All Chapters of ECHOES OF TRUTH: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The words didn't seem to come out of me. The soft scent of Logan's cologne invaded my nose, making me more aware of his closeness. His cheek brushed against mine as he moved down to give me a short kiss on the neck. Logan... - Logan pulled back, breaking all contact between us. My body protested; I wanted him close to me. His gray eyes met mine, and I felt the blood fill my cheeks. Logan smirked, showing his straight white teeth. God, he has a perfect smile. You're blushing. No. He didn't know why I denied the obvious. It was too embarrassing. So? “I’m not going to kiss you,” I said, looking away, his eyes too intense to hold for long. His hand grasped my chin, making me face him again. Why not? I remembered his words clearly: I want you to be absolutely sure that this is what you want because once you let me taste your lips, I won't rest until I claim every part of you. Because... I felt like his eyes could see right through me. - I... - Logan raised an eyebrow, waiting fo

His short answer left me breathless. "What do you know?" "Why would I tell you?" "Please." I didn't feel ashamed to beg; if he knew something, I would plead for him to tell me. Mason tilted his head again. “Take the blindfold off my eyes, and I’ll answer one of your questions.” "I don't think that's a good idea." "So, I have no motivation to answer you," he said casually. "You see, Anaís, I get bored easily; I need motivation to do the simplest thing." "I'm not stupid; you're dangerous. They have you this way for a reason." "If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already," he replied, sounding confident. "It's not me you have to be careful of." "So, whose?" He didn't respond. I knew he was waiting for me to take off the bandage. I considered my options; I would have to get too close to be able to take it off. Dr. Altman had made me promise to keep a certain distance from him. "You're wasting valuable time considering it; just do it," his voice remained calm and cold.

"I can't breathe!" I screamed, taking deep breaths of air in desperation because they were stuck in my throat and wouldn't reach my lungs. "Anaís, look at me." Logan's voice sounded more demanding this time. I obeyed him, meeting those grey eyes. "You're okay; you're having a panic attack. You're going to be okay." "I'm going to die," I murmured, terrified. "You're not going to die; try to control your breathing." "I can't breathe." I grabbed my chest tightly. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I can't feel my limbs. I can't breathe. Soon my heart will stop; I'll have respiratory arrest. These thoughts kept running through my mind, terrifying me. "You're hyperventilating; you're not going to die," Logan assured me, holding my face carefully. "This is going to pass; you're going to be okay." Lie. Lie. He lies. You're going to die. The security in his beautiful eyes calmed me a little, but it wasn't enough to stop the repetitive thoughts that had me shaking with fear. I'm get

Entering the café, I began to find a table while Lyra and Yang-zi went to get the hot chocolate. I sat down, resting my chin on the palms of my hands. My eyes wandered over to the food section, and I was surprised to see a very familiar face there. His green eyes met mine, and I realized how much I missed him. Xander said something to the person next to him and walked over to me. He was wearing his cafeteria uniform and a chef-like hat. "Hey, weirdo," he said to me when he got to the table. He looked very nice in that outfit. "Hi, what a nice surprise." "Yes, I have a new job to entertain myself. My psychologist calls it shock therapy—exposing me to my fears." He paused for a moment. "You know, there are a lot of germs and contact in the kitchen." "Oh, I didn't know there was such therapy." Xander shrugged. "Me neither. Let's hope it works out." His eyes fell on the bracelet around my wrist. "I see you liked my gift." I ran my fingers over the bracelet, remembering how I

My footsteps echoed down the long hallway on the second floor. I was already feeling comfortable walking through, having come from Dr. Newman's office. This floor looked a lot like the first and definitely not creepy like the third. There were patients walking around freely, but there were also some closed doors like on the third floor. I assumed there were more stable patients than others. After passing by a skinny girl with greasy hair who was whispering to the walls, I looked up and stopped dead. Mason. I stopped breathing as I watched him walk in my direction. No straitjacket, no restraints. I'd never seen him standing, and I was struck by how ridiculously tall he was. He was thin but not skeletal, and his black hair still looked messy, as if he ran his hands through it constantly. The difference in the color of his eyes always surprised me. His face, however, made me frown. He had a large bruise under his left eye, and his lower lip was split. What happened? I remembered