"Yeah." His expression dimmed. "We met in a game. Ran dungeons together for three years."
My eyes burned.
"You really knew him?"
Julian nodded. "I heard he... passed. So I drove out. But by the time I got there, the funeral was over. Asked around and heard his sister had taken him back to their hometown. Didn't think I'd actually run into you, but I recognized you right away."
Real grief in his eyes.
"He showed me pictures of you two," Julian went on. "Said he had the best sister in the world."
I covered my mouth.
Sank down, buried my face in my hands, shoulders shaking hard. Someone else remembered Aiden. Someone else cared.
"Sorry," Julian said awkwardly. "Didn't mean to upset you."
I shook my head, sniffed hard, tried to pull myself together.
"Cemetery's on the east side of town," I pointed back the way I'd come. "Ten-minute walk down this road."
Julian glanced where I pointed, then looked back at me.
"You alone?"
I didn't answer. My silence said enough.
He frowned. "It's getting dark. There's not even a decent motel around here. Where are you going?"
"I..." I opened my mouth. Realized I had no answer.
Where was I going? No plan. No destination. Didn't even know where my next meal was coming from.
Julian seemed to understand.
"How about this," he said. "I'll go pay my respects to Aiden, then take you to a motel in town for the night. Figure out tomorrow, tomorrow."
"No need," I said automatically. "We don't know each other—"
"We don't," Julian cut in, calm but firm. "But you're Aiden's sister. He always worried about you. Said you were so used to taking care of everyone else, you never learned to take care of yourself. If he knew I ran into you and didn't help, he'd curse me outfrom heaven."
I stopped.
That did sound like Aiden.
Seeing I wasn't arguing anymore, Julian smiled slightly. "Get in. It's cold out."
Julian drove me to the town's only motel, a shabby two-story building. He paid for my room, told the owner to take care of me, then said goodbye.
"I'll come see you tomorrow," he said before leaving. "Get some rest."
I nodded, watched his car disappear into the dark.
Honestly, the old me never would've trusted some strange man's kindness. But now... I was too tired. Too tired to question anything.
I dragged myself upstairs and pushed open the door. Small room. Basic. But clean. I dropped my backpack on a chair and collapsed on the bed.
The next morning, violent nausea woke me up.
