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“Boys can get away with all kinds of stuff.”
“Mia.” He hasn’t once sounded impatient. “I think Bristol would be a lot more comfortable upstairs. Think we can head up there and talk after?”
A beat passes. “Okay. But are you sure I’m not going to get in trouble? My teacher already doesn’t like me that much.”
“I promise you will not get in trouble.”
“Most people don’t like me that much, except Ben.”
My heart breaks. I want to give Mia a hug, but my head weighs a ton and my throat—ah. Mistake.
“Most people don’t like me that much, either,” Will says.
“They don’t?”
“No. They want me to be nicer. And care about different things than I do.”
“They want you to be somebody different,” Mia whispers.
“I think so, yeah.”
“Well.” There’s a shuffling sound. “I like you.”
“I like you, too. Want to go inside and play Minecraft?”
There’s a blur of sound. A car door opening, then shutting. A man’s voice muffled by the glass. A closer door pops open and a fresh breeze sweeps over my skin.
“Bristol.” He touches my face. Between the breeze and that soft, careful touch, I manage to open my eyes. Will leans in, his eyes shifting between blue and green in the early afternoon sun. “We’re at my place. I’m going to take you inside.”
He seems like he might want permission, so I nod. It’s hard to keep my eyes open. Too hard. I don’t dare say anything. Pain throbs in my throat. I don’t want to risk making it worse and throwing up on Will’s shirt.
That would be embarrassing.
I drift a little bit. My seat belt releases, and then strong arms lift me out of the SUV. “This way, guys. Ben—yes. Give him the money. Perfect.” Leaves rustle on the sidewalk. They sound papery and fragile. It’s the complete opposite of Will’s warm, solid chest.
The air changes. It’s filtered here, and smells polished and clean. I have the impression of other people around us. Footsteps echo like there’s a crowd, but that must be the heat from the beach. The heat from the fever?
“—to her apartment.” Will’s voice hums through his chest. I feel wrapped in the sound. This conversation has been happening for a minute, I think. “She tried to say something. Her throat must be killing her. It sounds wrecked. And then she fainted.”
“Did she hit her head?” A man’s voice I don’t recognize.
“No. I caught her. Ben, press that button, would you? Thanks.” There’s a soft, ritzyding.“I tried a wet compress, but she didn’t open her eyes again until we got here.”
A smaller space. Will’s building has a nice elevator. It lifts us up smoothly, without any effort. It’s how he lifted me out of the car. I wish I could tell him that he’s not a monster. Could a monster be this gentle? I seriously doubt it.
The raw knife-cuts in my throat and the sand filling my head make resting the far more attractive option.
Their voices float above me, around me, and I sink into a pile of clouds. Pillows on a firm mattress. I’m dimly aware of a light behind my eyelids and someone asking me to open my mouth. That hurts so much that tears leak out of my eyes. Someone squeezes my hand and brushes my hair back from my face and murmursit’s done now, Bristol, just rest.
“—strep,” the unfamiliar voice says.
“That’s it?” Will’s worried. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him sound like this, except for once. I can’t remember exactly when. Or—wait. It was here. He sounded like this here.I’m going to my brother’s house. Nothing to worry about.How did I not know he was hiding something? “She collapsed. I have no way of knowing if that was the first time.”
“I’ll run the test again if you want me to, Will, but it’s a clear positive. I called in antibiotics—”
“I want more than Tylenol for her. She gets tears in her eyes every time she tries to swallow.”
“Will—”
