Page 119 of Iris' Lying Eyes

Cyn interrupts our little reunion, stepping into the doorway. The crease between his eyes is deeper than usual, but Rain’s eyes light up anyway, and she rushes into his arms. The sight pushes at my bruised heart, and closing my eyes, I say, “Just fucking go.”

There’s a corrosive acid melting my soul, and the bitter feeling pushes at my lips. I want to rage, but I have enough common sense to make them go instead.

They can’t help me now. No one can.

My thoughts create an ache in the back of my skull, and rubbing my brow, I turn over, reaching for the water beside me. Except when I do, I find Bastion still sitting there like a fucking statue.

The rage brewing below the surface boils over like a fucking volcano, and I snarl, “Get the fuck out of here.”

His brows drop over his eyes, and he looks away before he exhales and says, “No.”

“No? No!” Grabbing a plastic bowl on the tray beside me, I lob it at his head and screech, “I did what you wanted. John’s dead. Precious Rain is free.”

He grabs the bowl out of midair and drops it to the floor before grasping my wrist and forcing me back to the bed. I’m panting with the effort, which means he overpowers me easily. Once I’m where he wants me, he leans in until we’re eye to eye and says, “Calm the fuck down, Iris.”

Chuckling, I slam my other hand into his cheek, and he flinches away before meeting my wild stare with a cool expression. “Enough.”

“It’ll never be fucking enough,” I sob, but when I think of hitting him again, he climbs into the bed beside me and wraps me up in his arms.

I have no energy to struggle, and I sag with a whimper, despising myself for the tears that roll down my cheeks.

Bastion brushes the tears away and murmurs, “Sh.”

The soothing tone lulls me into a half-sleep, but as soon as my eyes close, Sam’s empty eye sockets stare into mine, and I jerk awake.

Bastion’s stroking my hair, and my lids slide closed before I sit up and struggle away from him. He reaches for me with a frown, but I bat his hands away. “You played me. Well done. I hope that Sam’s rotting fucking corpse haunts you in your dreams.”

“Iris…wait, what the fuck are you talking about?”

Swinging around, I claw at his arms. He doesn’t move because he’s a beast, but in my hysteria, I hardly notice.

“Where did you take him?” I ask.

Bastion glances at my hands with a frown before pushing me gently back to the bed. “Iris, you need to—”

“Where? Where, B?” I ask, and he flinches, grabbing my cheeks. “Who? John? He’s still in the fucking hole,” he whispers, glancing around.

My stomach lurches as I cover my mouth, whispering between my fingers. “No, not John. Sam! Bastion, what about Sam?”

I see his confusion, and my heart drops to my toes. Shit. It didn’t occur to me in my delirious state that they might not notice him. Is he still there? I can’t stand the thought.

“Iris—”

Shoving his hand away, I slip my legs over the side of the bed and rip at my IV. “You left him in the hole!”

Bastion grabs my hand, stalling my movements, and I buck away until he stands and presses me against the bed. “Iris. Stop. What hole?”

“What do you mean, what hole? The same fucking hole as John!”

He goes rigid, but I ignore the way his eyes darken. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and he should know that Sam is dead. Damn him.

“Shit,” he says, his voice thick. “He’s in the hole?”

All I can do is nod because, once again, my throat is swollen with tears. You’d think I’d have nothing left, but apparently, there’s plenty more. His sigh caresses my forehead, and I turn my face away. I don’t want to share this with him. I can’t bear to share it with anyone.

“I’ll go back,” he says, and when I don’t respond, he steps away. It’s only when he’s at the door that I say, “I want him buried next to the ocean.”

The muscles in his back tighten, and I smile woodenly. “He loves dolphins. Bury him next to the dolphins.”

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