“Same shit as always, huh?”
“I didn’t come to fight.”
“What do you want?”
“You look like you need a drink more than me.”
I scoff. “Probably.”
She takes another sip. “Have you heard the rumors? About Rosen?”
“Yeah.”
I pour a shot of whiskey and down it in one gulp.Not nearly enough alcohol in the world to deal with her.
“I guess he’ll never give up. Can’t really blame him. Have you seen him lately? He doesn’t look good.”
“He hasn’t been here in a while. Neither him nor Rourke.”
“I heard the voice again today,” she says, like she’s commenting on the weather.
I look at her, my blood running cold. “What did it say?”
“Happy anniversary.”
“What in the actual fuck?”
She shrugs. “Thought maybe you heard it too.”
“No,” I turn away, grabbing a rag to wipe down a spot on the bar that’s already clean.
“It still surprises me when I hear it,” she continues, swirling the olive in her glass. “It’s so strange that it’s my own voice, you know… distorted.”
“Stop talking about this so casually.” I slam the rag down. “You're making yourself a target. If people find out you're... hearing it, they'll come for you. Why the fuck is it talking to you? Makes no sense. Who else have you told?”
“No one. You know I don’t tell people.”
“Yet the whole town knows the story,” I say, leaning my weight on my hands against the bar.
“They know rumors. And to think I always wanted to be famous growing up.” She takes another sip, her eyes watching me over the rim of the glass.
“This isn’t a joke. You know that.”
“I mean… it wasn’t exactly a threat.”
“Will you ever take anything seriously?”
“Gave up on that long ago. Anyway, you take serious enough for both of us.”
I want to tell her I wasn’t always like this, but that feels like another lifetime—one she probably doesn’t even remember. I drag a hand through my hair. “You know what? I told you to stay the fuck away. You know it’s almost?—”
“Full moon, blah blah blah. I know. And for the millionth time, I’m not running.”
“You’re impossible.”
She smirks. “I know. You tell me often.” Her eyes drift down slowly, over my chest, my stomach, lingering at the waist of my jeans. “You seem extra tense today.”
I push off the bar and round the corner, closing the distance between us. I stop right in front of her, crowding her space. “I’m taking you home.”
