Page 31 of Legacy Elite

The suite is full, because of course it's full. Declan is telling the story of Soren going down and it appears to have grown considerably. Renzo has produced biscuits from a location he refuses to disclose. Sophia is on her couch delivering a legal opinion about whether Natasha can be sued.

Torres is in the kitchen doorway with a bag of ice wrapped in a tea towel, and when I come in he doesn't say are you all right, he just holds it out and tips his chin at the couch.

I sit. He sits on the arm and puts the ice against my mouth himself, because I am doing it wrong.

"Ribs?"

"Ribs are a tomorrow problem."

"Ribs are a right-now problem that you'll notice tomorrow."

"That's what I said."

The door opens without a knock.

"Soren said you might have a shiner," Luke says.

He's still in his coat and he crosses the room and takes my chin between two fingers and turns my face toward the lamp to look at me.

"Hmm," he says.

"Don't."

"I didn’t say it."

"You've got a whole face happening."

"I'm proud of you and I hate it," Luke says. "Both things are true. It's uncomfortable. Let me have my minute."

And then Freya stands up.

She closes her book, puts it under her arm, and says, "Right," to nobody in particular.

"We're not going anywhere," Sophia says. "Jessica fought today—"

"Sophia."

"I have questions about the elbow—"

"Sophia," Freya says, "we're going."

She takes Sophia by the wrist. Declan is up before he understands why and Renzo is up before Declan, because Renzo is never the last person to work anything out.

Sophia looks between the three of us, and I watch it arrive, and her entire face changes.

"Oh," she says.

"Out," Freya says.

"I'm going. I'm going. I want it on the record that I'm being extremely gracious about this."

"Noted."

"I'm being so gracious—"

The door shuts.

And then it's quiet.