Page 36 of Wonder

Panicking?

A small smile tips up her lips. “Not much point in losing our heads over something we can’t change. The question is, how do we get out of this?”

I stare at her. And that sinking feeling echoes in my chest again.

Nobody gets out of Wonderland.

Instead of answering, I reach for her, my eyes assessing her expression before I rub my thumb over her cheek. “I didn’t think I would see you again.”

She sniffs. “Well. You didn’t exactly leave me your number. Or a note.”

The smallest sound of amusement comes from my throat. “I don’t have a phone, Alyss Lidell. And where I was going… I never wanted you to follow.”

“No.” She looks down at her hands. “You… lived there? At Wonder?”

I nod. “For a long time.”

“With Red.” Her lips twist on the name, anger flitting through her eyes. “She thinks you belong to her.”

My heart thumps inside my chest. “I don’t. Or…not in the way she wants. But I signed myself over to her a long time ago.”

Gray eyes meet mine. “Why?”

The words lock in my throat. Silently, I shake my head in silent request.

I would tell her, if she pushed. But it might make the thoughts come back, the thoughts that twist and ruin my mind.

I need my head to be clear. Need to find a way to make sure she survives this.

The hourglass is already trickling, seconds frittering away like specks of sand.

Alyss leans forward, and I take a breath as her forehead drops to my chest. She doesn’t stiffen as I wrap my arms around her. Instead, she softens against me, turning until her cheek is pressed against my heart. “My… friend is here too. He tried to follow me in on your ticket.”

I tense. “Then he’s lucky to be alive.”

Red must have liked something about him, to throw him in here instead of just disposing of him.

“Yeah,” Alyss whispers hoarsely. “I’m getting that. But just so you know… he doesn’t like you very much.”

My brows dip. “Why?”

When she glances up at me, I feel a flush rise on my cheeks. “I see. So you and him…,”

She hesitates. “It’s complicated.”

But she doesn’t pull away as I run my hand down her back. “It always is.”

14 – Kayden

Aiden pushes the bag into my lap. “Eat. Don’t try and save it for me. You heard what they said.”

I don’t look up. I pick at the edges of the bag instead, ripping off small pieces of brown paper and watching them sprinkle to the floor.

“Kayden.” Losing his patience, Aiden reaches for the bag. Ripping open the paper, he takes out the sandwich and hands it to me, pushing it against my chest until I eventually, reluctantly, take it from him. “Eat. We don’t know how long it’ll be until the next time.”

Settling my back against the cold wall, I watch the rest of them in between bites of stale bread, checking to make sure my twin is also actually eating the damn shitty food they’ve given us.

Eleven of us. Twelve, including the asshole who got himself killed by mouthing off.