Page 66 of Carnival
A frown tugs on my lips, and I tilt my head to the side. My brows narrow, and Aria glances between Cove and me, then takes in a deep breath.
“Vivian’s last name is Hunt.’’
Time stills around me. My mind tries to process the information Aria threw my way, but it’s hard to swallow it through. She gives me the space and the time to understand what it means, and my heart starts beating rapidly in my chest, a sense of anxiety, and perhaps a little anger, simmering beneath my frozen state.
“She…’’ I croak, then clear my throat. “She is my grandmother?”
Aria nods slowly, not moving her eyes from me.
A small laugh of disbelief slips from me. “You mean to tell me that the woman responsible for my parents’ death, and the same woman who wants to see me dead because of something she thinks I have, is my grandmother? My actual blood-related grandmother?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.’’
“Why are you telling me this? Where the fuck is Hudson?”
“He wanted me to tell you,’’ Aria sighs. “Because he knows you would’ve thrown a fit otherwise. And besides, he just didn’t want to be the one to break your heart, Rose. He knew you wouldn’t handle him breaking your heart twice well.’’
My brows lift to my hairline. “What do you mean by twice?”
Horror washes over her, and her mouth clamps shut. For a moment, she’s silent — too silent. She’s never the one to remain quiet, and I can see cogs turning in her head, trying her best to come up with a believable lie, but I’m having none of it.
I push myself off the chair and stalk in front of her, looking down at her sitting position. She looks up, eyes almost pleading with me not to ask too many questions, because she’ll have no choice but to respond.
“Say it,’’ I demand, teeth clenched. “What are you talking about, Aria?” From the corner of my eye, I spot Cove getting up from his seat, ready to get in between us, but I lift a finger in his direction, eyes still glued on Aria. “Don’t you dare interfere, Cove. This doesn’t concern you.’’
Aria nods briefly at Cove, and he sits back down.
“Well?” I say, tapping my foot against the floor impatiently. Aria’s eyes dart all around, gathering her thoughts, and my brow twitches in annoyance. No matter how much she stalls, I won’t give up before she tells me what I want to know.
“Hudson,’’ she licks her lips. “He was the one who sent James to prison.’’
“What?” I whisper, taking a small step back.
“And… James agreed to that. He… he killed that man on purpose so he would stay in for a bit longer.’’
Wind gets knocked out of my chest, and for a moment, all I can do is stare at Aria. Words can’t seem to leave my mouth, and she’s watching me, carefully observing to see if I’ll end up having another breakdown — which, unfortunately, she’s witnessed more than once over the past two years.
“That night at the club,’’ I swallow a knot that formed in my throat, then clear it a little, my voice hoarse. “When I told you that James would stay in prison because he killed someone, you acted all surprised, but you knew, even back then, didn’t you?”
Aria’s face falls, and remorse fills her expression. She reaches to grab my hand, but I step back, hands falling down my sides, balled into fists. My knuckles turn white from the pressure, and I can’t help the disappointment that blooms in my chest.
“I’m sorry, Rose,’’ she whispers, putting her hands on her lap and looking down. “I wanted to tell you, I really did, but—’’
“There’s no buts.’’ I cut her off, my voice cold. “You witnessed my mental health declining. You were there each and every time I cried myself to sleep, when I was throwing up from stress. You saw me stop eating, almost stop living. You were there while I was ripping my hair out, while I was blaming myself for all this mess, and you didn’t say anything. You watched this situation destroy me, and you didn’t say anything.’’
“Rose,’’ she tries to reach for me again, but I’m too angry to let her. I take another couple of steps back, grab my coat, and head to the door. I ignore her pleas to listen and to stay and immediately walk out of the apartment, slamming the door shut behind me.
I don’t go far — I sit on the stairs on the floor below us, face buried in my hands. My body trembles, silent tears stream down my cheeks, and I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to do.
I spent two whole years blaming myself. If it hadn’t been for me, Vivian never would’ve sent James to prison, and he barelyescaped the lethal injection. Aria saw it all — how much it destroyed me that James refused to see me. And she knew that it wasn’t my fault, yet chose to keep her mouth shut.
Anger bubbles beneath the surface, my eyes puffy from crying. I take a deep breath, trying to calm the shaking of my body, taking a few minutes to regain my composure. Slowly, I push myself off the cold stairs and head toward my bike.
25
Rose
The door slams behind me, and I march further into the house, eyes narrowed as I look for Hudson. I ignore Arlo’s look of pure confusion, and I think that after a moment, it clicks for him. He steps aside, without a word, letting me pass through.
