Ruins of Temptation (Corium University Trilogy 4)

She falls back a step, hitting the wall. Folding her arms, she leans against it. “I didn’t know that, either.”

“Now you do.”

“I did it because he could have killed me easily, and he did kill part of me… he was the one who drugged me that night. That’s what he told me when he attacked me. He gave me the drug that caused me to lose my baby.”

“Baby… I… I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry that you lost someone you loved, but I’m not sorry that I defended myself.”

“I know he wasn’t a good person, but he was the only person I had.”

For a few minutes, a heavy silence hangs between us. I don’t want to believe that Nash went that far, but deep down, I know he did it. I always knew he was capable of terrible things. I just chose to look past it because I was so desperate for him to love me.

When I look back up, Aspen screws up her face like she’s concentrating hard. What is she doing? Probably thinking about how to end me.

“Okay. We have to get you out of here.”

“Oh, sure. I was just thinking the same thing.” I roll my eyes. “Let me guess, by getting out, you mean to kill and throw my dead body out?”

“No. I mean it. You’re leaving, as in walking out of here. Now.”

The thing is, she looks serious. I was already starting to wonder if she was playing with a full deck, the way my aunt used to say. It was one thing when she was so desperate to be friends with me. But this is a whole other level of crazy. “Why?”

“Because I believe in giving people second chances.”

“I thought I already fucked up my second chance.”

“Okay, maybe a third chance… Look, I don’t know why I see this good person in you, but something tells me it’s there and that you are worth giving a real chance. One away from all of this.”

“How exactly do you think that’s going to work?”

She looks me up and down. “I stashed a coat and hat in a closet near the entrance. There’s some cash in the pocket. You need to take the helicopter to Takotna, then get on a plane. Once you get to North Woods, you can use it to go wherever else you need to go.”

My mouth falls open. Either she is playing a cruel joke on me or I’m hallucinating.

“Wait a second. You were already planning on this?”

“I only wanted to talk to you first. I just had to know why you tricked me. Now I do.”

“And you still want to help me?”

“Come on. We’re wasting time.” She checks her phone, frowning. “I came down here specifically at this time because the guards change shifts in around two minutes. They always bullshit for a little while, catching each other up on whatever happened during the day. That should give us time to get upstairs before anybody knows you’re gone.”

“Hang on, just wait.” I stand, trembling with excitement but also skeptical as I’ve ever been. “How do I know this is for real? What if you’re going to sneak me out of here because your husband and his friends want to beat the hell out of me and leave me bleeding out in the snow?”

“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me, aren’t you?”

“No offense, but that’s not so easy to do.”

“I’m not the one who has lied. I’m not the one who pretended to be your friend just so somebody else could hurt you.”

“Ever heard of such a thing as revenge?”

“Yeah, I know all about it. And I know what a waste of time it is.” She checks the time again, and her frown deepens. “Come on. We don’t have much time. Are you in or not?”

On the one hand, I’m still pretty sure this is all a ploy for Quinton to kill me.

On the other hand, what’s the alternative? Waiting even longer for the inevitable? Besides, even though I shouldn’t, part of me believes her. Maybe my brain’s going soft after being isolated all this time.

She stands by the door, staring at her phone, waiting for the right moment. “Are you ready?” she whispers.

I nod, hoping nobody is checking out the security feed just now. “I hope you’re right about this,” I whisper back.

“I am. Just follow me, and don’t say a word.” She opens the door just far enough that she’s able to peer out into the hall. Once she’s satisfied, she opens it another few inches before slipping through the gap and waving me out behind her. It’s now or never.

I step out of the cell. Finally, I’m out.

And now I’m in more danger than ever, as Aspen closes the door, then takes me by the hand. I’m hardly strong enough to run, but I have to do this. I have to make it out of here. Once I’m in North Woods, I can finally get to the house Nash told me to find. The address is burned in my memory. If there’s enough cash in the coat pocket to get a cab from the airport, I’m home free.