I sit up and stare at him. “I’m not half-assing anything.”
“I’m in,” River says, his voice steady. “I have no idea how you think you’re going to pull all of this off, but I’m not going to walk away from this.”
Asch nods. “I’m all in, too,” he confirms. “But you already knew that.”
Blaze kisses me gently. “Okay. Then. Uh, rest up. The shit might hit the fan tomorrow.”
I grin. “Oh, Blaze. That fan’s been covered in it since the day you laid eyes on me.”
“She’s not wrong,” Asch mutters.
“Yeah. Guess not.” Blaze kisses me again, fiercely. “But we’re in it together now.”
We really are.
And for the first time in a long time, I think the thumping I hear in my ears might be coming from inside my chest.
35
BLAZE
Asch left at some point in the night. I’m not sure how to feel about that, considering River is still here. On the other hand, Samantha is in River’s room, so it’s not like he has anywhere else to go except the couch.
Pandora is sleeping soundly.
I trace the length of her arm, and I wonder about what she’d said.
Stitching somebody back up after they’ve been completely torn asunder.
I don’t think she meant Samantha when she talked about somebody missing aheart.
Every time I get closer to understanding Pandora, I understand her less, too. I kiss her forehead, then slowly roll out of bed.
I find a pair of briefs—probably mine—and a shirt to put on. I grab my phone and head out. Asch’s bedroom door is ajar, but River’s is closed.
I knock quietly. “Samantha?”
I hear her gasp, then she responds, “Come in. But stay by the door.”
“Okay.” I open the door and leave it mostly ajar.
Samantha must have showered recently, because her blonde hair is damp. There isn’t a single spot of makeup on her either, and I barely recognize her without it.
She wraps the blanket around her shoulders like she’s trying to shield herself from me.
“I have a question for you,” I say. “And what I do hinges on your answer.”
Samantha huddles into herself. “What?”
“Do you want to go into hiding? Or do you want to finish your education here?” I chuckle to myself. “I’d suggest some other school, but the only place I can offer is Dyschord.”
She lets out a slow, shuddering breath, then she falls silent for so long that I’m not sure she’s going to answer at all. “Does it matter what I want to do? I need to get as far away from here as I can. I—” Her voice breaks. “But it doesn’t matter. If what Pandora said is true, I don’t have a choice. I can’t stay at Dyschord.”
“I can help keep you safe here. So can Pandora.” I sigh. “But I don’t think my network or hers could do much for you if you tried to go public with any of this. And if you go somewhere else, we won’t be able to help if somebody comes after you.”
“And somebodywillcome after me,” she says, her voice tiny. It holds a slight edge, though, something that seems more familiar than the disappearing act she’s currently trying to pull. “But I’m out of Dyschord. My family isn’t paying after the stunt ‘I’ pulled.” Her tone is bitter now, and she says, “And I have Pandora to thank for that.”
“I’ll pay,” I say. “So will Pandora. Between the two of us, we can cover your tuition.”
