Page 96 of Callous Shot

“Dan. Are you okay? Let me help you.”

The words were the same, but this voice was firm. Low. Safe. “I cut my hand,” I mumbled. My tongue felt too thick for my mouth. “Think I punched the mirror.”

“Fucking hell,” Ryker muttered. “Stay still.” I felt him move, and then I was vaguely aware of running water. Ryker directed my hand under the flow, and I leaned into him, something I’d never ordinarily do because I tried to respect his boundaries. But my brain wouldn’t work, and everything hurt, and I just wanted it to stop.

“Make it go away,” I whimpered into his shoulder.

“The cuts are shallow. You don’t need stitches. What you need is to lie down. No more drinking.”

“But I need to forget.”

“No more. C’mon.” His body was a solid, reassuring presence next to mine as he helped me towards the stairs. But by the time we reached the landing, my stomach was churning, bile rising in my throat.

I lurched towards the closest bathroom “I’m gonna be⁠—”

“Urgh. Fuck.”

“Back with me?”

I cracked open one eye to see my best friend seated on the floor, leaning back against the bath with his legs stretched out in front of him and his phone in his hand.

“I feel like death.”

“You look like it.” He handed me a glass. “Drink this. Slowly.”

I sipped the water, draining a third of the glass before carefully placing it down on the bathroom tiles. My head was still spinning, and I was still nauseous, but at least my vision was clearer.

I licked my dry lips. “Sorry.”

“Cleaning up your puke from the bathroom floor wasn’t on my agenda,” Ryker said drily, “but you don’t need to apologise.”

“Love fucking sucks,” I croaked. “Or hate. Whatever it is, I just want it to stop.”

“Yeah.” Ryker stared down at his hands. “I don’t think I’m qualified to help with that.”

“Please don’t go after him.”

“I won’t.” His eyes rose to meet mine. “I want to fucking kill him for what he’s done, but I know you’d never forgive me.”

“Even now, I don’t want to believe it. Even though I’ve seen the evidence with my own eyes and the truth is staring me in the face. I’m a fucking mug, I know, but I can’t turn off my feelings. I wish I could.”

“I know.”

“I’m gonna make him pay, Ry.”

Ryker leaned over, knocking his shoulder against mine in an unprompted contact that was so out of character, all I could do was stare at him.

“Yeah. I know you will.”

42

LINCOLN

“What’s up with you today?” Jasper side-eyed me as our study group left the uni library, cutting across the tree-lined quad towards the campus dining hall in search of sustenance.

“Nothing. Didn’t sleep well.”

He smirked, glancing down at the pretty brunette tucked under his arm. “Tell me about it.”