After the altercation with Ben, Jade left, to enjoy her last hours of freedom before going back to her own hell. I join Freddie, always focused on his canvas. He notices my upset expression when I take up position next to him.

"What happened?" he asksme, resting his light blue brush.

I shake my head, disgusted by what has just happened. I lean forward. My arms are on my knees and my hands are crossed. I don't want to dwell on my friend, who's been through enough already.

"What kind of leaves do you want to put in your... thing?" I ask him, distracted, vaguely showing his canvas.

Freddie swivels on his stool to face me. He wears a little derogatory pout and makes me confide in him. I sigh before I stand up.

"A friend came to see me and... everything was going well, until I saw Stella in the company of that sack of shit Ben", I say, upset. "I followed them and he was still attacking her! If I had not held back, I think I could have killed him on the spot!"

My fists are tight and my jaw tense. I see his psychopathic head again and I can still hear his dirty laugh. This guy really pukes me out.

"Well, Ben's the worst", Freddie says, shaking his head. "And with Stella, where are we with this wedding project?"

I note his touch of humour, but after what I just saw, I'm not in the mood to joke. But since this is about Freddie, I decide to answer him in the same tone.

- Let's say the date of the ceremony has been postponed, I reply.

- Oh...

A silence settles between us. Freddie returns to his work. The upper part of the canvas is covered with light blue and some touches of white, resembling a little cloudy sky.

"What do you know about him?" I askhim.

Freddie turns to me again.

"Well? Not much. He hasn't been working here long," he tells me. "He arrived shortly before Stella, in fact... And, now that I think about it, he revolves a lot around her..."

This thought makes me sick. He revolves around her ... She cannot be attracted to this monster. Imagining them together makes me shiver with horror.

"What do you think he wants from her?" I keep asking.

He just shrugs. I'm no further ahead. Now I have a whole bunch of unpleasant images in my head. However, the little I saw from their discussion makes me think that their relationship is not as friendly as it seems. He yelled at her, ordering her to do what he told her to do. I hope he doesn't force her to do things against her will, otherwise I won't answer for myself.

And this is the second time he's suggested to me that he knows things that I don't understand, in addition to my secret, that he's threatened to reveal. Just for that, he deserved my punch in the face. What's he trying to tell me, in the end?

As if the immersion itself was not already exhausting, I have to face this kind of bullshit.

Freddie's distant voice comes to my ears and, I realize he's waving his hand in front of my eyes to get me out of my dreams.

"Did you listen to what I said to you?" he asks, annoyed.

- Uh... yeah... no, actually...

"I told you that, despite everything, you should be careful," he concludes.

"I agree. I've seen what he's capable of, so I'll be on my guard to make sure that...."

"Ah, but I'm not talking about Ben," he cuts me off, "even if he's an asshole. No, I was talking about Stella."

I widen my eyes, surprised by this reflection.

"How can you say that? You don't know her."

I try to stay as calm as possible, even if I feel a form of frustration in me. But I have Freddie in front of me. I have to restrain myself.

"At the risk of repeating myself, neither do you" he points out. "You certainly spoke to her, you got closer, but... afterwards?" What do you know about her, other than her first name? I really don't know what she did to you to make you so blind!

Blind? What am I supposed to see?

"If you are so far-sighted, please enlighten me!" I ask him, annoyed.

"She's not like other patients," he says.

I agree with him. She is really different.

"I have a bad feeling about her," he continues. "I cannot explain it, but I have the impression that she is hiding a big secret. And... what's going to come out of it won't be pleasant..."

His revelations leave me amazed. Does he know anything? Or is it just a sensation? I remember that he never spoke to her... Did he hear anything?

"Freddie, if you know something, please tell me, I beg you."

My friend turns to me, puzzled.

"I don't know anything, Brody. I'm just telling you what she inspires me, and it's anything but trust..."

Why is he so suspicious of her? He had already expressed his reservations about her behaviour, which was understandable, but he never saw the aspect that she chose to reveal to me.

"I think you're wrong. It's thanks to her that I was able to come and see you in the medical wing", I tell him.

"I also hope. I don't want her to break your heart... We know where all this can lead," he says, thinking.

My friend's skepticism troubles me. But, I still choose to trust my instinct that Stella has more problems than she really poses...

******