“I tried,” Felix barks back. “You think she listens to me? Does anyone in this fucking room?!”
“Guys, guys, please. Let’s all chill and have a drink.” Aspen’s dad, Dylan, comes back with a tray filled with cups of coffee. “I have Mocha, Cappuccino, Espresso.”
Kai narrows his eyes at him. “Are you for real right now?”
“Drinks aren’t going to get my kid out of jail, Dylan,” Lana growls.
“No, but at least it keeps your head cool. Or maybe hot in this case. Since I ain’t serving iced coffees.” He makes a clicking sound with his teeth.
“You’re not as funny as you think you are, Caruso,” Kai deadpans.
The rest just stare at Dylan.
“Oh, come on,” he complains. “It’s gonna be a while, and if we have to wait for hours, might as well hydrate ourselves, don’t you think?”
Alistair raises his brows and gets up from his seat to go grab a cup. “Caffeine keeps the brain functioning.”
“So we’re just going to sit here and wait until the cops tell us about her charge and when her court date will be?” Atlas asks while Crystal goes around handing everyone a cup from Dylan’s tray, so at least everyone has a drink, and Dylan’s effort isn’t in vain.
Xavier suddenly gets up off his seat and growls. “No, I won’t accept it.”
“What, that she’s a serial killer?” Silas asks. “Because you know me, and me and her, we’re the same kind of animal.”
Xavier grinds his teeth, grabs his coat, and waltzes off.
“Where are you going?” Penelope asks.
“Out,” he replies.
I stare up at the door he just waltzed through to my right, while to my left my mother holds a cup of coffee in front of me.
“Here, drink something. It’ll take the edge off things.”
But that’s just it. I don’t want anything to take the edge off, because if I did, I’d be right back where I started, spiking mydrinks, sipping hard liquor in broad daylight, just to get away from the truth.
Life made me want to die.
But she … she made me feel more alive than ever, and like this life that I had in front of me was worth living.
And I don’t want to give that up.
I refuse.
I get up and chase Xavier while the rest of the family waits for news.
I don’t know where he’s going, but anywhere is better than sitting around moping in this white room. He’s marching straight for the exit, and I catch him halfway there.
“What are you planning?”
“Nothing,” he says.
My lip tips up into a half smile. “I want in.”
His brows draw together. “How did you—”
I hold his arm. “I know you.”
He looks around to make sure no one’s listening. “He escaped while you were watching him.”
