Page 61 of The Donor’s Dilemma

He called through to Stella. “Cancel my meetings for the rest of the evening.” He didn’t wait for a reply before finding a bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a drink and reading.

Chapter Eighteen

After the night she’d had, it was just typical that Verity couldn’t sleep. Her feet ached, her throat was sore, and her stomach felt as though she had done a thousand sit-ups, yet the moment her head hit the pillow her mind had woken.

Her shift at the cafe had been a disaster. Cora was flapping when Verity finally arrived, the queue almost out the door and customers complaining they’d be late for work if she didn’t hurry up. As if telling someone to hurry up ever helped.

By the time they finished with the breakfast rush people were already arriving for lunch and in a way, Verity was grateful for the distraction. Once they quieted down, Cora wanted details of her date. She wasn’t mad, didn’t blame her for the night from the hells, just turned to her with a smile, hungry for gossip. Verity said that, against her better judgment, she and Adam played a drinking game, one she hadn’t been very good at, and her gentlemanly date had taken care of her. At least the last part wasn’t a lie.

Before she left, Verity helped write an advert for staff. Cora might be the forgiving type but Verity worried that it could happen again. Not the drink spiking part, but being late, what with the midweek visits to SubRosa and Abe’s impending arrival. She wouldn’t put the café’s contract in jeopardy because she was unreliable.

Now, as she lay in bed, last night was all she could think about. The fact that someone she believed was warming to her had spiked her drink.

The rivalry or disagreement or whatever it was between Theo and Harris was obvious, but to spike her drink? To drug her and pump her for information? It felt like a major overreaction, and for Sienna to do it?

Verity hadn’t been a huge fan of the woman at the start, but she kind of understood why Sienna acted the way she did with the cool kids. Keeping them on a short leash in public, telling Adam to keep quiet before he spilled secrets. She’d been starting to think that, despite her frosty, Queen-Bee act, Sienna was protecting the other donors. Now she wasn’t so sure.

No accepting drinks. No touching.

The two biggest rules Theo demanded, and Verity broke them both.

Rolling over, she stared at the window, at the light creeping around the curtain. The sun was rising, the night over and memory - or more like the impression of memory - played on the edge of her mind.

Lying on Theo’s bathroom floor, legs on the cold tiles, as he cradled her, whispering words of care and stroking her hair. He should be mad at her for being so stupid, but there was no rage in his embrace; only worry and affection.

Every couple of hours he messaged her, checking she was okay, asking if she was eating and keeping her fluids up. She lied, something Verity was getting good at, promising she was taking care of herself when in truth the thought of eating turned her stomach.

When had he fed last? She was sure that he had intended to feed at the club, but she robbed him of that.

Reaching out, she took her phone from the nightstand.

Theo

Sweet dreams

His last message read, from when she’d told him she was going to sleep. She knew he wouldn’t ask.

You finished work?

She texted, knowing he headed home around dawn.

His reply was almost instant.

Leaving now. You okay?

I'm fine, just wondering

if you're hungry

Dots appeared on the screen, then stopped. Appeared and stopped. He didn’t want to admit it.

I can't sleep, come get me?

She wanted to talk, needed to talk, to understand why Harris would do something like that, and why Sienna was questioning donor numbers.

You don't have to. I'll be okay.

Come get me.