House of Roses and Glass

Day 9: "I'll always be here"

The first thing I notice is the constant beeping in my ear. Then, I smell the heavy scent of chemicals and feel a numbing pain throughout my body.

My eyes are heavy as I try to open them. The white light blinds them when I finally do get them open and I blink a few times to adjust. Warm fingers trace mine, bringing my gaze down to where Mason is sitting.

He's staring at me, his blue eyes clouded with worry and relief.

"What?" My voice comes out scratchy. Mason hands me a cup of water which I gulp down before continuing. "What are you doing here?"

"Sebastian's on his way," he says, biting his lip.

I try to sit up, but a harsh pain sweeps through my ribs, making me hiss.

"Don't move." He stands up and moves toward the door. "I'll get a doctor."

"Wait," I say. Why didn't he answer my question? "Before you do, how did you find me?"

He runs a hand through his hair and sits down again. "I followed you from school."

My brows furrow. "You followed me?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you were safe," he explains. The worry in his eyes shine through and his fingers lay next to mine. As if he doesn't quite believe that I am here. That I'm fine.

I try to think back to last night, but the trip to my dad's house is a blur. I don't remember every detail, I just know that I was focused on preparing for what would come next.

Mason takes my silence for anger and continues to try and explain his actions. "You were avoiding me all week and I could tell something was wrong. So, when you left so suddenly yesterday, I wanted to see where you were going."

Seeing the pain and worry in his eyes, a warm fluffy feeling settles inside of me. But, a nagging sensation tugs at my mind.

"I don't have to tell you everything I do," I say. I can't help the small snap as I say it. My emotions are going haywire. I like Mason, but we barely know each other and he does something like this. Isn't this a little creepy?

He backtracks. "I know. You are your own person, but you just seemed off after Wednesday."

A dull throb starts in my head, so I message the bridge of my nose.

"Look, Mason. I like you and you're really cool, but I can't quite wrap my head around this." His smile seems to drop a bit. "How could you tell that something was off? We barely know each other."

"I don't really know how to explain it." He looks down at his hands. "Most people at the school are super supportive and everything, but you're like a ball of sunshine. I may not have looked it, but I was really nervous that first day and you immediately made me feel accepted." His eyes meet mine as he finishes. "So, when you started drifting away, it was almost hard not to notice something was wrong."

He lets out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess when I saw you worrying about this, I also just wanted to bring back your smile."

My heart warms at his explanation. I give him a small smile and lay my hand on his.

"Thank you for being a creepy stalker and following me," I chuckle. He shakes his head but lets out a soft laugh.

"And for being there when I needed help," I murmur.

"I knew it from the moment I met you that you were a good friend to have." He wraps his hand around mine, giving me a small nod. "I'll always be here. Whenever you need me."

. . .

I back away from the door, hugging myself tightly. While the room is spacious, the walls start closing in, my breathing quickening.

It's just like back at my old school. How the older kids would lock me in lockers for hours at a time until the janitor heard my crying.

I back up until my back hits the wall. Sliding down the wall, I cradle my knees to my chest, tears streaming down my face.

I thought it was going to be different here. That the people would be different. But, I guess kids are mean no matter what state you're in.

"Feyre?" A voice comes through the door.

I sob in relief. "I'm here," I call, rushing toward the door. Someone's here.

The lock turns and Mor opens the door. Seeing my face, she pulls me in a tight hug.

"It's ok," she whispers in my ear. "You're free."

Tears leak out of my eyes at that. Not safe. Not protected. Free.

Holding me tightly, she murmurs, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I pull away. "He," I hiccup. "He locked me in here. He said that it was for my own good because he doesn't want me around you guys."

Mor clenches her jaw. "I'm going to kill him."

I wrap my arms around myself, thinking about the trip we were going to take. "I don't think I want to go to town right now."

"That's ok. Do you want me to stay with you?" Her voice holds genuine care, but I don't want to stop her from having fun.

"No," I say, running a hand through my hair and wiping my eyes. "No, you should go have fun. Bring me back a milkshake or something," I chuckle.

"Are you sure? I can stay."

"I'm sure. I'm fine." I push down the fear of staying in this room after being trapped. Maybe when they're gone, I'll go walk outside. But, I might run into Tamlin. No, I'll just stay here.

"Ok, here are my keys." She gives me her keys and turns to leave. "You're strong, Feyre. Don't ever forget that."

I swallow the lump in my throat and nod, waiting for her to leave. Once the door closes, I run and collapse on my bed. When did my life get so messed up?

The music is Leave a Light On by Tom Walker