Escaping Elysia

Chapter 27 - Wrong (cont.)

Dale

"Be right back," Leah says, ducking into the next bathroom.

The guards don't mind if I help Leah collect the laundry, as long as I don't go into the girls' bathrooms. While I wait I fidget with the cart, pushing it back and forth in front of me.

Evita was right. Escape won't be possible if we don't have the support of the others. Since Sheer's speech this morning I've caught snippets of excited chatter. People gather together, the hope blatant on their faces. I even heard one girl remark that she couldn't wait to see her little brother again. Without Leah's help we'll never get everyone to agree to a plan.

The bathroom door bursts open and Leah appears, dragging a large basket. I help her lift it and the clothes tumble into the cart, adding to our growing pile. Leah returns the basket and we move to the next bathroom, the wheels squealing all the way.

I clear my throat. "I've been thinking."

Leah raises her eyebrows.

"I think it's time we consider getting out of here."

She snorts.

"You know what happened to the yellow and purple groups. What if the green group is next?" I watch her out of the corner of my eye and she shrugs, but doesn't deny it. At least she isn't buying into the same lies everyone else is.

"Do what you want. No one's stopping you."

I swallow. "I want you to help us."

Her head snaps toward me. "Us?"

I roll my eyes. "Me and Evita."

"Are you crazy?"

We reach the next bathroom and stop. I place my hand on her forearm. "Leah, please."

She tugs away. "I have to get the laundry." She pushes open the door and disappears inside. I check for guards before following behind her.

When she sees me enter she looks toward the other side of the bathroom, where the guard is probably standing around the corner, then back at me. I press a finger to my lips. She glares, but walks over to the lockers and benches where the laundry basket is kept.

As soon as we're in the cave of metal lockers she spins to face me. "What?" she whispers.

I close the distance between us. "I can't do it without you." My voice is low.

She crosses her arms. "I can't."

I take her hands in mine, uncrossing her arms. "What about Trenton? He'd want you to help."

"Not fair." She looks away, but doesn't remove her hands.

I give her a tight smile. "Sorry."

Her eyes meet mine. "You think we could make it?"

"It's our only chance." I squeeze her hands. I know Leah. As stubborn and destructive as she is, she has the will to survive. As much as she pretends she doesn't care, the pain is still fresh from the deaths this morning.

She lets out a breath, then nods.

I grin and draw her into a hug. As we pull apart, her face passes inches from mine. I didn't notice before, but now the sour smell of the alcohol on her breath reaches my nose.

I pause, frowning, and in my hesitation she presses her lips to mine.

They're warm, soft, and it would be easy to lose myself in the comfort of her body pressed against me, but it's wrong, all wrong. She's Trenton's. And I'm...Evita's face pops into my mind, but I push it away. We can't do this. I stiffen and she pulls away.

Her cheeks burn red. She drops my hands and shoves me away from her, so hard I stumble into the bench.

"Leah," I whisper, as loudly as I dare. She darts around the corner before I can say more. I follow her, but when I reach the hallway she's nowhere in sight.

The laundry cart is still parked outside the bathroom, abandoned. A snarl escapes my throat and I shove it. The cart slams into the wall before clattering to the floor, spilling laundry across the tiles. A guard runs from the bathroom and her gaze rakes over the mess. She fixes me with a look, her brows furrowed.

"Sorry," I growl, bending over to pick it up. "It was an accident."

Straightening the cart, I dutifully push it back to the laundry room, feeling her eyes on me all the way down the hallway, though I want nothing more than to tear the cart apart, piece by piece.

***

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