Page 190 of Fragments

“48, I’m gonna need you to harness all of your extremely limited attention right now and focus, okay?” He gives me a very seriousDaddylook that makes my nipples hard. “You made a promise. And if you’ll recall, the bargaining chip was me allowing your crush to keep his Gameboy or whatever the hell. So, give me something worthwhile, and keep in mind that I’ve known you a long time, and I’m more than capable of sniffing out your bullshit.”

Biting my lip, I stare at him, unable to help noticing that while he’s still as much of a hardass as ever, he looks infinitely less exhausted and marginally less stressed than usual. Whatever vacation he disappeared on with Joy and Rook for almost a week must have been refreshing.

And now he’s back, and he means business.

I can’t help the smirk that spreads over my mouth as I mimic his stance. “Ah, how the tables have turned. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years! The Big Bad Wolf needs help from the sheep…”

“Ren,” he growls admonishingly. “No onebelieves that you’re a sheep. Now, fucking spill it.”

As a default, my brain wants to make something up. It’s not that Iwantto lie to him, but it feels almost like a reflex. It’s a sickness, one of many I’m currently trying to overcome, and I just wish there was a way to stop it at the source. But my mind is a treasure trove of issues, and sometimes I think it’ll take years to even scratch the surface of all that’s wrong with me.

Gulping, I swallow down the lies that want to rise up on my tongue and tell him, “That new shrink… Dr.Love… he’s the one who gave Darcey the keys to the cells.”

Velle’s gaze lingers on me for a moment. He looks a little skeptical, but not enough to outright scoff in my face.

“How do you know this?” His head tilts.

“I can’t give up my source,” I tell him firmly. “But just know that it comes from someone who sees a lot.” My brows lift, and he nods.

“Got it. Well, I’ll be honest with you… I had my suspicions about that.” He purses his lips. “It’s not exactly shocking, and it’s not enough to get me what I need.”

“What do you need…?” I ask curiously.

“That’s none of your business.”

“Velle, if you don’t tell me what you’re trying to do, I can’t help you.” I lean up against the wall.

“You can and you will, because it’s what you agreed to,” he grunts, being, as usual, amassivepain in the ass. “I’d have to be the biggest dope on the planet to share any details with you. Your lips are so loose, you have to tie them up like a ponytail.”

“That’s beyond rude,” I gasp, more offended by the visual than anything. He just shrugs, and I sigh. “Alright…hypothetically, if you were to tell me you were interested in something deep… Likerock the foundationtype shit, then I could give it to you.”

His dark blue eyes sparkle like he just hit the jackpot. “That’s what I want.”

“Well then, I need guaranteed immunity.” I grin. “I need to know for a fact that you won’t turn around and use this shit against me… When Daddy whistles for you to come running.”

I witness his jaw tense and tic, hard, like he might snap his teeth. “That’s not going to happen.”

I shrug. “How do I know that? It’s been a long time, darling. What… ten, eleven years?” His gaze is simmering, but it doesn’t scare me. “If I give you this personal little anecdote, I need to know without a shred of doubt that it won’t come back to bite me.”

He leans in. “You have my word.”

“And Lex too. I want his safety assured at all costs… Even above my own.” Velle huffs, shaking his head. “I’m serious. Promise me you and Joy will watch out for him… no matter what.”

My tone is softly pleading, as is the look I’m giving him, and I think he can see that.

His chin dips in a little nod. “I promise you nothing bad will happen to Luthor. Not on my watch. He’s too important.”

Warmth floods my chest at his words. “Good. And on that note, before we seal this deal, I’ll need one more thing from you…”

Velle brings me back up to gen-pop after our little talk, and there’s a renewed sense of determination filling my limbs. It’s odd to be feeling such contentment in a place like this, but I guess it all works subjectively.

I’ve never activelydespisedbeing here, at least not all the time, because I know what I need to get by. And whether I get that by hopping around from dick to dick, from spending time with my friends, or from badgering the dude I’ve been in love with for years into finally accepting a reluctant relationship with me, it’s still always better than beingout there.

It would seem that Alabaster Pen has allowed me to embrace who I am. Or at the very least, it strongly enables me.

Peeking at Velle while we stomp through the long corridors, I feel questions bubbling up. And due to my lack of filter, there’s nothing to stop them.

“So where did you go?”