Free Web NovelChapter 19: The escape
WILLA
"Excuse me," Verah said, her voice dropping into something sultry and very much not natural.
I stayed where I was, watching.
Like I said, I was the last person who should be doing this. My charm was nonexistent. I would ruin it before it even began.
Verah leaned over the desk, slow and intentional, her smile turning soft, almost playful. Her lashes fluttered as she fixed her gaze on the officer.
He was good-looking—round face, stubble lining his jaw, wavy brown hair but his expression didn’t change.
"Yeah?" he said flatly.
"Officer Rowan?" Verah asked, reading the name on his badge. Her voice just a little too sweet.
His eyes flicked to her for a second. "Who’s asking?"
Then drifted away again. I groaned internally. This was a disaster. He wasn’t even looking at her.
But Verah only smiled.
She turned slightly, just enough to catch my eye and winked. Then she faced him again.
Her fingers slid to the edge of her neckline, gripping it lightly. And pulled.
I flushed instantly, looking away only to glance back despite myself. His attention had snapped.
Not to her face.
"Is it just me," Verah breathed, fanning herself slowly, "or is it suddenly very hot in here?"
He blinked once. "What?"
"Hot," she repeated, softer now. "Like I can’t breathe..."
Her hand rose to her forehead as she swayed and then she dropped.
"Hey—!"
The chair scraped loudly as Officer Rowan shot to his feet, catching her before she hit the floor. He dragged her back against the desk, one hand gripping her arm, the other braced against the surface.
"You okay?" he asked, his tone sharper now, attention fully on her.
That...actually worked. I almost laughed in disbelief.
My gaze shifted from Verah, still slumped against the desk, to Officer Rowan. He didn’t look like the kind of man who would fall for something that easily.
At first glance, he had seemed completely uninterested, like he would dismiss Verah without a second thought.
Until she adjusted her dress. Maybe that had been the plan all along.
Verah let out a dramatic gasp, snapping me out of my thoughts. "I think I’m going to hurl!" ƒreewebɳovel.com
Her skin had taken on a sickly tint, sweat beading along her forehead. She looked like she might actually throw up at any second.
If I didn’t know better, I would’ve believed it. I glanced at Officer Rowan. The lines on his face deepened.
He believed her. "Can you stand?" he asked.
Verah didn’t answer.
His gaze swept the room, searching, before settling on me. He gave a small nod, motioning me closer.
I stepped forward and stopped just behind her.
"She’s your friend, right?" he asked.
I nodded. He studied me for a moment, like he was weighing his next move.
Verah gagged again, clapping a hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook.
"She’s really going to throw up," I said quickly, running a hand through her hair. "She ate something earlier and it’s just hitting her now."
Officer Rowan’s jaw tightened.
"Bathroom’s down the hallway." He pointed toward a narrow corner of the room. His tone hardened, matching the look in his eyes. "Go. And come straight back. Don’t try anything funny."
I nodded again, keeping quiet.
I pulled Verah away from the desk and headed in the direction he had indicated. I expected her to drop the act the moment we were out of sight, maybe even laugh about it.
Instead, she slipped from my grip, yanked the door open, and rushed inside.
The sound of retching echoed almost immediately. I followed her in and shut the door behind me.
Verah was bent over the toilet, gripping her stomach tightly.
I moved closer, leaning down slightly. "Are you okay?" I asked, rubbing her back.
She groaned and shook her head.
"I think I drank too much," she said weakly.
Too much? That didn’t seem right. She had looked completely fine earlier.
I helped her stand and guided her to the sink. Turning on the tap, I watched as she splashed cold water over her face, then rinsed her mouth.
After a moment, she straightened. We stepped back out.
"What now?" I asked, reminding her of the plan, though I wasn’t convinced it would actually work.
Verah frowned slightly, her eyes darting around the room, scanning every corner... even the ceiling, like she expected something to drop from it.
Then she leaned closer to me and said in a low, conspiratorial voice, "We’re running."
I blinked at her. "Running?"
I glanced around to make sure no one was watching us. "Are you crazy? We’ll get charged!"
I had never been in a prison before, but I knew enough. Running while under arrest only made things worse. Even if this was academy police, the consequences could easily spiral into something far more serious.
"Charged?" Verah scoffed, rolling her eyes. "We’re not criminals. The worst thing we did was sneak out."
"That’s still an offense," I pointed out.
She ignored me.
Verah stepped toward a door and pressed her palm against it, then leaned in, placing her ear against the surface. Her eyes shut tightly, her expression focused.
I frowned, watching her. "What are you—"
"This is an exit," she said, cutting me off.
"Oh," I muttered.
"Let’s go." She grabbed the handle and pulled.
The door gave way instantly, ripping off its hinges like it had never been secured in the first place.
My eyes widened. A soft gasp spilling out of my mouth. "Amazing," I breathed.
Verah didn’t let me stare for long. She grabbed my hand and dragged me forward, pulling me through before I could admire the damage any further.
The moment we stepped outside, cold air hit my face, sharp and sudden. My hair whipped wildly, and I pushed it back with my free hand.
"The woods!" Verah said. "We are taking that path."
It seemed like the best option. Fewer people. Less chance of being spotted. And right now, being unseen mattered more than anything else.
"Where do you think you’re going, young ladies?"
The command cut through the air, calm but laced with authority.
Verah shrieked, jerking away from me as she let go of my hand and stumbled back.
I turned sharply. My gaze collided with a pair of grey eyes.
