Page 103 of Depraved

“Why?” I yelled, not realizing I was crying until I tasted the salt on my lips. “Why did you lie?”

“I did what I needed to do.”

“Bullshit!”

Granite let go of my arms, and I managed to slap him across the face, his head jerking to the side. I gasped and swallowed hard after I realized what I had done.

Granite pulled his lips in a thin line, jaw clenched. “I guess I deserved that.” A glimmer of anger flashed across his green irises, and a chill ran up my spine. “But that is the last time you ever hit me. Do you understand me?”

“You lied to me, you mo⁠—”

“Do you. Understand me?”

I refused to respond to his demand of obedience. Who the fuck did he think he was, telling me what I could and could not do after he just dropped the biggest fucking bomb on me? “I can’t believe you lied to me.”

“I did. But I’m telling you the truth now.”

“After you let me grieve for fuck knows how long.”

Granite moved to the other side of the bathroom, leaning against the wall.

I was frozen on the spot, unable to move. “She’s really alive?”

“Yes, Alyx.” He leaned his head back, staring at the roof. “Neon is alive.”

“Oh, my God.” I wiped at the tears with the back of my hand. “I can’t believe it. How? Where?” I shook my head. “When did you find her?”

Granite shifted against the wall and rubbed the back of his neck. “We found her that same day.”

“You what?”

He stared at me with that goddamn pity in his eyes, like I was some stupid girl who got fooled so easily.

My skin went ice cold, my palms damp. “You knew all along.” It wasn’t a question. “When you told me she was dead, you knew.”

He remained silent, standing against the wall and watching me like I was about to break apart.

I sat back down on the edge of the tub. “Why in God’s name would you lie to me about this?”

He shrugged, eyes never leaving mine. “I knew you’d want to see her if you knew she was alive, and I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Why not?”

“Jesus, Alyx. Those Pythons really did a number on her. You couldn’t even handle a simple goddamn picture of her. How the fuck would you have handled seeing her after we found her beaten up and left for dead, huh? We didn’t even think she’d fucking make it.”

I stood and finally gathered the strength to wrap a towel around me. “And you thought letting me think she was dead would make me feel, what? Better?” I narrowed my eyes at him in disbelief. “You really thought you were doing me a fucking favor by letting me think she’s dead?”

“Believe me. I did.”

“Fuck you.” The words darted out of my mouth without me even thinking it. “Fuck you, Granite.”

He snickered, a sarcastic edge to the sound. “Guess I deserved that too.”

I gritted my teeth. “You deserve so much more than that.”

“Don’t I know it.” He pushed himself off the wall and stomped out to the bedroom.

I followed him. “I want to see her.”