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“Shit,” Jessica croaked and held up a hand.
Robin threw herself onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Jessica as she sobbed. They were thrown back onto the surprisingly comfortable bed. Jessica winced as something hard and unyielding was driven into her chest, but she did her best to say nothing as Robin clung to her.
Zora had said they’d assumed both Jessica and Samuel were dead.
No wonder Robin was beside herself with grief.
Jessica peered across the mattress. There was no sign that Samuel had slept there. But she remembered putting on a clean pair of sweats before getting into bed and him holding her. They had a lot to talk about and figure out, in time. But last night they’d both needed comfort and sleep. Despite how exhausted she’d been, she’d dozed then started awake several times. If it weren’t for Samuel’s presence, she might have succumbed to the nightmares.
It would have been rather awkward if he were still there now. Last Jessica had spoken to Robin they still hadn’t been on great terms.
“I really need you to get off me,” Jessica said. “Are you trying to stab me with your phone?”
“Sorry.” Robin rolled off Jessica to lie next to her. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“You might have cracked a rib.”
“Not funny.”
“I’m being serious.” Okay, Jessica wasn’t entirely serious about that, but the ache in her chest was a stark reminder that she had to take it easy. She was damn lucky things hadn’t turned out worse. “What time is it?”
“Almost eleven, I think.”
“What?” She rolled to her side. No wonder Samuel was gone. And he’d just left her to sleep?
“Zora called me to let me know you were here and to bring you some stuff.” Robin shoved Samuel’s pillow under her head. The phone lay between them, casting a pillar of light. “I can’t believe you came all this way without letting anyone know you were okay.”
“We didn’t know if it was safe.”
Robin grimaced, which was somehow still adorable on her. “That makes sense… So, what happened? Zora wouldn’t say…”
Jessica launched into a kinder retelling of events. She left things out and glossed over the unsavory parts. Robin had been through enough. She didn’t need more guilt heaped on her.
“Oh, my God, that’s awful,” Robin whispered.
Jessica chewed her lip. Robin was the one person she wanted to tell about Samuel, but how did she start that conversation? And where was he? Didn’t he know it was cruel to leave without saying goodbye? Why did he get to go to work and not her?
“Knock, knock,” another familiar voice called out from the opening door.
Did people just walk into apartments around here like this?
“Kelsey?” Robin sat up.
“No, it’s the muffin man.”
“Will you turn the light on, Mr. Muffin Man?” Jessica asked.
“Haa. Haa.” The overhead lights came to life. “I brought friends.”
“What?” Jessica blinked at the curtain.
The fabric was drawn aside and five women stood on the other side. There was Kelsey, barely over five feet still sporting a spiky pixie haircut. Her broad, Polynesian features made her grin seem too large for her small face. Next to her was Diha, looking elegant as always in her flowing, Indian tunic and pants. Her long, dark braid was adorned with a ribbon running through it today. The red head, Cat, was just closing the apartment door behind the two Jessica didn’t know on sight.
“Sorry to barge in on you like this,” Kelsey said and crossed her arms over her chest. “These slackers wanted to tag along.”
“Hi.” A woman with wavy hair waved at Jessica. “We never met. I’m Felecia.”
A petite Asian woman came to stand next to Diha. “I’m Candi and I tagged along because I’m nosey.”
