“Are youokay?”
She rolls her lips. “Well… I can’t really lie and say I’m fine. You were there last night. You saw how much of a mess I was.”
“Not a mess. My fierce warrior.”
Her mouth falls open, but no sound comes out.
Grinning, I continue. “I can tell that you might be… embarrassed for breaking down when it was all over. Don’t be. I’ve seen people twice your size and age crumple under half the weight of the things you went through tonight. Without your quick thinking and devotion, your friend would be lying in the morgue instead of a treatment room.”
At my mention of it, her gaze trails to the ceiling as she tries to hold back a wave of tears. “I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional.”
“You almost lost your best friend tonight. It’s completely normal to be shaken up.”
“Yeah…” Grace takes a couple of deep breaths, pulling herself together. Drained, she turns and climbs back into bed. I watch with rapt attention as she settles under the covers, pulling thetop blanket high over her chest so every part of her is covered but her head.
When she’s ready, she turns her attention back to me, letting out a hefty sigh. “Today really sucked, Seven. Like really, really sucked.”
“Surely, it wasn’tallbad?” My mind travels back to the lunch Grace and Archer Graves shared. “Maybe there was something good that happened that you can think about? Take your mind off what happened?” I slide closer to her, reaching out to place my hand on her covered knee. “It usually helps me.”
She bites her lip, a blush creeping over her cheeks. “There was one good thing that happened.”
“Tell me.”
Grace narrows her eyes suspiciously. “Why?”
“Because I’m curious. Because it might take your mind off things.”
“Okay…” She bites the corner of her lip, dropping her gaze to her lap as she recounts the memory. “It wasn’t anything big. Just lunch with my new boss. Still, it was… really nice.”
“Hmm.” I stare at her, at a loss as for what to say next. I don’t want to give away any clues that I’m Archer, and I’m worried if I open my mouth, I’ll do just that.
“You should get some rest.” My gaze flicks to the dark circles under her eyes.
She barks a laugh. “Yeah, I should. But there’s a serial killer in my bedroom, so that might be a little difficult.”
“Wait right here.” I give her one last glance before heading into the kitchen.
I grab all the supplies I need and turn the kettle on, waiting patiently as the water heats to a boil. Carefully, I pour the water into the mug, watching as it slowly turns a murky green color from the teabag. I add a splash of cream and head back into the bedroom, passing the warm mug into her waiting hands.
“What’s this?”
“Drugs,” I respond without a beat.
She barks a laugh, her eyes widening in shock. “Really?”
“No. It’s just tea. It’ll help you sleep.” I mean, therearedrugs in the tea, but I don’t think she needs to know that. “Drink. It’s not poisoned. I promise.”
Rolling her eyes, Grace places the lip of the mug to her lips, taking a large sip. “Mmm. Really good.”
Once she’s drunk the tea, I take a seat at the edge of her mattress, running my fingers through her hair to soothe her. The sedative works quickly, and paired with my soothing caresses, Grace drifts off to sleep. Her head lolls to the side, her eyes droop, and all the while, I keep touching her, humming softly to ease her into oblivion.
Just before she’s fully gone, I lean in close, positioning my lips near her ear as I whisper, “What’s his name, Grace?”
“Huh?” Her eyes slide open the tiniest bit, and she struggles to focus on my face. “Whadasay?”
I bring my hand down to cup her chin, brushing the pad of my thumb softly against her bottom lip. “What’s his name, Grace?”
“Who?” she asks.
