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“Do you like it?” she asks when she catches me staring at it longer than I should be.
“It’s pretty. Shiny.”
“Yes.” She chuckles. “That it is. A friend gave it to me. It’s good to have friends who know how to treat you well. I shouldn’t be wearing such things here, but sometimes we need something pretty to look at, don’t we?”
I nod, not really knowing what to say as she leads me down the dark hall back to my room.
“Can I ask you something?” she coos, coaxing a noncommittal shrug from me. “Why were you out of your room so late tonight? Did you have a nightmare?”
I shake my head. “No. I was looking for my friend,” I admit.
“I see. Does this friend have a name?”
I nod again. “It’s Gray. Like the color of his eyes.”
“Very romantic of you.” She giggles, making me furrow my brows in confusion.
Instead of asking her what she means by that, I ask her the question that’s troubling me.
“Do you know where he is? I haven’t seen him all day, and that big gorilla took him away from me last night.”
“Is that so?” she says before giving my hand a little squeeze. “Your friend is fine. He just came down with a cold, that’s all, but I wouldn’t be too worried about him. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”
“I do?” I question in surprise.
“Yes.” She laughs softly. “Your aunt is coming to pick you and your sister up first thing. You’re going home.”
“Home…” I roll the word on my tongue, feeling odd about it.
“Most girls would be happy to go home, but you don’t seem like you are.”
I offer another shrug since I’m unable to put what I’m feeling into words. Aunt Lucy’s home isn’t my home, this place isn’t my home, and my father made sure that I could never go back to the only home I’ve ever known. I don’t think Layla and I have a home anymore.
Layla is my home.
And Gray.
He’s my home now too.
I walk the rest of the way in silence, still digesting the news that we’ll leave tomorrow. Once we reach the door, the nice lady opens it and ushers me in.
“Best go to bed, Zoey. You have a big day tomorrow.”
I’m about to step inside, but something causes me to remain rooted to my spot. “Can I see Gray tomorrow? Before I leave?”
Even though I still can’t see her face through the darkness, I catch the way her shoulders tense slightly.
“I’m afraid not. Like I said, he’s very sick. I wouldn’t want you to catch his cold.”
“I don’t mind,” I insist.
“No,” she retorts a little too severely, leaving no room for negotiation.
I slouch in defeat, hating that I won’t be able to say goodbye to the only friend I have. Knowing that there isn’t anything else that I can do, I lower my head and walk into the room.
“Pity,” I hear the lady mutter in discontent behind me just as I step inside. “Such spirit. I would have liked to have seen how far it would have lasted. Oh well. C’est la vie. You can’t win them all.”
I wake up in a cold sweat, the memory so real I can still taste the acrid air on my tongue. I turn to my side and see Gray blissfully asleep, his arms wrapped around my waist. Frantic and on edge, I look around at my surroundings, making sure I’m here and not back in that group home. When the glint of Gray’s jagged blade on the bedside table catches my eye, I reach out and grab it. Pushing the love of my life onto his back, I wake him from his slumber, straddle his midriff, and place the knife under his chin.
