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“Chloe and Stella tolerate me. Just like I tolerate them. It’s par for the course in our current situation. We could have ended up with way worse,” she said. “And if you screw this up for the both of us, we still could.”
I’d damaged the poor man’s brain! What did she want from me? I couldn’t abandon him. I couldn’t.
“I won’t make us homeless,” I said. “I promise.”
“I thought you didn’t like liars,” Tristan said.
I waved an arm behind me, wildly, to warn him to shut his trap.
“Hi, Tristan,” Layana said.
“Hi,” he said, ignoring my flailing.
“That promise not to get us kicked out—I’m afraid you won’t be able to keep it,” Layana said.
I really,reallyhoped she was wrong. “It’s not like I have a choice here. He has amnesia and doesn’t know where he lives. It’s all my fault, Lay. I can’t just leave him on the street.”
Layana didn’t respond.
“He’s not a murderer,” I said.
“If he doesn’t know himself, he wouldn’t remember all the bodies he’s left in his wake, now would he?” Layana said.
“I would sense it,” Tristan said.
“Oh, so you have Jedi tingles, Tristan? Is that what you’re telling me?” Layana asked. “Do you have a croaking green puppet as a reference?”
I sighed, stepped to the side, and pushed him forward so she could see.
“Look at his face,” I told Layana.“I did this.”
I couldn’t see her expression, but I caught the sharp intake of her breath.
No way could she look at the damage I’d caused and not feel sorry for the guy. I only hoped that pity would be enough to win her over.
She let out a pained hiss, or maybe Tristan did. Ihopedit wasn’t Tristan.Had she reached through the crack and poked him on his swollen cheek?
“Whoa, fine. Okay. You can’t abandon him. I get it.” She undid the chain, opened the door, and stepped to the side, allowing us in.
Tristan scanned the room with a sour expression. His eyes took on an unfocused glaze, like he was lost in unpleasant thoughts. It had to be my fault. Not only had I damaged his face, but I’d brought attention to injuries again. Anyone would feel self-conscious in his position, and I kept poking that tender subject with a stick.
“I’m sorry for bringing up your injury again,” I said softly to Tristan. “She wasn’t going to let us in. But that’s not a fair excuse to you. It can’t feel good to have all of the focus—”
“Tough break about your face and brain,” Layana said.
His posture already stiff, Tristan shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Layana,”I scolded.
She ignored me.
“I don’t know if Morgan told you, but she definitely intends to stuff you under my bed to hide you from our roommates.”
“We haven’t gotten that far in discussion,” I said. “And I don’t even—”
“Why your bed?” Tristan asked Layana.
Apparently both of them were ignoring me.
