her. Now, go on… leave.”
I cast a lingering gaze at Sofia, feeling like I was being ripped apart on the inside. My fists clenched as I gave the arrogant young witch a heartfelt plea. “Do everything you can to make things right for her…just…fix her.”
There was a spark of confusion in Corrine ’ s large brown eyes. Perhaps she was wondering why I cared so much, but she didn ’ t address the matter and instead, simply herded Vivienne and me out of the room. “You can see yourselves out. I will have a guard alert you once she is ready to return to the Pavilion.”
I stood outside as Corrine slammed the door on our faces. I didn ’ t budge from my spot, determined to stay there and wait until Sofia was okay.
Vivienne grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Sofia ’ s going to be fine. Corrine was in her senior year of psychology when we dragged her down here. She ’ ll know how to help Sofia.”
“I ’ m not leaving here until I know Sofia is okay.” I announced.
My sister knew me well enough to know that once I put my mind to something, I could be as stubborn as a mule about it. She nodded, knowing that nothing she could say would convince me to leave that place.
“If you need me, I ’ ll be at the Pavilion seeing to the investigations. We ’ ll find out who did this, Derek.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. I felt the guilt and shame come over me as Vivienne left me there to brood alone. I couldn ’ t think of anyone who could be capable of doing this to Sofia other than Lucas. But I had no proof and even if I did, I wasn ’ t sure that I could do anything about it. Lucas was my brother and no matter how important Sofia had become to me, blood runs thicker than water.
Chapter 19: Sofia
Corrine took her time with me. She tried to make me comfortable, giving me a drink of water, which I truly appreciated, considering how the taste of Derek ’ s blood was still fresh on my mouth. She took great care in making sure that I wanted to do what she was asking me to do – never pushing or ordering or commanding, which I was certain was exactly what Derek would ’ ve done had I been left under his care.
She gave me a fresh set of clothes to wear. I was so relieved to see that she handed me skinny jeans and an adorable-looking white baby doll blouse. It was nice to see something I would wear in normal life, instead of the dresses and skirts afforded to me at the Pavilion. Oh, they were pretty and feminine, but it felt like the sole reason I had to wear them was so that the vampires could have easy access to my body – that ’ s certainly what Lucas got. I put on the jeans knowing how irrational my line of thinking was. It ’ s not like I would ’ ve worn jeans to sleep in the first place. Still, the snug fit of the denim on my legs provided me a thread of comfort. At least I won ’ t have to feel Lucas ’ hand over my legs. I shuddered, recalling the way he touched me. I knew that it wasn ’ t going to be the last time he would do it. What terrified me most was how helpless I felt at that time. I never wanted to feel that way again.
“Would you like to talk about what happened?” Corrine asked.
I sat over the edge of her bed as she pulled an ottoman in front of me so she could sit right across me. From her bedside table, she pointed to a bowl of fruits.
“If you ’ re hungry…” she offered.
I shook my head. “No, thank you.” I truly appreciated the way she was treating me. It was like she was the caring older sister I never had.
“What happened, Sofia? I promise that whatever you say, it won ’ t go out of this room unless you want it to.”
“I don ’ t remember,” I lied. I remembered every last bit of it. “I woke up and I had the cuts on my back and the lock of Gwen ’ s hair on my hands. I walked to the bathroom and…” I choked, recalling Gwen ’ s fate. “She didn ’ t deserve to die.”
I knew I had to protect the other remaining girls from what happened to Gwen.
I cast a lingering gaze at Sofia, feeling like I was being ripped apart on the inside. My fists clenched as I gave the arrogant young witch a heartfelt plea. “Do everything you can to make things right for her…just…fix her.”
There was a spark of confusion in Corrine ’ s large brown eyes. Perhaps she was wondering why I cared so much, but she didn ’ t address the matter and instead, simply herded Vivienne and me out of the room. “You can see yourselves out. I will have a guard alert you once she is ready to return to the Pavilion.”
I stood outside as Corrine slammed the door on our faces. I didn ’ t budge from my spot, determined to stay there and wait until Sofia was okay.
Vivienne grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Sofia ’ s going to be fine. Corrine was in her senior year of psychology when we dragged her down here. She ’ ll know how to help Sofia.”
“I ’ m not leaving here until I know Sofia is okay.” I announced.
My sister knew me well enough to know that once I put my mind to something, I could be as stubborn as a mule about it. She nodded, knowing that nothing she could say would convince me to leave that place.
“If you need me, I ’ ll be at the Pavilion seeing to the investigations. We ’ ll find out who did this, Derek.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. I felt the guilt and shame come over me as Vivienne left me there to brood alone. I couldn ’ t think of anyone who could be capable of doing this to Sofia other than Lucas. But I had no proof and even if I did, I wasn ’ t sure that I could do anything about it. Lucas was my brother and no matter how important Sofia had become to me, blood runs thicker than water.
Chapter 19: Sofia
Corrine took her time with me. She tried to make me comfortable, giving me a drink of water, which I truly appreciated, considering how the taste of Derek ’ s blood was still fresh on my mouth. She took great care in making sure that I wanted to do what she was asking me to do – never pushing or ordering or commanding, which I was certain was exactly what Derek would ’ ve done had I been left under his care.
She gave me a fresh set of clothes to wear. I was so relieved to see that she handed me skinny jeans and an adorable-looking white baby doll blouse. It was nice to see something I would wear in normal life, instead of the dresses and skirts afforded to me at the Pavilion. Oh, they were pretty and feminine, but it felt like the sole reason I had to wear them was so that the vampires could have easy access to my body – that ’ s certainly what Lucas got. I put on the jeans knowing how irrational my line of thinking was. It ’ s not like I would ’ ve worn jeans to sleep in the first place. Still, the snug fit of the denim on my legs provided me a thread of comfort. At least I won ’ t have to feel Lucas ’ hand over my legs. I shuddered, recalling the way he touched me. I knew that it wasn ’ t going to be the last time he would do it. What terrified me most was how helpless I felt at that time. I never wanted to feel that way again.
“Would you like to talk about what happened?” Corrine asked.
I sat over the edge of her bed as she pulled an ottoman in front of me so she could sit right across me. From her bedside table, she pointed to a bowl of fruits.
“If you ’ re hungry…” she offered.
I shook my head. “No, thank you.” I truly appreciated the way she was treating me. It was like she was the caring older sister I never had.
“What happened, Sofia? I promise that whatever you say, it won ’ t go out of this room unless you want it to.”
“I don ’ t remember,” I lied. I remembered every last bit of it. “I woke up and I had the cuts on my back and the lock of Gwen ’ s hair on my hands. I walked to the bathroom and…” I choked, recalling Gwen ’ s fate. “She didn ’ t deserve to die.”
I knew I had to protect the other remaining girls from what happened to Gwen.
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