He shook his head, but his denying me this only fueled my defiance. “You owe me that. After everything you’ve put me through, you fucking owe me at least this.”
His gaze cut to mine, and in that moment I saw the blame, the remorse…the pain. It was right there, all of it. I could practically feel it, the air around us laden with it—his guilt. But my anger didn’t allow me to give a damn.
He sighed. “Get dressed, Alyx.”
“Will you let me see her?”
He leaned his head back, rolling his shoulders. “Get dressed, and I’ll take you to her.”
If I wasn’t so angry, I would have thanked him. But I hated him too much to give him even a tiny bit of gratitude.
Relieved, I rushed over to the pile of clothes that had been placed on the chair in the corner. It had been there ever since I woke up in this room the first time. I grabbed the first shirt and pants I could find and pulled them on. Granite watched me; I felt it. But I didn’t care. I also didn’t care that his gaze moved across every contour of my body, all the way down, and back up again.
Pulling my wet hair out from underneath the shirt, I looked at him. “Let’s go. Which hospital is she in?”
Granite’s expression remained stone. “She’s not in a hospital.”
“What? Then where is she?”
“Come on.” He opened the door and stood to the side, allowing me to walk out first.
I shot him a cautious look. “Granite?”
He nodded toward the door. “Go on.”
I kept my eyes on him as I took slow, hesitant steps. My mind was one huge vortex of confusion, and it scared me since I couldn’t make sense of what the fuck was happening.
I walked out, and Granite followed. “Walk straight down the hall, then to your right.”
I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Where are we going?”
“Just walk, ballerina girl.”
The hall was dimly lit, and I glanced up at the roof, noticing all the air vents. Slowly, I took one step at a time, glancing from the roof to the walls to the floor. Every now and then I glanced over my shoulder at Granite, making sure he was still there. My pulse raced, my skin clammy. I wondered if this was what it felt like to be on death row, walking straight to my own demise.
Hesitantly, I turned to the right at the end of the hall and saw Onyx standing in front of a door. The look on his face was unnerving—something between worry and pity as he watched me walk closer.
“Onyx?” My voice was barely audible.
He smiled, but it failed at reassuring me. “It’s okay, Alyx.”
“What is going on?” I stopped in front of him. “You knew?”
He nodded, a half-smile on his face. “I did.”
I glanced back at Granite. “Everyone knew?”
Granite stared at me without fucking blinking.
Onyx placed his hands on my shoulders. “I need you to forget everything you think you know.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m sure you have a picture inside your head of what you’re about to see.” The expression on his face fell, his eyes saddened. “Forget that picture.”
“Onyx, what are you trying to say?” My heart started to thump hard against my chest, fear slowly smothering my anger.
“What I’m saying is that whatever you think you’re about to see, it’s far worse.”