Page 104 of Her Wicked Plan

I told him I would and would try to keep my word. Only because I know the reward I will receive for doing as I’m told.

That means if she tries to pull some bullshit, I’ll have to bite my tongue. I’m not even sure she will attempt to do anything. Not with how terrified she seemed when I walked past their table, and she basically ran out of the room to escape me.

Humming to myself, I throw on my clothes for the day—a tank top, sweatpants, and a cardigan—easy clothing to remove. You know, just in case the session today is a special one.

When I enter the cafeteria, I spot Eliza right away. Shit.

I haven’t seen her since I was locked away in the dungeon. Eliza knew I was taken there; she witnessed the fight firsthand. That said, she can’t be mad at me for not following up on our deal.

She spots me immediately, flashing a careful smile in my direction. She probably thinks that being in solitary changed me. Made me meaner. It had changed me. It always does, each time worse than the last, but I have to tone that shit down because if not, it can ruin everything.

“Hi, Veronica.” No nickname today. She is hesitant with me, waiting for me to explode.

“Hey, Eliza.” I offer my best fake smile.

“Wanna sit down?” she offers, waving a hand to the empty seat across from her.

I only came in here to force myself to eat, knowing that if I didn’t, I’d have a stomachache—something I do not want to deal with during my session.

It’s only been a day out of the hole, and I still haven’t fully recovered my appetite. It usually takes a couple of days to hit me. That’s how it always happens.

I gaze around the cafeteria, girls diverting their eyes from me, afraid that if I catch them staring at me the wrong way, I’ll pounce on them. Everyone knows patients are on edge when they return from solitary.

Jittery and jumpy.

No one wants to get on the wrong side of the person who spent a week locked up by themselves—someone whose mind was taken by the shadows in the dark. Mine still seems to be intact for now, but that could honestly change at any moment.

Tearing my gaze from the others, I bring it to where the ladies behind the counter serve our food. There is one person in line, but staring at them from behind, watching them decide on what they want to eat, gets shoved from my vision when I hear the most annoying noise.

The black-rimmed clock on the wall above the door ticks super loudly behind me. My head snaps back to the clock, narrowing my eyes at it.

I hope it will shut up if I give it the death stare. Has the sound of the ticking hands always been that obnoxious or is it just really quiet in here?

“Veronica?” Worry settles in Eliza’s voice.

My eyes dance over her face when my attention focuses back on her. Her brown skin is smooth, glowing almost, with tiny freckles draped over her nose. Our freckles could be identical. The green and brown of her eyes hold concern and hesitation as they cautiously stare at me.

The longer I stare at her, taking in her features, the slower the clock ticks. Its noise had to have been deafening because I spent a week in utter silence. Aside from the constant drip of the faucet in the tiny sink, the room held no sound.

“Sorry.” I shake my head, tossing the thoughts from my mind. “Uh... I’ll grab some food and sit with you.”

She nods her head in understanding. As I walk away, Eliza keeps her eyes on me—they all do. Without looking in their direction, I can sense their pupils burning into my skin like a bunch of lasers.

Usually, I don’t mind the gawking, but today it’s different. When I grab the styrofoam plate and wrap my fingers around a sandwich from under the heat lamp, I detect them observing me as if I am a sideshow in a circus.

Scratching.

That’s what it feels like their eyes are doing to my skin. It’s as if their eyes have grown claws, and the sharp nails are digging into my skin. My head tilts to the side, and my neck cracks as I brush off the unwelcoming sensation.

Well, at least I try to. It’s irritating. I don’t remember being this vulnerable the last time I came out of solitary. I don’t want it to mess with me. I liked who I was just fine.

Drawing a deep breath, I snatch the sandwich and slam it onto my plate with a thud. I spin around on my feet to find every person who had been staring at me, quickly dropping their eyes.

All except Eliza. She doesn’t seem to care that I caught her watching me. She might be getting braver.

With the plate tightly secured, I head back to where Eliza is sitting. I’m surprised the styrofoam in my hands hasn’t snapped in half with how firm my hold is.

Plopping down into the seat across from her, I loosen my hold on the plate, letting it fall carelessly onto the table. Eliza flinches at the sound of plastic hitting metal.