“It’s just… just bad timing.” What else can I say? The truth has to stay with me lest I invoke the genuine anger of Ruslan, a man who strangled another man to death. God knows what else he’s done.
“This makes no sense,” Moira replies.
“Doesn’t it? The plane crash was terrible and scary, and then there were reporters everywhere hounding me with questions and it was so terrifying, so I begged the police to keep me safe while the crash was investigated and that’s what they’re doing. Keeping me safe.”
“Even the hot one?” Moira’s tone turns coy.
“I’m not really in a space to think about that right now.” Not when Ruslan and I haven’t even spoken about what we did together.
“Sure,” Moira sighs. “Fuck, you’ve no idea how good it is to hear your voice. I was so worried. My fiancé went down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories when I couldn’t get ahold of you, and honestly, they were starting to sound legit. Some people say that was a drug mule plane and that there’s a lot of shit going down because it crashed. Can you imagine?”
I force a laugh. “That’s crazy.”
“I dunno. You should read some of the stuff. I’ll send you some links.” Moira pauses and when she speaks again, her voice is softer. “Is your mom gonna be okay? I dropped by your parents’ place but didn’t get a chance to speak to your dad.”
My dad.
It hits me like a punch in the gut. I have no idea what happened to his body, who was taking care of it, or if I can even give him a funeral. Exhausted tears warm behind my eyes as I close them.
“Weird,” I say, and my voice sounds distant. “He must have been on his way to the hospital. Mom’s gonna be fine, so the doctor says.”
“That’s a relief,” Moira replies with a laugh. “You’ve been through more than enough already.”
“You’ve no idea.”
“Meet me for lunch. I need to see you face-to-face.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. It’s police protection, not Witness Protection, right? I need to see you’re okay with my own eyes, Ivy. I haven’tsleptproperly since the crash because no one would tell me anything.”
Guilt joins the grief in my chest as I open my eyes, then I nod slowly. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
“I miss you, girlie. Please,pleasedon’t leave me hanging again.”
The call ends after Moira spent ten minutes informing me that she and her fiancé have been in the process of converting their garage into an art room for him and his hobby, and surprisingly, that’s much nicer to listen to.
The normalcy of it all is soothing. Life would be effortless if all I had to worry about was whether cherry pink or rose pink was a better shade to match with mauve.
After the call ends, silence consumes me like a cotton blanket and the only sound that reaches my ears is my own racing heart. A tidal wave of thoughts rest on the brink in my mind, ready to wash me away to insanity as soon as I acknowledge them, so I keep my mind as blank as I can and watch the city heave below.
“Tea?” A soft voice with the slight warmth of an Italian accent rises up from the doorway of the lounge I claimed for my call.
In the doorway stands a tall man with a muscular body barely contained within a black string tank top. A large steaming mug is clasped in his hands, and when our eyes meet, he smiles and the corners of his turquoise eyes crinkle. Close-cropped brown hair melts into his tawny skin and the sight of him reminds me of one odd point.
I’ve never met anyone else who lives here, aside from glimpsing Valentina in the sewers.
“Tea?” I repeat.
“You look like you could use it. It’s chamomile and mint, soothing and a little sweet at the same time.” He walks forward,and the fabric of his cargo pants swishes slightly with each step. “Unless you’re allergic.”
“Yes—I mean no, I’m not allergic. Tea would be amazing.”
“Thought so.” He walks close and hands me the mug, keeping his palm underneath it until it’s firmly in my hands. “I’m Cassian, by the way. We haven’t met. At least not when you were awake.” He pauses and his brows crease together. “That sounds creepier than I meant it to.”
It’s hard not to smile. “Wow, watching me while I sleep? Weirdo.”
Cassian huffs a soft, gentle laugh that’s somehow deeper than his voice. “Damn. You caught me.”
