Page 75 of Wonder

He knows what I’m asking.

Or because of her?

I called her a magnet before. Something about Lyss is drawing the men around us in, moths to a fucking brilliant blame.

I can’t even blame them for it. I’ve belonged to Alyss Lidell for longer than I can even remember.

It was never even a choice. There has never been anybody else.

Nobody else exists for me but her.

“Impossible.” He grunts as he struggles to sit up. “Besides, she didn’t like the idea of a group, or whatever the hell it’s called. However the fuck that would work, anyway.”

“I know what she looks like when she doesn’t like something. Believe me when I say that she doesn’t hate the idea.”

Dark eyes swipe toward me. Surprise and pain linger there. “I figured you’d be against any of it. You were together before, weren’t you?”

“Yeah.” I study the makeshift bandage, avoiding his eyes. “Until around six months ago. We’re still…,” I pause. “We’re working things out.”

But the Alyss I knew… she’s gone. Probably forever. And if I keep expecting her to be the same, we’re always going to be locked in a battle neither of us can win.

Buck stiffens. “I can probably walk now.”

“Slowly.” He takes my hand when I stand and hold it out.

I pull him to his feet, and he wavers, his face pale. “Which way do you want to go?”

I glance up and down the dark passage. “Every fucking way looks the same to me.”

We start moving. Buck is slow, but he doesn’t stop walking. “You think they’re alright?”

My chest tightens, squeezes. “Hopefully.”

If we all get out of this unscathed, it’ll be a miracle. And Lyss… if she loses anyone else—

I force those thoughts away. I don’t want to think about it.

We keep limping along until we reach a crossroads. Buck turns to me. “Can you hear a clock?”

Brows dipping, I listen. “Yeah.”

We silently follow the noise. It grows louder, the noise merging into a drone. “How many clocks are we—,”

Buck goes silent as we turn the corner.

A lot.

The whole passage is fucking covered with them.

“That’s not fucking creepy,” Buck mutters beside me. I don’t disagree. There’s something eerie about them, the way they stretch out in front of us in a seemingly never-ending collection, every shape and size. They cover the hedging on either side, the floors.

And that fuckingnoise.

I look further down. “Is that—,”

“The twins.” Buck grimaces, holding his arm. “I… I just realized why the clocks are here.”

“Why?”