Ryan actually seemed pretty hungry. Once he’d polished off a bowl of rice, he popped his meds.

I glanced around the place–it was so peaceful, not a hint of noise anywhere.

“Don’t you have class or something?” I asked him.

“Yeah, I’m going back to school tomorrow,” Ryan replied. “What, you think I came to Shaville because I flunked out?”

I chuckled. “With your family, it doesn’t really matter where you go to school. Staying safe is what matters.”

Ryan laughed too. “I’m actually a pretty good student. I just came to Shaville for my own reasons.”

I nodded, taking his word for it.

“Sorry for making you come all this way. Do you think I’m being silly?” Ryan shot me a quick, almost shy glance as he asked.

“Not at all. Just get better soon,” I reassured him.

Ryan slouched onto the couch; eyes half–closed. “Relax, I’m not dying or anything. But honestly, I’m about to get depressed if I keep staying in. I just want to go out and do something fun.”

“Where do you want to go?” I asked with a smile.

out to the middle of nowhere, climb a snowy mountain, go scuba diving…” Ryan’s eyes lost their spark. “But in reality, they won’t even let me drive my own

the good–looking young man in front of me and thought, ‘When someone’s protected to this extent,

+28)

in his eyes as he looked at me. “At first, they wouldn’t even let me go to Hachester to see you. They even control my every

totally

imagined I have to negotiate just to

was so shocked I couldn’t even speak. I always thought Ryan was free to come and go as he pleased, but I never realized there were so many restrictions behind the scenes. Who would’ve thought things

you, they’d have you delivered to me before you could blink. Can you

whole reality was crumbling. It was like Ryan and I existed

he added,

crept down my back, and I found myself gripping my palm

the tension in my eyes, guilt written all over his face. “You said you didn’t want to dig into my

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Chapter 360

know more about me.”

I find out, the more hopeless it feels,” I said, half joking. “Honestly, who really gets to

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