"What is this, Eli?" Charles asked. He wasn't screaming like last night. It was quiet, and that made it ten times worse.
"Charles... I'm leaving," I whispered. "I'm going back to the mansion."
Charles let out this dry, disbelieving laugh, rubbing his face. "Leaving. Right. Back to the mansion?" He stepped into the room, his eyes locking onto the shirt in my hands. "You're going back to them. After everything we talked about last night? After what you went through?"
"It's not what you think, I swear," I stammered, twisting the fabric of the shirt tightly. "Noel came to the cafe because... because he offered me a way out."
"A way out?!" Charles finally snapped, his voice cracking with frustration as he pointed around the room. "Eli, you've been there for five minutes! They framed you! They dragged you down the stairs like trash! What the hell could that guy possibly offer you that makes you want to jump right back into the fire?"
