All of it felt automatic. Like I was watching myself do it instead of actually being there. Eventually, it was just staff left. Then less staff. Then no one.
I sent everybody home.
Hartland grabbed Chewy on his way out, giving me one last look, he wanted to say something but thought better of it. I appreciated that. I didn’t have the capacity for anything else right now.
I still wasn’t accepting what happened in that room until I saw a body.
Orim stayed with me though.
She didn’t ask anything but she stood there, watching me pace the floor, fiddling with Marlon’s chain on my neck.
Back and forth. Then back and forth.
My hands were shaking again until my phone rang. I froze mid-step and looked down at it.
Marlon.
My heart jumped so hard it hurt.
I answered immediately.
“Marley?” My voice came out breathless. “Are you okay, baby?”
There was a pause.
“…hey.”
It's not him. It’s Marcus. My mouth went dry instantly.
“…is someone there with you?”
My grip tightened on the phone.
“Yeah,” I said quickly. “Yes. My friend Orim?—”
“Can you give her the phone, please?”
I immediately turned to Orim, holding the phone out.“Here.”
She took it without hesitation, pressing it to her ear. I watched her face the entire time. Whatever Marcus was saying, she wasn’t giving anything away.
“…got it,” she said finally. “See you soon.”
She hung up and turned to me.
“Let’s go.”
The drive felt too long.
Every second stretched out while I sat there gripping my hands together, pressing my fingers into my palms. I kept looking out the window, then at the road, then back at my phone to see if it was going to ring again and tell me something different.
“Orim,” I said, my voice tight, barely holding together, “is Marlon okay?”
“I literally don’t know anything,” she said without looking at me. Her hands stayed firm on the wheel. “All I got was an address.”
I leaned back in my seat, dragging in a slow breath through my nose and letting it out through my mouth.
I never should’ve left that room.
