The door swung open fully, and Adria’s breath caught in her throat. Choking on a scream, her eyes locked on the form in front of her.
Jonathan’s piercing blue eyes held her in place. His face was peeled back from where her knife had expertly carved it.
As soon as the thought of the knife occurred to her, Adria felt the object in her hand.
“Please, Adria, kill me,” he whispered. His voice rattling with each breath.
“You’re dead,” she said, surprised by the coldness in her tone.
Fingers wrapped around her shoulder, and a firmer voice said, “Adria, you shouldn’t be here.”
Adria’s eyes flashed open, and she tried to calm her racing heart. She loosened her hands, gripping the comforter, and felt the warmth of Kaydon at her back. She tried to close her eyes and fall back asleep. But every time she did, Jonathan was staring back at her.
So instead, she just watched the clock. Counting the minutes until they left.
Adria was still staring at the ceiling when the knock on their door came. Elena stood in the dingy hallway, suitcase in hand.
“It’s time,” she said.
Adria looked to Kaydon, who nodded.
As planned, they all tried to leave at staggered times.
It was late in the evening, and the night air was cold compared to the humid heat they had arrived in. The winking perimeter lights cast eerie, sickly halos across the empty tarmac.
She hugged herself, shoulders hunched, until Kaydon wrapped an arm around her.
Eric and one of Elena’s bodyguards were already there. Ten minutes later, Bryson and Seth arrived.
The two of them looked tired, and Adria felt a wave of guilt. She and Kaydon had slept together. The four of them hadn’t had time to talk about what this was and what the rules were.
Seth brightened when he saw the two of them, but Bryson’s gaze was preoccupied by something far away.
His distance pressed into her, like the darkness waiting just outside their dimly lit surroundings.
Seth paused a few paces away. It was as if he wanted to hug them but didn’t know if he could.
Maybe they were all feeling just as unsure as she was?
Seth raised his hand in a feeble attempt at a wave.
“Hi,” he said as he stiffly lowered his hand, his face breaking out in a blush.
Adria could feel Kaydon shaking next to her, and she looked up to see he was laughing.
“Hi?” he said, continuing to laugh.
With his other hand, Kaydon pulled Seth into their shared embrace. Adria’s heart melted as Seth’s body pressed into hers. Kaydon buried his face into Seth’s blond locks, and Adria breathed the two of them in. The subtle fresh rain scent was Seth. Adria’s body remembered it and folded around him like a soft blanket.
“I have good news and I have bad news,” Elena said, crossing the runway.
The three of them broke their embrace.
Adria noticed that Bryson was still standing just a few feet from them. His eyes fixated on Kaydon. Not just Kaydon, but his neck.
Adria opened her mouth to explain, but Eric cut her off.
“Bad news first.”
