will find the person responsible, Nathan. You just have to be strong for me. It’s hard, and I know you’re hurting.”
He sank to the floor, and I slipped down with him. When he put his back against the wall, I curled up at his side and stroked the rugged jaw. Nathan was still hurting, and I sensed the intense rage stirring beneath the surface. Anything could set him off again, and I considered it a miracle that I had gotten through so quickly.
“S-stay.” He was still having trouble forming words.
“I can’t stay if I’m going to find that person.” I avoided giving voice to what the person had done. Nathan knew, and I suspected if I said, “the person who killed Dalton,” it would intensify the vision that must be in his head. If I thought it would work, I would glamour him to give him peace. Nathan bordered on losing his mind, and in such a precarious state, he was more vulnerable than a human. I wouldn’t risk it.
Nathan grasped my hand and threaded his long fingers between mine. His claws hadn’t receded, but I retracted my own. He moved carefully not to cut my skin, and we sat that way for a while, hip to hip, hands clasped.
“I didn’t…hurt you?” he said.
I scoffed. “Hurt me? Are you kidding? I’m stronger than you.”
“No.”
I chuckled.
“Rue.”
“Yes, Nathan?”
“I…love…you.”
“I love you, too.” I said it without hesitation because it was true, but I didn’t qualify my feelings the way they were, those for my friend. I assumed Nathan was saying he loved me as a friend, but I also knew he was attracted to me. He hadn’t ceased to stop asking me out since I met him, and I had never said yes.
After our little exchange, I began to hope Violet wasn’t listening by way of the intercom and had overheard our confession. She might jump to the wrong conclusion. I could tell Nathan for her benefit that he was my best friend, but I chose not to.
“Nathan, I have to go. Will you be strong for me?”
He appeared much calmer. “I don’t want to stay in here, Rue. I need to get out and help you.”
“I know, but right now you’re not in the frame of mind to do it. Please, do me a favor and stay. How about this? I’ll get you out in two days, no matter what happens.”
He stared into my eyes, and I looked back, unwavering. I meant what I said. The humans wouldn’t stop me, and if I had to smuggle him out of New Orleans, I would do it. He wouldn’t rot in this facility.
“Two days, no more?”
I nodded. “That’s right. Only forty-eight hours. Can you hang on until then?”
He considered it while I chewed my lip, hoping. At last he agreed, and relief washed over me. I thought I would have to struggle to get my hand back, but he helped me to my feet, hugged me enough to crack my back, and then released me. I moved to the door, and when I tried the knob, I found it unlocked.
“I’ll be back, Nathan. I promise.”
I slipped out of the room, and Violet locked the door. We both stood at the window watching Nathan pace. He appeared ready to smash a fist into the wall a couple times, but in each instance, he drew away. After a while, he strode to a corner of the room and slid to the floor.
“You shouldn’t have said that,” Violet said.
We were headed out of the facility after I glamoured the guard and the doctor. As a bonus, I explained to the doctor that she needed to ignore Nathan for the next two days except to meet his basic needs.
“I shouldn’t have said what?” I glanced at Violet. If anyone was wound tight, it was her. “It’s better if they leave him alone and not try to diagnose or treat him. Plus they won’t try to drug him, which I’m sure you’ll agree will just set him off again.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
We reached her car, and she climbed into the driver side. I refused to ride along, so I leaned against her window to see what all the fuss was about. If Violet glared at me with dislike before, she did more so now. I would
He sank to the floor, and I slipped down with him. When he put his back against the wall, I curled up at his side and stroked the rugged jaw. Nathan was still hurting, and I sensed the intense rage stirring beneath the surface. Anything could set him off again, and I considered it a miracle that I had gotten through so quickly.
“S-stay.” He was still having trouble forming words.
“I can’t stay if I’m going to find that person.” I avoided giving voice to what the person had done. Nathan knew, and I suspected if I said, “the person who killed Dalton,” it would intensify the vision that must be in his head. If I thought it would work, I would glamour him to give him peace. Nathan bordered on losing his mind, and in such a precarious state, he was more vulnerable than a human. I wouldn’t risk it.
Nathan grasped my hand and threaded his long fingers between mine. His claws hadn’t receded, but I retracted my own. He moved carefully not to cut my skin, and we sat that way for a while, hip to hip, hands clasped.
“I didn’t…hurt you?” he said.
I scoffed. “Hurt me? Are you kidding? I’m stronger than you.”
“No.”
I chuckled.
“Rue.”
“Yes, Nathan?”
“I…love…you.”
“I love you, too.” I said it without hesitation because it was true, but I didn’t qualify my feelings the way they were, those for my friend. I assumed Nathan was saying he loved me as a friend, but I also knew he was attracted to me. He hadn’t ceased to stop asking me out since I met him, and I had never said yes.
After our little exchange, I began to hope Violet wasn’t listening by way of the intercom and had overheard our confession. She might jump to the wrong conclusion. I could tell Nathan for her benefit that he was my best friend, but I chose not to.
“Nathan, I have to go. Will you be strong for me?”
He appeared much calmer. “I don’t want to stay in here, Rue. I need to get out and help you.”
“I know, but right now you’re not in the frame of mind to do it. Please, do me a favor and stay. How about this? I’ll get you out in two days, no matter what happens.”
He stared into my eyes, and I looked back, unwavering. I meant what I said. The humans wouldn’t stop me, and if I had to smuggle him out of New Orleans, I would do it. He wouldn’t rot in this facility.
“Two days, no more?”
I nodded. “That’s right. Only forty-eight hours. Can you hang on until then?”
He considered it while I chewed my lip, hoping. At last he agreed, and relief washed over me. I thought I would have to struggle to get my hand back, but he helped me to my feet, hugged me enough to crack my back, and then released me. I moved to the door, and when I tried the knob, I found it unlocked.
“I’ll be back, Nathan. I promise.”
I slipped out of the room, and Violet locked the door. We both stood at the window watching Nathan pace. He appeared ready to smash a fist into the wall a couple times, but in each instance, he drew away. After a while, he strode to a corner of the room and slid to the floor.
“You shouldn’t have said that,” Violet said.
We were headed out of the facility after I glamoured the guard and the doctor. As a bonus, I explained to the doctor that she needed to ignore Nathan for the next two days except to meet his basic needs.
“I shouldn’t have said what?” I glanced at Violet. If anyone was wound tight, it was her. “It’s better if they leave him alone and not try to diagnose or treat him. Plus they won’t try to drug him, which I’m sure you’ll agree will just set him off again.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
We reached her car, and she climbed into the driver side. I refused to ride along, so I leaned against her window to see what all the fuss was about. If Violet glared at me with dislike before, she did more so now. I would
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