I could hear Charlie’s voice in the background, though not what he said.
“Look, Alex, there’s a problem that I need to sort out. I swear that’s all it is. I know how it looked, but can you trust me? Please?”
I took the phone from my ear and looked at it. Trust him. When he hadn’t come after me, when he was still so obviously there with Charlie?
But if they were together again, why would he try to get me back on the hook?
“What sort of problem?” I asked eventually, and heard a deep breath that sounded like relief.
He was quiet for a moment before speaking. “I don’t want you involved in this. If James finds out…”
And just like that, I believed him. Call me stupid, call me gullible, tell me I don’t learn from experience. But it was Nate, and Ididtrust him.
“What are you going to do?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I need to work something out and fast”—another interruption from Charlie—“but I’ll let you know, I swear.” He lowered his voice almost to a whisper. “I can’t leave Charlie at the moment. I’ll text you.”
Couldn’t leave Charlie? What the hell was going on?
“Okay, Nate,” I said, and though I believed him, it hurt. He had secrets with Charlie that he wasn’t telling me.
“I’m sorry,” he said again.
I killed the call.
Chapter Twenty-five
NATE
The hurt in Alex’s voice had been unmistakable, and I didn’t know how I could put this right when I couldn’t tell him what was going on. If it ever came to light that an outsider knew, James Fortescue’s rage would know no bounds.
For now, I had to focus on Charlie. He was huddled in my bed, clutching the duvet around himself, complaining he was cold.
“How long have you been using?”
“What’s it to do with you?”
“Charlie.” Ihadto get through to him. “If your father finds out, what do you think he’ll do?”
“He won’t kill me, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m the oldest son, after all.”
One who evidently didn’t know he was about to be disinherited.
“Are you sure about that? What if he thought other dragons would find out, meaning your entire family would be disgraced?”
Charlie licked his lips. He’d been doing that on and off since he’d started coming down, but this time he looked nervous.
“I think he’ll have you institutionalised in one of those discreet facilities run by dragons for dragons, and you’ll never see daylight again. That way, he’d feel he’s done right by you while ensuring you don’t expose us to the world or ruin your family.”
“I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t find out then, won’t I?”
“How long do you think that’ll be the case? You’re doing it in his house, for God’s sake.Wouldn’t it be easier to stop? Problem solved.”
He looked down and started picking at a loose thread on the duvet cover.
“Are you addicted?”
His picking grew more forceful until he tore the thread he’d been fiddling with. “Not to the drug, if that’s what you mean. But to the high—” He looked up at me, defiant and ashamed. “Yes.”
