“Are you okay?” she asks, uncertain in a way Roo rarely is. “I didn’t realize he had gotten so… bad. And I’m not comfortable leaving you after seeing that.”
I’m not okay. Not even close. But I nod anyway, because whatever is happening inside me feels too tangled to unwind so soon.
“I’ll be fine, Roo,” I promise her, shooting a quick glance at the camera in the corner of the living room. “I’m just processing and planning.”
Roo hovers like she always does when she’s worried, becoming some sort of warped Betty Homemaker as she makes me tea I don’t drink. She looks out the window before checking the locks and drawing the curtains. She even hangs my jacket on the hook by the door.
“Stop freaking out. I promise I’ll be okay,” I scold softly. “Please go home. You can’t do anything from here, but if you’re at home, then you can start looking into Daniel.”
She nods, kissing me on the cheek. “Call me when you wake up or if anything feels off. I don’t even care what it is. Call me if?—”
“I will.”
She leaves with a reluctant huff, and I lock the door behind her, lingering in the entryway as I glare at the shadows dancing across my apartment. The stillness casts an eerie, stagnant aura, too silent to provide comfort.
The walls have ears, and though that’s a problem on its own, tonight, it brings me peace.
Because tonight? I just want to sleep.
I glide across the living room floor, the hardwood chilly against my bare feet, and grab my phone from the coffee table. I still have questions… And it’s about damn time I get some actual answers.
I’ll text Jace first. I want to know… everything.
Why was he there?
Why did he step in?
Is he one of the HimLock guys?
I suspect the answer is yes, but I war with myself over the reality of actually hearing that.
Do I even want to know?
I won’t ask Jace in a text… That’s a conversation directed at all three of my HimLock guys.
Eris
You didn’t have to scare him like that.
His reply is instant, like he’s just been waiting for me to reach out.
Jace
You’re right.
I didn’t have to.
I wanted to.
My breath stutters. My thumbs hover, thoughts incoherent for a moment. Only one word comes to mind.
Eris
Why?
Three dots roll across my screen longer than I’d like.
Jace
