Chapter 16

As the monitor beeped sharply, Alder writhed violently on the hospital bed with cold sweat soaking through his patient's gown. "Hold him down!" "His blood pressure is spiking! Administer the sedative!" As the cool liquid flowed into his veins, his mind grew clearer. All the memories that he had been forced to forget flooded his mind and dragged him into a nightmare he couldn't escape. … "Alder, I don't know how to solve this question." 17-year-old Zoe leaned over his desk as the ends of her hair brushed against his arm and carried the faint scent of gardenias. His fingers holding the pen tensed slightly, and ink spread across the paper beneath his hand. "Can you not solve a question this easy?" Alder heard his cold voice say, but he couldn't stop his gaze from drifting toward her slightly pouting lips. "Just teach me, alright?" She tugged at his sleeve and swayed it gently, her eyes sparkling like stars. He abruptly stood up, and the chair screeched harshly across the floor.