Dead If You Do

Chapter Six

The first thing I feel is violated.

I haven't made this room my home yet, but it was my space, if only for a short few hours. I slept in that bed, showered through that door and convinced myself I'd be okay here – all inside this little space I began to call my own. Confusion rises like nausea in my stomach. How did this happen? Who would do this? And, most of all, why me?

I need to clear my head, to have time and space for myself. Most of all, I want to go home, to get away from here and have a movie night with Mom, where life is steady and safe. But all those things are impossible right now.

Home is two thousand miles away and, as I stand in the lounge, with rain beginning to fall outside and security ensuring me they'll get to the bottom of this, I realise that this is my new reality. I don't have my family to fall back on.

Here, right now, I only have myself.

These thoughts swirl around my mind like a storm, electric on my skin and pulsing from head to toe. I feel alone, despite the fact that next to me Eden fights in my corner. She grills the man dressed in black uniform with all the questions I probably should be asking.

Are there any CCTV cameras?

What about witnesses?

Why wasn't anything taken?

Across the room, Wesley leans against the door frame. His dark eyes dart between the security guard and me, listening in on the conversation. When he catches me looking, his gaze locks onto mine and those lips rise into a hesitant smile, causing my breathing to halt.

I don't know what it is about him, but whatever I'm feeling is so foreign it stumps me for a moment. Why is he looking at me like that? What is he thinking? I bite my lip and glance away, trying to ignore the way his eyes burn into the side of my face.

On the sofa, Riley sits with her head buried into her hands. Her jacket lays next to her, abandoned. She picks absentmindedly at her thumb, eyes cast to the floor. I don't think she and Eden have even been in a room this long without arguing, and that thought alone jolts me back into reality.

'Where will I stay whilst the door's being fixed?' I ask, my voice quiet at first.

'Sorry?' says the security guard.

The badge on his chest tells me he's called Matt, and I repeat my question – this time with more vigour. 'Where will I stay whilst my door is being fixed, Matt?'

'Oh.' There's a pause. 'Well, you can move into one of our vacant rooms for the time being. Unfortunately, the only ones available are in an empty house, so as long as you're happy with that, I can get the key in fifteen minutes.'

I look at him, lips tight. Does he really believe I'd want to be in an empty house, alone, knowing that whoever broke into my room is still walking around free?

'If it makes you feel better,' he continues, 'we don't think it was targeted. We have camera footage, but it's on a twenty-four-hour loop so we won't be able get anything until this evening. I promise you, though, that whoever did this will be caught and severely apprehended. We don't tolerate this type of behaviour at Woodcreek.'
           
Eden looks at me and then back at Matt, incredulous.

'Funnily enough,' she says, 'I don't think that does make her feel better.' She reaches out and squeezes my hand. Her skin is warm against mine. 'You can stay in my room, if you want. The bed should be big enough for us both, and I don't mind sharing if you don't. We can make a movie night out of it – you like Disney?'

'That sounds nice,' I reply, nodding with an absentminded smile. Even though her gesture is nice – more than I expected, even – it's hard to try and be happy right now. My mind flashes back to the broken glass shattered on my floor and I look at Matt. 'Can we do that?'