Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 79

(Cylan's POV)

The message came late at night. I was lying in bed and the dull hum of the center's fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. My phone vibrated once and broke the silence sharply. I didn't recognize the number at first but the words on the screen made my blood freeze.

>> Cylan. It's me, Emily. I hope you've not forgotten me. Please help. I'm locked up somewhere in the center. It's dark and I don't know where I am.<<

I sat up so fast that the blanket slid off me. My heart pounded as I read the message again and again until the words became jumbled together in my vision. Emily. The girl I thought I'd never hear from again. The one who had vanished without a trace weeks ago.

Was it really her?

I didn't know. I wanted to believe it but something about the message felt off. There was no explanation and no follow-up. Just those few desperate words.

I stared at the phone while my thumb hovered over the keyboard. My mind raced with questions. If it really was Emily, how did she get my number? Why hadn't she reached out sooner? And most importantly-where the hell was she? The next morning, I couldn't focus on anything. During breakfast, the chatter around me blurred into meaningless noise. Angel tried to talk to me but I brushed her off because I was too lost in my thoughts. My phone buzzed again as I was heading back to the dorm and my stomach flipped.

>> They're watching me. Don't tell anyone.<<

The words hit me like a punch. I stopped and stared at the screen. They're watching me. Who were they? The staff? Dr. Joe? Was this even real or was someone playing a cruel joke?

I shoved the phone into my pocket as my hands trembled. I needed to think. I needed to figure out what to do. But before I could, a mocking voice broke my thoughts.

"Hey, Cylan," a deep, teasing voice called out. I turned and saw one of the male patients smirking at me. "You and your little girlfriend still playing hide and seek?"

My jaw tightened. "What the hell are you talking about?"

the janitor chick. Heard she

words stung more than I wanted to admit. My fists clenched but I forced myself to stay

damn business," I

he wasn't done. "I don't get it. Why would anyone choose you? You're

my heart pounded with rage. "Say

the

•

appeared and her sharp voice cut through the tension. "Both of you, to Dr. Joe's

air and the man himself sat behind his desk, his piercing blue eyes scanning us like a predator studying its prey. "What seems to be the problem?"

started to speak but I cut him off. "He's a homophobic jerk who doesn't know when to shut

and

just mad because

myself to stay quiet. Dr. Joe stared at me for a moment longer before

problems," he said coolly. "What I care about is maintaining order in this facility. You're both on thin ice. Step out

Dr. Joe silenced him with a look. That looks felt too familiar to just be professional. Even the way the jerk looked down...it seemed like a son

he said and

the desk for anything that seemed out of place. But it all seemed

•

(Hendrix's POV)

the fluorescent lights filled the

the corner. I couldn't make out everything but the

frowned as my mind raced. Special projects. I'd heard that phrase before, always whispered and

the things I had overheard in the past and the pieces I had tried to put together. There were four projects