Again, not exactly a lie.
Riff caught me as we entered the green room. He leaned in close, voice low so the others wouldn’t hear.
“What’s going on, Bodes?”
I shook my head.
“Nothing,” I lied, because apparently I was committed to the bit.
He studied me for a second, then shook his head. I didn’t miss the flash of hurt that crossed his face before he tucked it away.
“You don’t have to shut me out,” he said, gripping my shoulders and giving them a firm squeeze. “You’re my brother, man. Whatever you need, I’ve got you.”
My eyes burned. I swallowed hard and leaned forward, resting my forehead against his, the way we’d done since we were kids.
“Yeah,” I rasped. “I know.”
By the time we got back to the hotel, I was a mess of competing sensations. Fear sat heavy in my gut, sharp and unrelenting. Adrenaline still buzzed under my skin, looking for somewhere to go. And beneath it all was a single, stubborn determination.
I needed to see Iggy.
I needed to know he was in one piece.
Clara and I were the last out of the van. Before she could join the others heading for the elevator, I caught her arm.
“Have you got the spare room keys on you?”
She frowned, already digging into her purse. “Yeah. Why? Lose yours?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I just want Iggy’s. I wanna check on him, but I don’t want to wake him if he’s asleep.”
“Oh.” She nodded like it was nothing. “Sure.”
She pulled out a white envelope stuffed with duplicate keys and pressed Iggy’s into my hand.
“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll bring it back.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she waved me off. “We’re checking out tomorrow anyway. Just hand it in then.”
I didn’t bother with the elevators. I took the stairs two at a time, lungs burning by the third floor, questioning every life choice that had ever led me here. By the fifth, my thighs were on fire and my chest was heaving.
“Fuck,” I muttered, stopping in front of Iggy’s door.
I braced my hands on my knees, forcing my breathing to steady. When I could see straight again, I knocked.
No answer.
I didn’t care if he was asleep anymore. I was done waiting.
I slid the keycard against the scanner, waiting for the green light to enter.
The room was pitch black and thick with the smell of sweat and something sickly sweet, like cotton candy. Hallway light spilled in, catching on a faint haze of smoke hanging in the air.
And then I saw him.
Iggy lay sprawled on the bed, naked except for a pair of tight boxer briefs, utterly still. For half a second, my heart dropped straight into my stomach.
Was he breathing?
