Page 39 of Psyop Kings

It still doesn’t make sense, though.

If I chose anyone, it’d be Gareth, not Caius. There’s no way in hell we’re a couple. I don’t believe it. I can’t.

“I’m…not…” I croak out, shuddering. “One…of you.”

So much for playing along.

Back to prison I go.

Romy

“I’m hungry.”

Gareth smirks at me. He’s still carrying me as though I weigh nothing. We’ve gone through several hallways too quickly for me to try to memorize and are now back in the elevator.

“If you stop being crazy, you can eat like a normal person,” Gareth teases. “You’ve got to get it together, silly girl.”

I don’t like how there’s a familiar way in which he speaks to me. Like we’re old friends. Like we have history. It reminds me of Bastian.

My heart clenches in my chest at the thought of my brother.

I miss him so much.

“Hey,” Gareth croons. “I’ll get you food. Don’t cry.”

This only makes me cry more. I desperately try to hold it in, but I’m overwhelmed with defeat and despair. My whole body quakes with sobs.

He gently pats me as he steps out of the elevator. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

God, how I want to believe in his words.

I squeeze my eyes shut and attempt to stop the tears. By the time we reach the door to the guest room I’d left not too long ago, I’ve got my emotions under control.

“I wish I could take a bath,” I croak out.

He pauses, frowns, and then cocks his head. “You can.”

“Where?”

His lips quirk on one side. “I know a place.”

He turns on his heel and heads back in the direction we came. When he stops halfway down the hallway, I pick up the scent of cigars.

“Is this your room?”

“It’s where I chill when I need to get away from everyone,” Gareth says as he pushes through the door. “I actually live in a small cabin nearby.”

My interest piques at that kernel of information. “Where are we?”

He strides through the lounge area with leather chairs, a bar with stools, shelves full of books, and a sleek MacBook Pro sitting on a coffee table.

I wonder if I could use it to reach out for help.

And how will I tell them where I’m at?

I need more information.

We pass through a bedroom and then enter a bathroom. This whole hotel or wherever we’re at is confusing. None of the rooms are the same. It’s been remodeled for these weirdos, and something tells me there’s a lot more to uncover.

---