The watch was mine. The one my godmother gave me when I turned eighteen. The one that belonged to my family, my birth family, the parents I could barely remember.
I’d been so scattered lately, so overwhelmed with everything, I hadn’t even noticed it was missing. Should have been in my room, locked in the little jewelry box where I kept precious things. Because apparently I couldn’t keep track of the one irreplaceable item I owned.
If I’d lost it...
“Thank you,” I breathed. “Thank you so much. I don’t... I would have been devastated if...”
“Happy to help, dear.” Margaret patted my hand. “Now let me get those boxes.”
Margaret headed into the back. Caelan moved closer, his hand finding my shoulder.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Just...” I turned the watch over in my hands, running my thumb across the worn metal. “This is the only thing I have from my parents. My birth parents. If I’d lost it...”
“You didn’t.” He squeezed my shoulder gently. “It’s right here.”
Margaret returned with a box of promotional materials. Caelan took it from her easily, balancing it on one arm with no apparent effort.
“Thank you again,” I said.
“Anytime, dear. Come back soon!”
We stepped outside. I clutched the timepiece in my hand as we walked, not wanting to lose it again. A few steps later, I paused to fasten it around my wrist.
Caelan glanced over, and went completely still.
“What?” I asked, finishing the clasp.
He didn’t answer. He was staring at the watch, at my wrist. His expression was unreadable, carefully blank.
And then the dizziness hit again. Worse this time. Much worse. The world spun, my vision went in and out, stuttering, unstable. I staggered sideways, hand shooting out to grab the brick wall.
“Riley...” Caelan dropped the box, catching me by the shoulders. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know... I don’t...”
My knees threatened to buckle. He was holding me up now, concern bleeding into alarm.
“I’m calling Aedan,” he said.
“Maybe it’s just...”
“You’re not fine.” He scanned me head to toe, cataloging everything, and then stopped. On my arms. “Riley.”
“What?”
He lifted one of my arms, pushing up my sleeve, studying the skin there.
“Not to be rude,” he said slowly, “but were you always this hairy?”
“Excuse me?”
I looked down. My forearms were covered in hair, way more than usual. I’d always had a normal amount, but this was different, denser, more noticeable. Almost like...
“Huh.” I stared at my own arm. “Not... not like this.”
Well. That was concerning.
