“Gross.”
I let out another chuckle and moved closer. “Neon—”
“It’s okay, Swan Lake. I’m fine. You, on the other hand,” she took a breath and closed her eye briefly, “you look like shit.” Her words came out with shallow breaths. She was exhausted. “Let me guess, you’re on another hunger strike?”
I didn’t say anything. I simply stood there, still trying to accept the fact that she was alive and breathing. It was really her.
“Do me a favor, would ya? Don’t hate the boss man.”
“What do you mean?”
She closed her eye and took a breath. “I made Granite promise me he wouldn’t tell you.”
“What? Why?” I leaned with my elbow on the bed, lightly touching her arm with my fingers.
She smiled half-heartedly. “You’re too fragile for this world, Swan Lake. You were already tearing at the seams. I didn’t want you to see me like this.”
“Neon—”
“I’m serious, Alyx. Believe me, if I had my way, you wouldn’t be here right now. But these assholes overruled me.” She rolled her eyes. “Plus, Onyx told me you weren’t eating, so I figured I’d let Granite off the hook and tell you.”
I reached out to gently touch the side of her face, but thought better of it, afraid I might hurt her. “He promised you, huh?”
“Yup.” She let out a breath, and I could hear she was tired.
I glanced up at Granite. “So, he was just doing whatneededto be done.”
“Exactly. He might be a pain in the ass, Swan Lake, but his word is solid.”
“Yeah,” I breathed while keeping my gaze on him for a second longer, starting to see the bigger picture of what was going on.
“Listen,” Neon started, “I’m about to crash. Just,” she opened her eye, staring at me for a moment, “eat something, would you? No one likes a bony ass.”
I chuckled. “Only if you promise to get better soon.”
“Deal. Now, leave. You assholes are giving me a headache. That includes you, Ink.”
“Not a chance.”
“Jesus. What does a person have to do to get you to leave? Die?”
Ink crossed his arms. “Not even then.”
“Fuck,” she cursed. “Asshole.”
I smiled. “Neon, you have no idea how happy I am to know you’re alive.”
“Yeah, you and me both, Swan Lake.” Her words slurred, and within seconds, her breath found a slow rhythm as she fell asleep.
A hand wrapped around my elbow, and I knew it was Granite by the way my skin tingled underneath his touch. “Come on.”
I met his eyes. “Promise me I can come see her again.”
“Alyx—”
“Promise me.”
He let out a breath then answered me with a simple nod. But I took a moment to look at him, my heart aching, and a gnawing pain slowly tearing at my insides. Granite was tearing me apart…little by little.