Fear Can Break ↠ Liam Dunbar [Book 2]

✧Truth or Truth✧

Chapter Twenty - Two ✧Truth or Truth✧

As we stood in the bathroom, Mason's gaze bore into me. My body was still shaking, still feeling like I was melting from the inside out. My mouth was dry. I felt like I was falling apart and seeing the way Mason was looking at me now, I almost wished I would just break into a million pieces and wash down the drain of the sink. 

The only good side that I could find for the predicament I was currently in was that Genevieve was no longer possessing Allison and standing over my shoulder, whispering about how my demise was just around the corner. So, at least I had that. 

"Charlotte," Mason finally said, breaking the awful silence that had been wrapped so tightly around us. "What the actual fuck is going on?" 

I tried to move my mouth, but no words came out. I was pretty sure that my vocal chords had somehow been stolen from my body. My mind was buzzing with overstimulation that I was pretty sure any more silence would send me into a panic attack, and with the dread doctors surely coming for us, that was the last thing I needed to happen. 

Quickly, I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on my breathing and on not having a panic attack. The fire that had taken over my body, that had been burning my entire essence from the inside out, finally felt like it was dying down. My body felt less tense, less in danger, as I focused on controlling my breathing. Them, I tried to picture I was being taken somewhere else. Anywhere else. 

My imagination took me to Arles, France. It took me back to one of my favorite memories of the summer, when it was just Isaac and I standing and laughing outside of a home that was once Vincent Van Gogh's. I was back to one of the last moments when I had been just boring little Charlotte Lahey, when I had been normal. 

A hand touched my arm, and my eyes fluttered open as I jumped at the sudden contact. Mason had gotten closer to me, and now I could really see the concern in his expression. 

"Are you okay?" Mason asked. His eyes searched every part of my face for an explanation. 

I nodded at him slowly. I did feel a bit more in control of my self and my emotions again. I didn't feel as utterly wrong as I had before. "I'm okay," I assured him. For now, is what I didn't add. 

"What just happened?" Mason asked next. 

I couldn't answer him, not because I wanted to hide my problems from my best friend any more but because I honestly didn't know how. Plus, we definitely didn't have the time to unpack all of my insane problems at the moment. 

"The book," I remembered suddenly. I fumbled to find a way to make sense of the story I was about to tell Mason. "The one with the Dread Doctors. I-I read it. I think it's playing tricks with my mind." 

The problem was, I hadn't read the story, the others had. I just had to hope Mason didn't know that, but the way Mason was still examining my face for any tells made me a little less hopeful. I desperately needed to change the subject. 

I took a deep breathe, thankful that I could still do that. "Why are you here?"

Mason's expressions quickly from one overflowing with concern, to one laced with excitement. "I found another chimera. I thought I had to let you guys know, you know? So I came to the school and when I got here I saw you rush into the bathroom...so... I followed." 

Involuntarily,  I felt my eyebrows raise. "We should go find the others." 

"Okay, yeah," Mason nodded in agreement. He headed for the exit of the bathroom, looking over his shoulder cautiously to make sure I was following. "They're in one of the science classes, right?"