Page 72 of Depraved

Seemed like history was about to repeat itself.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

ALYX

After Granite left, Neon closed the door, her face all scrunched up with curiosity. “I’ve never been really interested in any of these guys’ sex lives. But right now, I really want to know what the fuck happened in this room—fuck being the relevant word, here."

I clutched the sheet tighter, and Neon looked down. “Is that…is that blood?” She walked closer, and I could already feel my cheeks warm with embarrassment. “Holy shit, Swan Lake. Are you a…I mean, were you…”

“A virgin, yes.”

“Aaaaw, poor thing.” Her eyes were suddenly strangely gentle as she stared at me. “It’s just your luck, ain’t it, Swan Lake? To get a man hung like a fucking camel to be your first.” She placed a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice on the bedside table before taking a seat on the bed. “I bet your vagina feels like it’s been shredded. And just a fair warning, it’s going to feel like you’re carrying a brick in there when you walk. All heavy and shit, like your uterus is about to fall out.”

I burst out laughing, and Neon joined in. It felt good to laugh for a change, especially after what just happened between me and Granite. I didn’t regret it, though. It felt good being with him. A part of me just wished it could have been under different circumstances. But I guessed it made sense that being with Granite would be…unconventional.

“Okay,” Neon slapped her hands on her knees, “you need a shower. You’ll feel better after. But first, you need to eat.”

I glanced at the bowl of cereal. “Is it just me, or is Granite obsessed with me eating?”

“Oh, you don’t know?” Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Know what?”

“About Dutch’s sister?”

“Dutch is the club’s enforcer, right?”

“Right. And also Granite’s best friend.” She reached for the bowl of cereal and shoved it in my hand. “You eat, I’ll talk.”

Looking at the cereal, my stomach turned. “I really⁠—”

“Okay, fine.” She took the bowl from me. “Maybe when you hear the story, you’ll actually want to eat.”

After placing the bowl on the table again, she scooted up on the mattress and crossed her legs, making herself comfortable. “So, no one actually told me this story. I just kind of put it all together with the bits and pieces I caught in different conversations I’ve overhead.” Neon seemed like the typical girl ready to share a juicy gossip story. In that moment, it kind of made her real, more relatable, knowing she wasn’t just this hardcore woman with steel in her veins and tattoos on her skin.

“Apparently, Dutch’s sister—Kate, I think her name was—had an eating disorder. Like you.” The nonchalant way she said it made it seem like it wasn’t that big of a deal to her. “So, Granite’s and Dutch’s fathers were best friends, and they started the American Street Kings. Obviously, this meant the kids grew up together.”

Absentmindedly, I reached for the juice and took a sip, listening intently to her every word.

“From what I could gather, Granite carried a torch for Kate.”

I swallowed the juice. “You mean, he was in love with her.”

“Yup. And if my instincts are right, so was Onyx.”

“Both of them?”

“I think so.”

Jealousy stung like tiny needle pricks into my skin. “And where is Kate now?”

“Oh, she’s dead.”

My heart stopped, and I choked on a sip of juice. “What? How?”

“Um, isn’t it obvious? She had an eating disorder. That’s what happens when you don’t eat. You die.”

My body went cold, yet my skin was damp while my heart knocked on my ribs. “Is that…is that why he’s obsessed with me eating?”