“Go,” I say, waving her away. “I’m fine.”
“You’re absolutelynotfine,” Morgan says, buttoning her jacket back up. “But I will.” She nods at the rest of the suite. “Just…try to relax, okay? Take a shower, get some sleep.”
A shower. A real shower, with hot water that doesn’t run out, and no counselors watching me to make sure I don’t try to off myself with my Gillette Daisy.
“Okay,” I say, nodding. Morgan nods back, cinches a scarf around her neck, and points at the tea in my hands.
“Finish that, too,” she commands, jingling around for her keys. “It’ll make you feelmuchbetter, and—oh!”
She skids to a stop in her own doorframe.
There’s someone out there.
Not justsomeone.
Callahan.
His face is serious, almost grim, and yet I can’t help but notice how handsome he is, like it’s been so long since I’d seen his face that my brain needs to process it all over again. Broad jaw, full lips, loose waves falling over his forehead and grazing the top of his glasses. A Renaissance statue come to life.
Immediately, Morgan puts her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here?” She darts a glance back at me, like she’s checking that I’m okay. “Did we leave something in the car?”
“I…no, you didn’t.” Callahan shakes his head. He’s still in his coat, although it’s unbuttoned, and he’s not exactly in front of the door like he was waiting for us, more…off to the side. “I’m here to…keep watch over you.”
Morgan scoffs. “Callahan O’Brian, I am a grown woman and perfectly capable of going into the woods without?—”
“Not you,” Callahan clarifies. And glances at me. “Gwenna.”
Morgan opens her mouth, closes it, and looks from Callahan to me. My heart thrums up in my chest again despite the heaviness weighing down all of my limbs. “What?” I manage. “Keep watch?”
It’s so ludicrous a concept, aphrase,that I genuinely think I must have misheard him.
But Callahan just nods. His hands are clasped behind his back, I notice. Like a soldier at attention.
“Why on earth—” Morgan clutches her keys, then groans. “Was this Kingston’s idea?”
“No,” Callahan says. “Not—it was all of ours.”
The thought of all four of them, together, talking about me, makes my face flame. Suddenly, I feel strangely self-conscious, like I’m overhearing a parent-teacher conference I’m not meant to be privy to. I fold my arms over my stomach, less defiant and more…protective.
“What? What for? There’s nothing that could?—”
“I—excuse me,” Callahan says, ducking his head slightly when he realizes he’s interrupted. But Morgan pauses, so he continues. “You know what for.”
Again, he glances at me.
“What’s going on?” I say, my voice suddenly high and thin.
“I can’t…” Callahan looks pained. Like there’s more he wants to say, but can’t. Or won’t. “We just want to make sure you’re safe,” he finishes.
That does it. One simple, utilitarian reason and I just…
I can’t stomach it, almost. Can’t handle it.
Sure, Morgan said the same thing before, but that didn’t affect me the same way.
No one’s ever cared if I’msafe.
Not primarily. Not as the full-stop, be-all-end-all, alpha-and-omega goal in and of itself.
