Frowning, I glance down.
How did I get here?
Ben coughs, distracting me.
“Ben?” I keep my voice low as I approach. His eyes are open this morning, deep brown unaffected by haze.
“Hey, you.” His dimple flashes as he smiles at me. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah,” I whisper. “We should do your meds.”
His smile doesn’t dim as he shakes his head. “Not today, Em. I’m good.”
My brows dip. “Are you sure?”
“Stop worrying.” His voice… It's teasing. Lighter, somehow. His eyes slip to Jared. “Both of you. Pair of worriers.”
A low voice, hoarse with sleep, rumbles. “But you make it so easy.”
Jared’s eyes land on me when they open. He shifts them to Ben as he straightens with a yawn, assessing him. “You look brighter today.”
I study Ben at Jared’s words.
He does look brighter.
Ben grins at us both, the smile stretching across his face. “Couldn’t be better. Fancy a run?”
Jared’s smile is the barest quirk of his lips. “Wouldn’t want you to embarrass me.”
Ben huffs a laugh. “I’m actually pretty hungry.”
My hand tightens against the bed railing. My heart starts to pound. “You are?”
“Yeah.” He sounds a little disbelieving as he pats his stomach. “I think I could manage a little bit of something. Maybe… pancakes?”
He gives me a pleading look. “You make great pancakes, Em.”
I really don't.
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Sure. I’ll need to go to the store.”
“That’s okay.” He turns to his brother. “I need to talk to Jar for a minute anyway. I’ll be okay.”
“Okay.”
My voice is a whisper, but Ben doesn’t notice. He falls into conversation with Jared, the low rise and fall of his voice following me like a taunt, as I slip out and make a run to the store for pancake ingredients.
He hasn’t eaten properly for days.
Maybe he’s just hungry.
Or maybe—
Maybe—
I pull out my phone, dialing Nicole’s number.
She answers on the second ring. “Emmy?”
