“About the fact that you’ve been staring at her for thirty minutes like she’s a stock chart you’re trying to predict.”
“I’m monitoring,” I mutter.
Alex appears behind us with a water bottle in each hand and a plastic bag that crinkles loudly enough to make my eye twitch. He freezes, watching Audra. Then his voice lowers automatically.
“She still out?”
“Yeah,” Mark whispers. “Derek’s been doing his broody gargoyle impression.”
“Mm,” Alex says thoughtfully, handing me one of the waters. “Protective gargoyle.”
“I’m not protective,” I say.
Mark’s grin is immediate, feral. “Sure, buddy.”
Alex lowers himself onto the edge of the other chair, careful this time, the way he gets when something’s actually serious. He nods toward Audra’s face, softer now. “She looks like she’s finally sleeping for real.”
“She was fighting it,” I say before I can stop myself. The words come out like a confession.
Both of them glance at me.
I clear my throat and set the water on the side table. “She kept trying to stay awake. Like if she went under, something bad would happen.”
Alex’s jaw tightens. “That’s… rough.”
Mark’s humor dims but doesn’t disappear. It never does with him—it just shifts into something lighter, meant to keep the air from collapsing. “If she wakes up and punches you, I’m filming it.”
I shoot him a look. “You won’t.”
“I will,” Alex whispers, dead serious. “For evidence.”
Mark snorts. “For memories.”
I drag a hand down my face. “She’s not going to punch me.”
“Maybe,” Mark says. “But she might stab you with words. Those are worse.”
Alex leans back and tilts his head, studying Audra with a kind of guarded respect. “You ever think about how scary it is that someonecan just… do that to you? Put something in your drink and suddenly you’re not you anymore?”
My jaw locks.
It’s not the question I’ve been trying not to think. It’s the answer.
“Yes,” I say. “I’ve thought about it. A lot.”
“Good,” Mark murmurs. “Because I’m still ready to commit crimes.”
“You’re always ready to commit crimes,” Alex says.
“True,” Mark admits cheerfully. Then he glances at me. “Any word from security? Cops?”
I’d been avoiding my phone for the last ten minutes, like not looking at it could rewind the night. I pick it up anyway, thumb flicking through the notifications.
Two missed calls from my head of security. A text from Levi: YOU GOOD? SHE GOOD? ANSWER OR I’M COMING OVER.
Another from Jamie: IS AUDRA OKAY? (and, underneath, smaller: if you hurt her i will ruin your life.)
I exhale slowly and lock the screen.
