“I will talk to you later,” Henry said as he walked pass me upstairs. “Oh, and Mason, please take some tips on dressing from Talia. The way you walk around here in skimpy shorts with no bra is becoming a problem. You wouldn't want someone thinking of you as a whore, would we?”
I walked off without responding. I knew that was just another shot at me. It wasn't the insults that got me, it was the attempted murders and the threats that made me afraid to sleep alone sometimes.
I didn't make it back to my room for another 30 minutes. I just had so much to think about. I touched the scar on my face and broke down once I closed the door behind me. I was in so much pain. It felt like my heart was literally hurting, it even became hard to breathe. Soon after, I found myself on the floor crying profusely.
*
*
*Two hours later...*
_Knock...knock...knock_
I walked to the door and was face to face with Talia. She looked like she'd just seen a ghost. She was pale and there was red rings around her eyes like she'd been crying.”Henry wants to see you now,” she croaked.
“Are you okay?” I asked. It was stupid of me, but I felt like it was my fault. If I weren't here, none of the bullshit I had gone through would have happened.
Talia stared at me for a long moment before saying, “sure.” It was like life had drained out of her. Just the way she said that one word made me worry. I didn't know why but I thought something was going to happen to her. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah,” I slipped through the door and closed it behind me. She walked me downstairs and then down the hall and another set of stairs. I knew where I was now. It was Henry's office. I swallowed then I turned the knob.
Talia walked in after me. Henry was standing next to his desk looking perplexed at his wall of 'pets'. There was nothing really to think about. He kill those people, probably stuffed them and then he place them on his wall like trophies. Just thinking about it made my stomach churn.
“Sit Mason,” he pointed to the chair directly in front of him. “That is all Talia.” She nodded her head and left the room. It was odd being alone with him. “I called you in here because Heir will have a trial. You will have to testify. Do you understand?”
My head popped up, “testify?”
“Yes,” Henry walked over to his liquor cabinet. “He did try to kill you. Now you'll get the chance to get revenge, right?”
“No!” I stood. “That's not what I want! I-I just wanted to know why he did it. I can't testify against him, they'll kill him and you know it.”
“Nonsense...you will testify. How would it look if the mate to Myles Crawford, son of Henry Crawford, let a criminal go freely? Every criminal deserve their just desserts. It just so happen that you'll get yours in about two months at his trial.
“Wait, you're going to keep him locked up for two months?”
“I should hope longer than that,” he poured himself a drink and sat down at his desk. “What he did was heinous. You must have been scared. Tell me, what were you thinking when he was close to taking your life. Did you cry? Did you ask for your mother?” he leaned over his desk and smirk. “You will be asked these questions at the trial.”
“I won't do it!”
“You won't?” he looked into my eyes. “Well I suppose it's your choice, but I can't guarantee that Heir will be in one piece or alive for that matter once he hits his trial date.”
“Is that a threat?” I clenched my fist. I could feel my sharp fingernails digging into my skin.
“And why would I do that?” he cocked his head to the side and smiled. I just stared at him. How could one man be so evil? He shrugged, “that is all,” he shooed me away.
I walked out of his office mechanically. I couldn't do it. I can't testify against Heir. I don't know what came over me but I just took off running. I wasn't escaping—I learned my lesson the hard way. I just needed to run, to think about everything.
Right when I was about to turn my fourth corner, I ran into Talia—literally. “Watch where you're going!” Talia shouted as she picked herself off the floor.
I got up and she just glared at me and tried to go on her way, but I couldn't let her go. Maybe I was hit too hard or just stupid, but I had to know how she was feeling bout all of this. This was her little brother after-all.
“Talia...wait!” I ran up to her and grabbed her forearm. She jerked her head back at me. “He tried to kill me. I didn't do anything to deserve that. Do you know why he wanted to kill me?”
“Really?” she wiped some stray tears from her eyes. “Ever since you've come here, everything has gone to shit. You come here with your attitude and your I'm-so-innocent-look and you think everyone will drop everything for you. You haven't even mated Myles!”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I let go of her and took a step back.
“What does it have to do with anything?” she mocked. “I would kill for someone to love me like Myles—someone who would do anything for me. He almost died because of you, then you started fraternizing with his best friend. Disgusting.”
“What?” I said. I was shocked. It wasn't like I could deny it, but how could she have known. “I didn't—”
“Oh yes, I knew. People tend to notice a teenage boy scaling the house to get to a teenage girl's bedroom. You don't know how good you've had it. Now my brother has to die because of what...you?” she chuckled dryly. “It's ridiculous. You provoked him!”
“You're wrong,” I said bitterly. “I have done nothing to him to warrant my death. I asked him why he did it and he couldn't tell me. I didn't imagine myself getting poisoned nor did I attack myself. He almost took my life. You see this scar on the side of my face.” I pointed to the long faded scar on my face, “he did this. A little lower and I would be dead!”
“Whatever!” Talia shouted and walked off.
“Yeah whatever,” I murmured. All I could think was 'what a bitch'. I knew she was angry but I was the victim in this. I had the brush with death for the fifth time and I was tired of it. I've had enough of people trying to kill me.
Everything that has happened to me since Victorn Academy replayed in my head as I walked back to my room. I wanted to scream so loud that the earth opened up and swallowed everyone whole.
“Mason!” Myles called me from behind. Ugh, what did he want now. Wasn't it enough for him to betray me? I turned to see him jogging up to me. “We need to talk.”
“Not now Myles,” I tried to walked pass him but he refused to move.
“I didn't lie to you Mason, you know that. I told you I would never lie to you.”
“Yeah right,” I said sarcastically while attempting to walked the other way. Myles walked ahead of me and cut me off.
“Leave me alone Myles!” I shouted.
He grabbed my hand and yanked me backwards. “No!”
Smack! My hand had collided with his face. I didn't register to me what I had done until he clutched his face. He walked backed up then walked off without a word. Then I thought that I had finally made my death wish. Myles was the only one left on my side.
I quickly ran into the room and slammed the door behind me. I jumped on the bed face down and screamed into my pillow. Why do this keep happening to me? I feel like I am wearing a big target on my back. I cannot keep from making the adults in my life mad. I can't keep my mate happy because I refuse to get too close to him, and the only other girl in the house is mad at me because I might have possibly cause her brother to lose his life.
I just can't win—no matter what I do. I don't understand how I was able to survive everything I've been through. This is the world's sick way of torturing me. I knew now that I was never going to get my old life back. Once I stepped through the halls of Victorn Girl's Academy, I had already lost my life. The sad part is that I've only figured that out recently. If I knew sooner I would have done things very differently. I wouldn't have lost so much.