Slumping again. “Don’t be,” he sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. “Someone slipped me a tranquilizer.”
Miranda recoiled. “What? How?”
The miscounted jello shots.
White-hot anger scored through me like an electric shock. My fists clenched.
“Who gave you the jello shot?” I demanded.
He shook his head. “I don’t know, it passed through too many people. But it was someone we know. Tyler-” He barely got out the name, gagging.
“He knew about it. They planned it.” Miranda finished for him. He nodded, covering his mouth. She grabbed a plastic bag left on the coffee table earlier and handed it to him. He snatched it and dry-heaved. I carefully touched my fingers on his back.
Only a tiny flinch this time.
I fucking hated it.
He shuddered, nose and eyes running as he tried to steady his breathing. “I don’t think he planned to- I think he was supposed to deliver me.”
Miranda’s lips pursed. “But he took advantage of you instead.” His face drained of color, immediately gagging again. She glanced at me, then him. “Can I try something?”
He nodded. Letting him see her hand, she slowly placed her palm over his chest and scrunched her face in concentration.
Her sharp gasp came at the same time that Ollie’s body finally relaxed. He slumped back into me, blissful relief flooding his features. Miranda stumbled back with a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.
“What did you do?” I demanded, scrambling from under Ollie.
She bit down on the meat of her hand and released a heart wrenching cry.
“She took some of it from me,” Ollie murmured. I whipped around to see him slouched against the couch, eyelids heavy.
I gaped at her, bent in half, crying and shaking uncontrollably.
That had all been in him.
I caught her before she crumbled. “I don’t know how long it’ll last,” she panted, shaking so hard I almost dropped her as I guided her to the couch. Her green eyes drowned in tears that didn’t belong to her. A surge of gratitude had my own stinging. “I had to try.”
The door to the dorm opened, a burst of golden fur rushing for Miranda. She threw her arms around Buddy, crying into his fur.
“What the hell is going on?” Jack demanded, at his twin’s side in seconds with Serina right behind him.
“I’m fine, I’ll be fine,” she repeated.
“She siphoned some of the pain from me,” Ollie said.
Some of the pain. Some of it had her unable to stand, choking on sobs.
Some.
My hands shook.
“I’ll kill him,” I whispered.
“No.”
All of us looked at Ollie in stunned silence.
Cracks of silver flashed in his eyes.
