(KRYSTAL'S POV)
I don't know how long we sit there like that with my head on his shoulder, and his fingers locked with mine.
The hallway noise fades in and out around us while the weight sitting on my chest slowly loosens its grip. Maybe it's minutes, maybe an hour, but it's long enough for the guilt to stop eating at me. Long enough for my breathing to match his. Long enough for the ache in my stomach to stop.
Val's the first one to break the silence.
"Something happened after you left the room," he says quietly.
My eyes open and I lift my head slowly and turn to face him. He's staring straight ahead, his fingers still holding mine like he's drawing strength from the contact.
"What happened?" I ask.
He hesitates, and that's how I know it's bad. Val rarely hesitates. Even hurt and stitched up like this, he always tries to play tough.
"My father called."
That makes me sit up straighter so fast the chair creaks underneath me. "Why? Is it about the assassination?"
