Bound

33. The Heart of A Dove

"This is not the ideal time Harley", Tyler told her in disapproval.

"Suit yourself",she shrugged, turning around to march away from him.

"It wasn't them. Those boys didn't spike the drinks with chilies",he shouted after her.

Harley froze in her spot.

"Don't be stupid", she spat, whirling around and facing him. "Of course it was them. They confessed doing it."

"No", Tyler shouted aggravated. "Yes, I mean they did spike the drinks but it wasn't...."

He quietened down as two guards passed down the corridor.

Harley stared after them until they had completely dissappeared before she dragged Tyler in an unused classroom, closing the door behind them tight shut.

"Do you even hear yourself?",she hissed angrily. "You don't even know what you're saying Tyler."

"I'm speaking the truth", he replied defensively. "Everything is not what it appears to be. I saw them, alright?! I saw them spiking the drinks.''

"Which proves that it was them",
Harley interjected at once.

"Yes! But I threw the drinks down the drain. I made sure that not even a single glass contained any of the stuff they had mixed", he tried to make her understand.

"That....it's rubbish",she told him softly. "Why would they take the blame if it wasn't their fault?"

"Because even they don't know", Tyler shouted at her. "The top two floors have been designed as the comman room for the boys and girls. But they share a common cafeteria which is present on the boys floor. I saw his friends sneaking in the staff area as Niall distracted the kitchen staff who were on duty at that time. I followed after them as they dodged the guards and entered the restricted part of the cafeteria."

Harley felt like she had been doused in ice water as she heard Tyler speak.
She had heard Niall and his friends discuss their plan before she had nicked the chili packets from them.

"-As soon as the three of them left, I threw away the drinks down the drain and escaped."

"A-are you certain?"

"Yes I am", he told her at once. "They believe that the staff delivered the wrong tray of glasses to the girls. But that's not what happened. The culprit is someone else."

"Keep your voice down", she admonished, looking around the dark classroom fearfully. "Are you going to tell someone about this?"

"I don't know how", he confessed, ignoring the apprehensive way she had asked her question. "But I will have to. The entire staff has been dismissed already. The guards and  kitchen staff on duty have it worse for letting it happen under their noses."

"What's been happening with you and the Sullivan boys?", Harley asked him, hoping for distraction.

She had seen the hostile looks that Tyler was being subjected to by Caden and Cian.

Tyler's cheeks coloured. "N-nothing", he mumbled. "We had an argument, that's all. Caden won't believe me. He won't even listen to me. I am forbidden to speak about anything related to her."

"Who?",she asked in confusion. Her own fears momentarily forgotten.

"Her",he emphasised, looking around the classroom discreetly as if afraid, before lowering his tone, "Amara."