His lips grazed my forehead.
“I’ll always be there, Nightshade. Whenever you need me. I’ll be right there.”
I wokeup in the morning with a wicked headache. But it was nothing compared to the way my chest caved in. I was sprawled out in bed, in nothing but a t-shirt and my underwear. And Avalanche was gone, no proof he’d ever even been here.
A part of me wondered if I had imagined the whole thing. If maybe I lost track of how many drinks I had and hallucinated the whole thing. But then I went to the bathroom. Two face towel sat in the laundry basket next to the door.
I could have brushed that off, could have convinced myself that I’d just imagined he was the one to do it—that I’d just gotten myself ready for bed—until I looked at myself in the mirror. I was pale—to be expected with a hangover—the only thing on my skin was my freckles. Drunk me had almost never taken the time to wash my face. If she did, shenevergot it all off. I’d have smudged mascara, or eyeliner at least.
I pealed my t-shirt over my head. Evidence number two was a bruise on my upper left arm. A hand print from where the other guy had grabbed me.
Tears stung my eyes.
Avalanche left. After everything, he just left without a word.
Of course he would. Why would he stay? The last thing sober-me told him was to stay the hell out of my life. He couldn’t trustthat I remembered anything post-drugs. I didn’t even know if all of it was real. Parts of it must have been. He took off my makeup for sure. But there was no proof of anything else. My clothes and hair were dry, the towel he wrapped me in was nowhere to be found, no glass of water on my nightstand.
I thought about calling him.
I stopped myself.
I laid it all out for him last night. If he changed his choice, he could come to me. Sure, he saved my ass last night, but he’d been there for me before just to disappear again.
He’d said a lot of words last night. Lots of things that made me really angry. Like he was staying away to keep me safe? Fuck him for thinking he knew what was best for me. I was always in danger. I lived in a shit neighbourhood, in the shittiest district. Not to mention the countless other villains who considered me an ally. Any one of their enemies could come after me, too. Why was he different? Why was he special?
It didn’t matter. If he wanted to push me away to make himself feel better, then fuck him. My life was fine before him and it would be fine after.
I just had to get my heart and my head on the same page.
19
THE VOLUNTEER
I was gettingready to go for a walk when my phone started ringing. I rolled my eyes and picked up my burner. It took me about five seconds to realize that the burner wasn’t vibrating in my hand. It was my real phone… No one called me on my actual cell. These days, only those weird ass texts have lit up my phone screen.
“Hello?”
“V, I’m so sorry to call?—”
“Who is it?”
Maddy was sniffling and there was only one reason she would call me on my day off in tears. One of the kids was going to die. Today more than likely.
“Scarlett.”
I was off the phone and running out my door before my brain had fully registered the name.
Scarlett had been battling lung cancer for a year and a half now. Even though I worked in a hospital, I wasn’t going to pretend to know what I was talking about in regard to her treatment, but she had been doing better the last couple of months. Ever since Avalanche’s visit it was almost like she was fighting harder.
But she was still losing.
I ran ten blocks to the hospital and was severely out of breath by the time I made it to the lobby. Maddy was waiting at the reception desk, eyes slightly puffy and red. “Thanks for coming so fast. She was asking for you.”
I gulped down several breaths before responding. “Of course. Can I see her now?”
“Yes. Her parents are up there now.”
By the time I made it to her room, I’d had a couple minutes to collect myself. I knocked quietly before I heard a soft voice invite me in.
