Forbidden Freedom

Chapter 6

Three years ago

French Alps. Harmony Springs Renewal Youth Wellness Institute.

The clinking of spoons against ceramic plates is interspersed with the murmurs of nurses standing along one of the walls, their sharp eyes observing us closely. Typically, only newcomers nervously fidget in their seats, picking at their plates, afraid of making a wrong move. After all, serious punishment follows – twenty-four hours in a windowless room, with a metal door, tiled walls, and all you have at your disposal is the call button if you need to use the restroom.

Once, I had to experience this punishment myself. You could say it's a kind of initiation when you check into the asylum. During the first week, they lock you up in a tiny cell under any pretext, so you understand one hundred percent – resistance is futile.

It happened to me quite prosaically: one of the nurses thought I was eating too slowly and suspiciously looking towards the door. Although all this time, I hadn't been looking anywhere except at my dinner, which seemed surprisingly out of place to me. In the brochures of the asylum that my father gave me to study during the flight, it was written that a Michelin-starred chef cooks in the incredibly fancy kitchen.

I smirked at the thought, thinking it was just a marketing trick aimed at attracting deep-pocketed parents with troubled kids. That is, until I saw the chef himself and the dishes he prepared. It's just funny that we're not allowed forks and knives, and patients eat all the culinary masterpieces with spoons.

They have to somehow live up to the photos in the brochure...

The feeling of a slight burning sensation on my skin has become my constant companion lately. I carefully scan the cafeteria in search of its source and find it in a fraction of a second.

Ethan, without taking his mouth off his food, is literally devouring me with his gaze. I raise one eyebrow in a silent question of "What do you want?" Ethan only quirks the corners of his lips in a crooked, barely noticeable smile. I roll my eyes and stick out my tongue at him. Blake's chest shakes with quiet laughter. But in a split second, his face becomes serious. A lump forms in the middle of my throat, making it hard to breathe.

Ethan brings two fingers to his lips, mimicking a cigarette, then nods towards his wrist and shows the number eleven with his fingers. I quickly glance at the nurses, but they don't notice our silent dialogue.

For a moment, I ponder. Do I want to spend another evening with Ethan Blake?

Since our meeting under the tree, a couple of days have passed. During this time, I've constantly caught his gaze, but he never approached. Ethan tries to keep his distance from everyone. It's extremely rare to see him surrounded by people. As for me, I try to stay closer to people because being alone with Blake scares me.

Ethan raises an eyebrow, closely watching the expression on my face during my thought process. For some reason, I feel guilty. After hesitating for a moment, I awkwardly nod in agreement to meet Ethan. Without bothering to respond to me, he simply turns away and continues eating.

Did I offend him somehow? Maybe by taking so long to consider his proposal?

"Wow, baby, for a first-time lover you're quite the naughty girl. I bet you've been playing with yourself all this time or letting guys fuck you in the ass just to keep up the image of daddy's innocent little angel," Jeff delivers a sharp slap to my bare buttocks.

I giggle as I lie on the bed, wrapping myself in the sheet to conceal the nudity that embarrasses me. It's my first time alone with a man who just happened to take my virginity.