She laughs, soft and practiced. “Hi, I’m Kelsey. Even family needs preapproval.” Her hand finds his arm, and she leans in just a little too close as she tries to steer him toward the hall.
I guess if Orion knows her name, I’m going to have to remember it. They step away, voices low, and I can tell from the tone that Orion’s already flipped the conversation. Whatever she’s saying now, it’s not a no.
When he comes back, Kelsey’s smiling wider than before, twirling her pen like she’s flirting with it. She shoots a glance at me on her way back to the desk, a look between curious and smug. Great. Just what I need.
“I see you made a new friend,” I say under my breath as she walks back to her perch.
“Friend implies mutual interest,” he grumbles. “I think she wants to climb me like a tree.”
I snort. “So she’s just the latest casualty in your charm offensive.”
He doesn’t dignify that with a response, just drops down onto the bench beside me. He sits with his legs spread and his elbows on his knees, a posture of pure confidence and quiet menace. I, on the other hand, feel like a rusted hinge trying to hold itself together.
He studies me for a beat too long. The guy’s never justhere.There’s always a mission, a motive, or a message I’m not going to like.
“You know I hate it when you look like that,” I mutter, not bothering to hide my irritation.
“Like what?”
“Like you’ve been sitting on a secret and can’t wait to rope me into whatever insanity you’re planning on causing.”
He smirks, and it’s enough to confirm my suspicions.
“Relax. It’s not a secret; I got approval from your doctor and physical therapist. She sure is something.” He says with a grimace.
I grunt in response. My therapist has been telling me to practice patience.
I’ve been practicing. It hasn’t helped.
“Your doctor said you’re healing better than expected. Your strength is up, your balance is improving, blah blah blah. All I care about is that they said you’re good to travel.”
My stomach twists, instinctively bracing for the rest.
“Travel?” I echo, trying not to get suspicious. It’s just so hard not to when he looks at me that way.
“Yeah. Nashville. You and I are going on a boys’ trip this weekend to Umbra’s next show.”
And there it is.
The name hits like a sucker punch straight to the ribs.
Umbra.
I don’t even have to say her name to feel it. Celeste.
I know she works with them in some kind of creative role, though she never said much about what exactly. She always kept that part of her life close to the chest, like it was fragile, or dangerous, or both. I never pushed. I know Umbra is secretive, and I didn’t want to get her in trouble. I was just happy to be part of the small pieces of her life shedidlet me have.
Until I threw it away.
Even thinking her name hurts.
Seeing her might destroy me.
Not seeing her might destroy me in a different way.
I still remember waking up disoriented in the hospital to the sterile smell and the ache that swallowed everything. After I pushed her way, the quiet hum of machines filled the silence where her voice should’ve been.
She tried to see me when she found out about the accident, but I wouldn’t let her.
