Darn Stupid Brother You Are

(Ava's POV)

The journal felt heavier than it should as I clutched it to my chest and my palms grew damp with sweat. I had done it. The little idiot thought hiding it under her mattress was clever, but Angel didn't understand the rules of this place-not like I did. Not like I had been forced to.

I made my way to the rendezvous point and my heart pounded with every step. The corridor was dim and the flickering lights made everything feel eerie. I hated how familiar this path had become. I shouldn't have had to do this, but Dr. Joe... Dr. Joe never gave me a choice.

When I handed over the journal to the person waiting in the darkness, I felt nauseous. It was done. I had sealed another piece of Angel's fate, but more than that, I had cemented my own.

•

(Flashback)

"You'll do as I say or your mother's debt becomes your burden." Dr. Joe's words echoed in my mind like a twisted mantra.

I was fifteen when I realized what kind of man he was. My mother had always been a fighter, but even the strongest people had their weaknesses. For her, it was gambling. One bad choice turned into a cycle of desperation and when the debts piled up, she turned to him for help.

"Don't worry, Ava," she had said as her voice trembled while she signed the papers. "It's just a temporary fix. We'll figure it out."

But we never did.

The day Dr. Joe came to our house was the day I stopped being a child. He wasn't angry or loud. He didn't threaten. He didn't need to. "Your mother owes me and now, so do you." His blue eyes were calm and calculating. "You'll work it off," he had said and I had no choice but to nod.

At first, it was small tasks-keeping tabs on people and reporting back. But then the requests became darker and more personal. Like now.

•

I shook off the memory as I walked back to the cafeteria and plastered on my usual smirk. The girls in my dorm laughed at something ridiculous, but I didn't even hear it. My mind was too loud. The lines had become so blurry that I no longer knew where Dr. Joe's demands ended and my choices began.

...

(Angel's POV)

Hendrix had been avoiding me. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but now it was painfully obvious. He was quiet during meals, distant in the hallways, and every time I tried to talk to him, he brushed me off.

It hurt more than I wanted to admit. After everything-after all the stolen moments and the confessions-I thought we were finally on the same page. But now? It felt like we were strangers again.

I pushed the thought aside as I headed to the lounge. Thomas waited for me, his warm smile immediately putting me at ease. "Hey, you," he said and his voice was light but carried something deeper. "Hey," I replied as I sat down next to him on the worn-out couch.

For a moment, we just sat there and the silence between us felt oddly comforting. But then he leaned in and brushed a strand of hair from my face. "You okay? You seem... distracted."

I hesitated because I wasn't sure how to put everything into words. "I'm fine. Just... a lot on my mind."

"Want to talk about it?" he asked and his tone was genuine. I found myself softening under his gaze.

As we talked, I realized how much Thomas had become very important in my life. He listened in a way that felt rare, like he actually cared about what I had to say. His kindness disarmed me and I couldn't help but remember the night on the porch, the way he made me feel things I wasn't ready to admit.

"You're staring," he teased and broke me out of my thoughts.

"I'm not!" I protested and my cheeks heated up.

He chuckled and the sound was warm and easy. "Sure, you're not."

The conversation shifted to lighter topics his favorite movies and the dog from that night-but the pressure of everything lingered in the back of my mind. When he reached out to take my hand, I didn't pull away.

"You don't have to go through all of this alone, you know," he said softly and his thumb brushed over my knuckles.

"I know," I whispered as my heart pounded in my chest.

And for the first time in weeks, I felt like that was true.