Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 56

(Angel's POV)

Sleep eluded me again. I felt the pull of the darkness that wrapped around the center and an unsettling chill made my skin crawl. The nightmares were getting worse. Every time I closed my eyes, I found myself back there, trapped in those hallways with faces staring, shadows flickering, and that constant whispering. It wasn't just about the center anymore. I could see glimpses of Hendrix-tied up and bleeding, his eyes begging for something I couldn't understand. But tonight, the dream had been different. There was blood, so much blood. It pooled and dripped from the walls and stained my hands. And Dr. Joe...his face twisted into a monstrous grin as he held a scalpel to Hendrix's throat. "You think you can save him?" he taunted. "You're just as trapped as he is." And then, the scalpel dug deeper and Hendrix's scream pierced through me, snapping me awake.

My heart thundered in my chest as I sat up and felt the sweat cold against my skin. I glanced around and made sure the girls were still asleep. There was no way I'd wake them up again. I needed air, needed to clear my head before this madness swallowed me whole.

I slipped on my jacket and quietly left the dorm.

The night was cool and the breeze carried a sense of calm that felt out of place in this nightmare. I wandered aimlessly until I reached the old gazebo, hidden behind thick ivy and forgotten bushes. It had become a sanctuary, a place where I could think and breathe and feel something other than fear.

I wrapped my arms around myself and replayed the nightmare, feeling the pressure of it pressing down on my shoulders. What if this was all a warning? What if...?

800

(Hendrix's POV)

I couldn't sleep either. The treatments were taking a toll on my body and made my muscles ache and my mind buzz with endless thoughts. And then there was Ava-always Ava. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her smirk, heard her threats, and remembered the documents we'd found. She was in this, deep, and I felt like a fool for not seeing it sooner.

But above everything else, there was Angel. Her face, her laugh, her warmth...they haunted me. Even now, I could still taste her on my lips, feel the way she clung to me. And it wasn't right-I knew it wasn't-but how could something that felt so wrong feel this damn good?

I needed to clear my head. Maybe a walk would help, maybe

And then I saw her. Sitting by the gazebo, her hair catching the moonlight, looking so small and fragile. My chest tightened, and I hesitated, but my feet moved on their own, drawn to her.

sound casual, but

and her eyes widened slightly before softening. "You can join me if you want,” she whispered. I sat beside her, and the silence

and stared into the darkness, letting the night wrap around us. But I could feel it-the way

tears formed in her

"You're lying."

had this nightmare," she choked out. "About the center, about you. And it... it felt so real." Her voice cracked and she broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Angel. I won't let anything happen to you." "But what if you can't stop it?" she whispered and her fingers clutched my shirt with a desperation that made me worried. "What if this place swallows us

my thumb over her cheek, catching the tear that wanted to fall. "It won't," I said and tried to make my voice sound stronger than I felt. "I swear to you, Angel, it won't. I'll drag us out of here

her eyes searched mine, pleading for answers I didn't have. "How can you be so

admitted and my voice sounded rough and raw with emotion. "But I'd burn this whole place

my lips for just a second, a second that felt like a lifetime. "Why do you make me feel this way?" she murmured as if confessing a sin. "Why does everything else disappear when I'm with you?" "I wish I knew," I breathed and leaned in a

so soft that it felt more like a plea than a warning.

and pressed my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling, teasing. "But I can't stop... I don't want

the distance. "What if

barely more than a growl. "But if

heartbeat, I thought she'd pull away. But then her fingers slid up and tangled in my hair, tugging me closer. "Kiss

out of the room, leaving only the taste of her and the feel of her against me. I kissed her with a desperation I didn't know I had, my hands

had ever wanted but never reached for. Her hands fisted in my hair, tugging hard enough to make me groan into her

me, I couldn't stop the low growl that escaped my chest. "Angel," I groaned into her lips, the feel of her pressed against me almost unbearable. "You're

her lips swollen. "Good," she whispered with a hint of a smirk. "Maybe I want

up her thighs, over the curve