Page 77 of Fragments

Maybe it’s been a while since he’s made someone laugh?

Clearing my throat in an attempt to regain some control over this weird situation, I glance across the table at Toby and Parker, who are just eating quietly, staring at the two of us with interests piqued.

“This is Toby.” I introduce my cellmate, nodding in his direction.

Ren’s eyes linger on me before finally peeling them off to look at Toby. His smile fades from overjoyed to indifferent as he says, “Nice to meet you. Warren Xavier. You can call me Ren.” His gaze flicks to me once more, and he winks.

Why is he winking at me??

“Toby Turner,” Toby mumbles, clearly excited to join the conversation. “It’s short for Tobias, but I don’t like to be called that.”

Ren’s brows furrow. “Why not? It’s a cool name.”

Toby shifts. “It’s my father’s name…Was,” he corrects. “I hated him…” Forking a bite of tasteless food into his mouth, he chews for a moment before adding, “That’s why I killed him.”

My eyes slide to my right, watching Ren’s expression. His eyes aresoblue… It’s almost unnatural. They’re the actual color of the sky when it’s nice out. I know people always say that…Sky-blue eyes, and whatnot. But for him, it’s accurate.

I suppose we have that in common. My eyes are really bright too, only they’re light green, sorta like jasper. Everyone always comments on them. It was the one compliment I’d always get from girls…

You have the most beautiful eyes.

Ren’s sunny-day eyes glisten at Toby’s words, and he smirks. “I killed my dad, too.”

Ohh-kay… I guess that’s why he’s here, then.

Toby nods, but Ren goes on. “And my mom.”

“Aren’t parents the worst?” Parker chimes in, chuckling. And the three of them laugh together in agreement, bonding over their shithead parents.

“What about you, Lex?” Ren pins me in place with a much more intense line of eye contact than he was giving the other two. “Do your parents suck?”

I shake my head hesitantly. “Uh, no… Actually, my parents were really great. Theyare, I mean… ’Cause they’re still… alive…”

My voice trails because of how severely he’s looking at me. It’s really throwing me off, and I’m not sure why. He’s not technically doing anything weird, just giving me his full attention. But still, it’s making me uneasy.

Something about him gives off a vibe, like he’s different from the rest of us. It could just be his looks, I guess, because now that I’m seeing him up-close, he really is a stunningly attractive man. Like, unfairly so. It’s the sort of physical beauty that doesn’t even seem real. The kind you see on TV, in movies or magazines, that makes you feel hideously inferior.

I don’t consider myself unattractive at all, but sitting next to him is like sitting next to a prince.

Seriously, if he’s not a model or actor, then he missed a calling.

Needing a quick distraction, I force myself to take a bite of my food. I can feel Ren watching me in my peripheral before he faces forward, picking up his fork.

“You’re lucky. All I ever wanted was for my parents to love me…” His index finger begins tapping on it methodically. “I was adopted when I was two. My real parents were drug addicts. They died of an overdose…”

“Both of them?” Parker asks, wearing concern on his face. “Like,together?”

Ren’s eyes jump to his, only for a split-second before they drop back to his food. His jaw clenches. I see it happening, but it’s very subtle.

It must just be painful to talk about this…

He nods slowly. “Yea. I belonged to the state from pretty much the moment I was born. Then I was adopted by even worse people.” The rapidtap tap tapof his finger against his fork is drawing my attention from his face. “We were dirt poor, and what little money we had, they spent on themselves, not me. I did everything I could think of to make them proud, but they just despised me. And then came the abuse…”

Toby and Parker are nodding along, as if they can relate to his story. I can’t, not even a little, but I do feel bad. And yet, there’s still something about this conversation that seems off…

Is it normal for prisoners to share their life stories with strangers on their first day? I’ve literally never met anyone who’s done that.

Yea, we talk; open up about our lives outside of here, and whatnot. Some of us more than others—cough, Toby.But it usually takes a little going. I’ve never known anyone to spill their guts to random people they just met willingly.