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“My bad. I’m sorry to disturb you.”
The girl turned her head. “Duchess?”
Dani couldn’t stifle her gasp when she noticed the side of the teen’s face and neck scarred with what looked like angry and raw third-degree burns.
“Don’t worry,” the girl said. “It’s not catching.”
Compassion caused an ache in her throat. Dani forgot her manners and hurried over to sit in the chair next to the bed. “I know and I’m so sorry. What happened?”
“A bombing. At our after-school center.”
“A bombing?” Dani pressed a hand to her midsection, shocked. When had this happened? She didn’t read the British papers, outside of noticing the headlines... had it been on the news? Had she been so caught up in Jameson that she missed hearing about the bombing of children?
“It got pinned ’neath the rubble.”
“And is that what happened to the girl in the other bed?”
She nodded. “Most of us on this floor. Although, it’s funny—”
Dani couldn’t imagine anything humorous about this situation.
“What’s funny?”
“She doesn’t go to our center. It’s mostly migrants. That’s why we were targeted. Her family just moved to the neighborhood. It was her third day.”
Dani’s stomach twisted. “Targeted?”
“People here have lost the plot when it comes to migrants. Think they’re nicking their jobs.”
The levels of wrongness about the entire situation! Dani opened her mouth, then closed it. What should she do? Whatcouldshe do? A sexy dance followed by a “Duchess is here, Bitches better bow down” call and repeat seemed highly inappropriate and ineffectual given the circumstances.
The side of the girl’s face unaffected by trauma tightened. “You’re off your trolley. I saw you when you were here for the tribute. You didn’t act like this. Is it ’cuz you pity me?”
“Not pity. Sympathy. And great sorrow. Is that not allowed?”
“It is. What happened to us was shitty.”
Dani raised her brows. “Wow, I can see why they’re not usingyouin the promo materials.”
The teen’s eyes widened.
Goddammit, Dani!
But the girl laughed out loud only to immediately wince.
Dani half rose from the chair. “Are you okay?”
The girl nodded then asked, “What gave it away? My mouth or my face?”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“It’s cool. I flipped my lid and you called me out on it. That’s so Duchess.”
“I think having an attitude is the least of what you’re allowed.” Dani frowned. “Me calling you out is okay but not knowing what to say offended you?”
“Yeah, ’cuz calling me out is so Duchess. You’re treating me regular. But the other thing is you treating me like charity.”
Dani’s heart broke. The years seemed to melt away and she was once again that young girl who needed help but hated the side ofpity that came with it. She understood not wanting to be seen as a charity case when she’d been fucked by circumstances outside of her control.
