It’s been one week since Nico has got his headphones. One week since he started learning how to play the piano, guitar and God knows what other instruments. And only one day left for the date I dread every single year.

  Tomorrow, it’s my mom’s death anniversary…And I need Inez’s help to make it out of the hospital. Now you might be wondering why do I need her? I have already gone out of the hospital multiple times including when I had to get the plushie for Nico.

  The truth is, I’m scared—scared of how my dad will react seeing the very cause of his beloved’s death…me.

  That’s why I need Inez to come with me, to ground me when I’m trembling. I just need her there.

  Will she agree to this? I don’t know. Breaking out of the hospital she works in, to go to an unknown place with one of her patients? Sounds like something for which she will slap me on the face if I even consider doing it. But unfortunately, she will have no other choice except to agree, because if she doesn’t—let’s just say a few doctors would be dead by the morning. Now she wouldn’t want that would she?

  I pace around the room impatiently, waiting for her to come and when she does, she instantly figures out something’s off. Honestly, I’m not surprise. Even I myself know that my shoulders are too tense, my face too troubled and my eyes too anxious.

  “What’s wrong?” She asks her gaze calculating, as if trying to figure out the answer before I say it myself.

  “I need your help” I reply plainly. Those four fucking words wound my ego. I’m never the one asking for help but right now…for the first time in heaven knows how long…I really need it. I don’t really give a damn about how she reacts to my request because at the end, I will have my own way, or else at least five people in here will loose there lives by tomorrow morning and Inez will be forced to watch, forced to live with the guilt of five deaths, just like I have been living with twenty-four.

  She looks quite shocked by my request . “Oh? And in what?”

  Here goes nothing, “Just listen to me first before cutting me off ok…pls…I need you to help me break out of this place. Just for a day.” She lets out a scoff. “Why do you need to go out?”

  I swallow a lump in my throat “Because it’s my mom’s death anniversary.” That makes her expression shift from professionalism to one of pity and slight shock, but she doesn’t give in.

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  She narrows her eyes at me. “Why do you need me huh? You already broke out of this place once to get the plushie for Nico. You can do it yourself. I’m not coming Riven.”

  “But Inez, you don’t get it…just come with me please. I don’t want to be alone in front of my dad. He won’t talk to me anyways. At least I could try to talk to him through you”

  “Riven I said no. I don’t care if your dad doesn’t talk to you or whatever. I can’t come. Do you even know what could happen if the management finds out I helped you with this?” And there’s that defiance I’m slowly getting fucking addicted to.

  Pretty shrink doesn’t know that I have broken out multiple times. Of course, I knew she was going to say no. That’s why I have a plan B ready. I look at her, and I can tell she sees the madness in my gaze.

  “Either you come with me, or I swear to heavens above, I’m going to kill all the doctors in here, while forcing you to watch. Its either you come with me, or five of your colleagues die. The choice is yours Inez.”

  She takes a step back, damn, she’s scared of me for the first time, and oh I like it.

  “Riven are you fucking crazy?”

  “I always have been”

  She looks at me trying to search for the Riven who gave gifts to Nico, the one who almost killed Asher for her, but unfortunately, I change based on my what I need from her and right now I need her to come with me. A part of me does feel bad for doing this, for threatening her in such a inhumane way but I’m just doing what supposed to be done.

  I see her warring with herself. Of course she doesn’t know what the fuck to do. After all this was completely unexpected for her wasn’t it.

  The next words she says has a triumphant grin forming on my face.

  “Fuckface, I will come. What other choice do you leave me huh?”

  She takes a resigned sigh. Which had the grin on my face widening “perfect, we leave tonight, find a place to spend the night at and then go to my dad’s house first thing next morning.”

  I know I’m acting like a fucking child throwing tantrums when not given his favourite toy. I know I’m being such a dick. Leaving her with no other option other than to comply but I need her there with me. I can’t face my dad alone…

  Not after mom killed herself because of me…