Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Hennessy: When you choose to see the good in others, you end up finding the good in yourself.
My eyes abruptly opened, coming face-to-face with Onyx, who was standing there. His hand rested on the music box, but his stare was cold, detached, almost angry.
“Don’t,” he ordered.
“Don’t what?” I muttered.
“Play that.” His tone was low, but it only made his demeanor worse.
“Why?”
“You really don’t know when to stop, do you? You have no fucking sense, Hennessy.”
I winced, hating the tone he was taking with me. “Or maybe I’m just sick and tired of all the secrets. You and I aren’t that different, Onyx.” Unable to hold back, I added, “We were both born into families that expect something from us. Our futures were decided before we were even born.”
His jaw flexed. “Expectation is different from obligation.”
“Yeah?” I mocked. “My family expects me to take over the company, and I don’t want to do that.
I love what they’ve built. It’s such a special place, and it’ll forever be my home, but I want to travel.
After I graduate, I want to explore the world.
I want to research old civilizations and write about them so they don’t get lost in history.
There’s so much more I want to learn, and I won’t be able to do that running that place.
My family has dedicated their entire lives to it.
I’ve never seen any of them take a vacation or time off.
All they do is work, but it’s not work to them.
It’s their passion. It’s just not mine.” I paused to let my words sink in.
“I understand you more than you think. I’m a legacy too.
It’s just different from yours, but the end goal is still the same.
We’re both trapped in a future we didn’t ask for, and what’s worse, no one ever asked for our opinion or cared to know what we wanted.
It’s just what’s expected of us. It’s our obligation to step into their shoes. ”
Silence.
It stretched between us for what felt like an eternity. Neither one of us knew how to break it; it hung heavy and unsteady. He looked away first, his eyes landing on the music box. His expression softened, making him less scary and intimidating.
In an instant, his stare shifted over to me. In seconds, his gaze skimmed from my face to my gown back up to my eyes.
“What?” I called him out. “I take it you like my gown?”
He didn’t waver. “I’d like it better on my bedroom floor.”
There he is…
I shook my head, fighting back a smile.
“And you’re wearing the jewelry. The sun reminded me of you.”
I hesitated. “The sun?”
His fingers touched the pendant. “It’s warm like you, but if you stare at it too long, it’ll blind you.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“No, it’s the truth.” He wasn’t teasing. He was being serious. With that, he let go of the pendant as it burned him.
Needing to hear him say it, I questioned, “Did you buy me this dress and jewelry, Onyx?”
He eyed me up and down again. “What do you think?”
“Yes.”
Back to his normal, untrusting composure, he asked, “Why would I do that?”
“You tell me. You’re avoiding the question.”
“Am I?” He faintly smiled. “Maybe I just wanted to gift you something.”
I blushed, bowing my head. “Thank you.”
He lifted my chin to look at him.
“Don’t get shy on me now.”
“Onyx, I don’t need you to buy me things. This must’ve cost a small fortune.”
“How am I supposed to show you I like you if I don’t give you things I know you’ll love?” I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead, he declared, “You have no idea the effect you have when you walk into a room, Hennessy. Everyone looks at you.”
“And you?”
“You’re my favorite thing to look at.”
I smirked. “How did you know I was in here?”
“I know everything about you.”
“Okay,” I scoffed. “That sounds super creepy.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Are you saying you’re stalking me?”
“I’m watching you.”
“Did you watch me come in here on a camera?” I slid my chin out of his grasp. “What is this room anyway?”
“It’s—”
Before he could finish his sentence, a harsh voice shouted, “Onyx!”
And we froze…
Locking eyes with his furious father.
Onyx
Swiftly, Hennessy introduced herself, “Hello, Mr. Devereaux, it’s nice to finally meet you.”
Unable to hold back, I snapped, “What the fuck is the problem now?”
He didn’t cower, not that I expected him to. “I thought I raised you better than this.” Glaring at Hennessy, he bit, “What the hell are you doing in here?”
I spoke for her. “You didn’t raise me at all.”
“Onyx…” Hennessy coaxed.
He must’ve walked right past everyone in the banquet hall, not acknowledging anyone or looking in their direction, trying to find us. He just stormed in here, too pissed off, and I was about to get his wrath.
Looking him dead in the eyes, I arched an eyebrow, waiting.
“I’m going to ask you this one fucking time. One. Time,” he emphasized, holding his finger out in front of him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Mr. Devereaux—”
His glare shot to her. “I wasn’t talking to you, girl! You need to learn your place!”
My hands fisted at my sides, stepping in front of her. “You want to know what I’m doing? I’m standing between you and her.”
“I highly suggest you don’t lie to me. I’m giving you my last warning because you’re my son.”
“That means nothing to me.”
“It’s going to be far worse if you don’t answer my question.”
“Last time I checked, I’m just following orders,” I argued, laying out all of my cards perfectly on the table.
It was the only game my father played, and I was prepared to call his bluff, hoping like hell he wouldn’t call me out on mine. I already said too much in front of Hennessy, but I’d have to deal with her later.
“The change in your eyes! Your composure! You’re not fucking any of the women at the lodge when you’ve done nothing but use it as your own personal candy store!
I can see straight through you! I can see her behind your eyes!
” He sternly pointed at her. “It’s pouring right out of you!
She’s your weakness, your fucking death sentence!
Don’t you think I know a little about this? ”
“Is that why she’s here?” I viciously spewed, finally saying what I’d been thinking.
“You think I’m capable of that?” he countered. “Do I need to remind you that you’re my son? Why would I want you dead?”
“I think you’re capable of anything.”
Hennessy didn’t say a word. She knew better. Though I could still feel her hurt burning a hole in my back.
The silence was deafening all around us. It was eerier than his rage, feeling like each second brought me closer to my own funeral.
“This is a dangerous time for our family,” he clenched out. “You need to do the right thing.”
Getting right up in his face, I mocked, “You wouldn’t know the right thing if it kneed you in the balls and introduced itself.”
His stare flew back to Hennessy. “Don’t make me regret allowing you to attend the Graves. Don’t make a fool out of me, girl.”
She shook her head. “I’d… I… I don’t understand.”
“You’re just supposed to follow the damn rules.” He spun around and left.
There was nothing left to say. It was all burned to ashes.
Exactly like their bodies.
She didn’t wait for a second before attacking me. “You were ordered to watch me?”
She was perceptive, and I wasn’t surprised she caught on that quickly, though I didn’t try to hide it. I was over all the lies, the hiding. I’d been that way my entire life.
“Did the Brotherhood order you? Why? What’s going on? Why are you ordered to watch me?” She couldn’t get her interrogation out fast enough.
“Hennessy—”
“No! Don’t lie to me!” She shook her head. “Does this mean everything that has happened between us has been a lie? Am I just another job to you?”
“That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“I don’t know the truth because no one will tell me a damn thing!”
My patience breaking, I snapped, “Does it look like I want to be yelled at?”
“That’s your response?” She shook her head in disappointment. “What kind of watching, Onyx? Huh? Have you been stalking me? Was that the order you were following?”
“Didn’t we just confirm that?”
“I thought you were joking!”
I cocked my head to the side, folding my arms over my chest. “That’s your mistake.”
“?Eres un imbécil!”
“I thought we already established that I was an asshole too.”
She stepped back with nothing but hurt in her face. “I thought… I just…”
“Whatever you’re thinking, whatever you’re feeling, whatever you want to ask me, the answer is yes to everything, Hennessy.”
She frowned, thinking about all the questions she wanted to ask me, beginning and ending with, do I love her? Just as quick as those questions popped in my head, so did, is she just a job to me?
Unsure of where we went from there, she simply confessed, “I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Onyx—”
She searched my face, looking for something I couldn’t ever give her.
Love…
I just wasn’t made like that, but that didn’t change the fact that…
I’d fallen for her.