even want to leave this place? Aren't you turning eighteen in two months?" At eighteen years old she can just leave without being forced by her parents.

"Because I need to be out by the end of this week," she replies and I nod.

"What about Derek-" I say realizing she doesn't know his name.

"Derek? Right, your useless boyfriend. You will tell him the place and the time before but he will have to jump the fences and look out for the guards because you won't leave this place with me," she explains and I nod, it's what I asked for.

Did she just call Derek useless?

"Isn't there a guard at the exit door?" I ask concerned and she smiles.

"Of course there is," she says and I widen my eyes.

"Then how is this going to work?" I ask and she smiles again.

"Leave it up to me, Vero," she says and I look at her green eyes, she is difficult to read but I'd be damn stupid to not think she seduced the guard. I just know that look.

"How am I coming back?"

"They will probably catch you," she says and I gasp.

"They are going to give me more time in therapy..." I say and she shrugs.

"Aw. Anything for your cute little boyfriend?" she teases me and I roll my eyes, failing to hide my smile.

"I will go now, I have to find out which color is the exit door key and today it's Tuesday."

——

I love you!!