Page 312 of Rush

A quiet, sardonic laugh slips out. Pathetic.

Of course it would be his category. Of course they have me presenting it.

Like the universe couldn’t resist setting me up.

I smooth down my skirt again, exhaling sharply before I can spiral any further?—

Cool, familiar arms wrap around me.

I turn to see Ava grinning from ear to ear before her face drops.

“Hey, pretty lady,” she says. “You don’t look so good.”

“I’m nervous.”

“The ex?” Ava asks quietly.

I nod.

“I think I’m gonna throw up.”

“It’s okay,” she whispers. “I’ve got you.”

She fingers the small locket at her throat, hesitating for half a second before opening it. “It’s snow,” she says gently. “Just something to take the edge off.”

I shouldn’t.

“Go on,” she teases. “Live a little.”

The words echo—Julian’s voice layers over hers.

My stomach flutters, caught between the past—where everything hurt—and the urge to let go of it all. I promised my mom I’d live a little, didn’t I?When in Rome.

“Okay.”

Ava moves quickly, setting it all up. She places the small silver spoon against my nostril—here goes nothing.

I inhale, feeling the sharp sting of something foreign.

What the fuck.

I have the urge to sneeze and cry but I manage to stop myself. Ava blows my face, drying my watery eyes, grounding andungrounding me all at once. I chase it with my drink, swallowing too fast.

“I don’t feel anything?”

“Give it a sec,” she says.

A haziness creeps in slowly. The edges soften. Julian fades, Alex drifts into a memory. Broderick feels like a daydream. My body feels lighter, no longer anchored to the floor.

Oh, this is nice.

No wonder people do this.

Mike grins as he walks back toward me. “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

The cue light flashes green—but for a second, it looks like a fairy dancing. Probably just my imagination.