Page 42 of All The Pretty Little Lies

I devour the sandwich in record time, barely pausing to breathe between bites. The soup is equally delicious, rich and creamy, with a hint of basil. I use the remaining half of my sandwich to soak up every last drop, savoring each mouthful. Talon retrieves my bowl and refills it.

“It’s okay to ask for more if you’re still hungry,” he reminds me.

As I eat, I'm acutely aware of the others watching me. Zaire leans against the kitchen counter, his eyes never leaving my face. Talon busies himself cleaning up, but I can feel his gaze flicking to me every few seconds. And Alex sits quietly beside me, his presence both comforting and unsettling.

“You said I saw a doctor. Did they…find anything?”

“Your bloodwork is fine. Outside of the sedative in your system and some elevated hormone levels,” Zaire answers flatly.

“What about…?” I mutter, trying to figure out how to ask four men about my reproductive health. I had never talked about stuff like this with anyone. Not even my mother. “What about what they did to me? The Shadow Man, I mean.”

“The doctor would need to see you to be sure.”

The idea of going back to a sterile white room makes me shiver. Zaire catches my reaction.

“Whether or not you get physically examined is your choice.”

“What if I am pregnant?” I blurt out.

“You’re not,” Talon interjects through gritted teeth. “They gave you a contraceptive injection prior to the auction. There was also a certificate certifying your ‘intact’ status.”

Relief fills me quickly before embarrassment at the fact my captors had a certificate to certify they hadn’t defiled me. The thought that all four of them know I’m still a virgin is awkward to say the least.

“I have the file if you want to see it,” Talon declares.

“Burn it.” The last thing I want to see is a bill of sale for my body. It would make it too real.

I settle into a quiet silence. My soup is no longer steaming in front of me. Talon retrieves the bowl, dumping out the cold soup and replaces it with more from the pot. I focus on eating rather than the swirling, chaotic mess inside of my head.

When I finally set down my spoon, feeling full for the first time in what feels like forever, Alex clears his throat.

“Do you remember much about your time with them?”

Zaire immediately interrupts him. “Now is not the time, Alex. Let her enjoy her fucking meal.”

“Studies show that you remember more within the first day or so…”

“I don’t give a fuck about what study you’ve read, jackass. I said no.”

"What do you want to know?" I ask, my voice stronger now that I've eaten.

Zaire shifts uncomfortably, exchanging a glance with Talon. Alex takes a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. I'm about to press Alex for more information when the kitchen door swings open. My heart leaps into my throat as Oscar walks in, his piercing blue eyes immediately locking onto mine. The room falls silent, tension crackling in the air like static electricity.

Oscar looks different from how I remember. His hair is longer, brushing his collar, and there's a new hardness to his jaw. A thin scar runs along his left cheekbone, a stark reminder that time hasn't stood still while I was gone.

"It's good to see you awake." He takes a step towards me, and I flinch involuntarily. Oscar freezes, pain flashing across his face before his expression smooths into an unreadable mask. “About last night,” he starts.

“I already apologized,” Zaire interrupts.

“I’m glad, but that’s not what I was going to say,” he looks towards his twin before redirecting back to me. “I want to apologize for startling you. I should never have stayed in your room.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t,” he answers. “You’ve had your choices stripped away from you for so long, and I did the same fucking thing by staying there. It won’t happen again.”

"How long?" I ask, the question burning in my throat. "How long was I...?"

Oscar's eyes flicker to Zaire, then back to me. "Two years," he says softly. "You've been gone for two years."

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