Right when the nurse asks, Irène appears behind her.

"I brushed my teeth," she says showing the toothpaste and toothbrush and I breathe a sigh of relief.

Fuck, I also need to make myself look a bit more decent.

We sit at the desk and the nurse leaves while we pretend to study until Martha finishes cleaning.

I hand Irène the key under the desk and I dry off my hands on my pants. I have never been this scared before.

"Good job, you are studying a lot," Irène says to me in a sarcastic tone and I understand she is talking about the plan.

Martha looks at us and she finishes cleaning the room. She tells us good night and she leaves.

"She has a few other rooms," Irène explains and I nod.

I stand up as quickly as the door is closed and I grab a chapstick, toothpaste, and a hairbrush, and some better-looking clothes.

I don't want to look like a train wreck after I haven't seen him in a month and I know I look different because of this place.

"Aw." Irène knows what I'm trying to do and she laughs.

"He isn't worth it," she says and I stop before opening the door and I look deeply into her green eyes.

"What's your problem? You don't even know him!" I say and she shrugs.

"I'm always right," she says and I scoff, smashing the door behind me.

I walk to the bathroom and I brush my teeth and comb my hair, apply a bit of light makeup and change my clothes. Nothing fancy but I look way better.

When I walk back to the room she doesn't even give me enough time to arrange the stuff back to how they were and she grabs my hand.

We leave the room as it was, lights turned on, books all over the bed and desk as if we are still studying and music.

It's barely eleven pm and I hope Derek got here.

She grips my arm tighter and forces me to follow her through the hallway.

Another door is open and I assume it's Martha cleaning. We walk quietly past it and as soon as get near the stairs, we run downstairs.

"God. I hope no one catches us," I whisper and Irène hisses at me.

"Shut up."

We finally get to the exit door and my legs are shaking, I could probably just faint and stay on the floor.

She opens the exit door without even looking back and we walk out, but a guard way older than us gets right in front of us.

"Where do you th-" He stops himself when he notices Irène. He looks her up and down.

"I could get fired," he says and I take a few seconds to look better at him as the dull light is shining on his face.

He must be in his late twenties but I'm not sure. He looks too old for her.

"Oh, come on, you did worse things that could get you fired, even arrested," she says in a flirty tone as her hand touches his arm, leaving it there for longer than necessary. Well, not necessary at all.

The last two words also seemed a threat.

I wish I could unhear her words.

"Is she leaving too?" A few curls of dirty blonde hair fall on his forehead but he doesn't brush them off.

Irène shakes her head.

"This is too risky. It would be better if she left with you," the guard whispers and we both shake our heads in disapproval.

I can't leave, I have nowhere to go and I'd eventually be caught.

"I'm only staying for ten minutes," I explain and he sighs.

We walk to the backyard and it's massive, the fences also seem taller than I expected. Irène turns to me with a big smile.

She quickly wraps her hands around me and it's taking me a few seconds to realize she is trying to hug me and not murder me.

"I didn't like you that much at first but you helped me so, maybe we'll meet again," she says in a lower tone and I nod exchanging her hug.

Irène lets go and I murmur to her, "good luck."

"You will need it." She winks before turning her back to me and she walks to the tall fences. She doesn't even stop for a second to think, she climbs it so fast I'm impressed. It's like she is used to this.

I go closer to the fences and I remember what I told Dominic, I hope he explained it well to Derek.

I hear a car pass by on the other street and my heart starts racing.

I'm so excited but so nervous to see him. I missed him.

I'm starting to realize how attached I have grown to be to him.

The sound goes away and I sigh disappointed, I let my head down for a few seconds but then I remember to look behind my back.

I take a few looks around the backyard but there isn't anyone and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"I don't want another month here," I mutter to myself and I continue looking at the immense fences in front of me.

I press my back against the fence and I look at the stars for a few minutes. I wonder what my dad would say about me, I think of him so often.

I doubt he would even approve of Derek, maybe because of the age difference, or his past.

But I know Derek better than anyone. I think I'm a better person than I was back when I first met him. Slightly.

We fought right before I overdosed, I thought I lost him forever.

Risking everything so I can see him for ten minutes, I just hope he comes.

It feels like ten minutes already passed and he isn't here. No car passes anymore and Irène didn't leave the phone here, I can't even check up on Dominic to see if Derek is near.

I'm starting to worry as I wrap my hands around the fence bars and try to peek through it better.

Nothing.

What if he doesn't come? What if he is truly done with me? What if something happened?

I try to take a few deep breaths in and relax my mind and my body because it tensed up.

I have no idea what time is it but it seems like it's been already too long, if I don't go back now they will find me. Not even the guard will be able to save me.

I should wait a bit more because once I get back inside, I won't get any other chance.

The deep breaths aren't helping anymore as I realize it's been too long. I need to go back in. Now.

I look through the fence bars again and my legs start shaking, I feel like I'm glued to the grass.

What if he comes right as I leave? I need to give him a bit more time no matter the risk.

Dominic said it's a long ride. I know Derek wouldn't lie to him about wanting to meet me and then not come. I know he wouldn't.

I repeat the last phrase a hundred times to try to convince myself but I'm not so sure of it.

I tap my fingers on the fence and every time a car passes my heart skips a beat, I try to get on my tiptoes to see if it's him.

"Veronica Reeves!" a woman yells my name and I feel a bunch of lights on me and steps running towards me.

I start feeling like I can't breathe, I touch my chest and I try to slow down my heartbeat by aching for air for a bit. I don't dare to turn around as they reach me and one of them touches me.

I got caught.

~

They didn't even walk me back to my room, they immediately sent me to the office and they talked to my mom.

My mom wanted to talk to me but I refused and I sat on the chair, waiting for them to decide what to do with me while questioning me about Irène.

I decided to not tell them anything about her, I pretended to not know what they are talking about and lied that I needed a breath of fresh air.

They didn't buy it.

My eyes filled with tears and they thought it was because I got one more month in therapy.

No, it was because Derek didn't come. It broke my heart to think that he is done with me and that I won't have any chance to contact him again for another month.

I don't know if something happened to him or he just didn't want to come, but I know I'm going insane here and he was my last hope to get through this hell.