Page 87 of Burn

It physically pains me, but I force myself to step back, putting distance between them and me. Delacroix scribbles on a paper pad, glancing up at Lex every few seconds.

“Only champagne?” she asks.

I physically bite my tongue to stop myself from answering for her. It’s not because I don’t think she can reply, but because the question is so preposterous. The girl barely drinks, let alone takes recreational drugs. Heat radiates through my chest as my anger kicks up.

Her detached response freezes me. “My last glass of champagne tasted strange. I only had a couple of sips. Iassumed it was a different brand, one I don’t like, but now I think it may have been drugged.”

I drank her last drink, didn’t I?

I try to think back to sitting at the table, and the glass I’d grabbed from the table. Was it champagne?

No. It was wine.

He drugged her when I was mere feet away.

The world tilts on its axis as it hits me. A loud ringing fills my ears, and it blocks out the conversation happening between the police officer and the woman I seem to fail continually. It’s not until the cop steps away from Lex, moving around the ambulance to speak to another officer, that I refocus and listen to their hushed words.

“She said he attacked her in high school,” Constable Delacroix says.

“Did she report it back then?” the male officer asks.

“No. Said she was scared and transferred schools soon after.”

“Well, that’s easy enough to verify.”

What?

Holy fuck.

She tried to explain it to me. Tried to tell me it wasn’t what I thought, and I cut her off.

Told her to save it.

And he…

The officer returns to Lex, places a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it, and says, “Okay, I think we’re good for now. Thank you. The medics are going to take you into the hospital for further evaluation and test —”

“No.” The quiet, stunned ghost of a person is gone, and there’s no uncertainty in her tone. She’s not going to thehospital.

“Ms. Donnelly, I really must insist.”

“No. I want to go with Adrian. I want to go home.” Her eyes flick to mine, pleading with me to get her out of here, and since I can’t seem to do anything else to keep her safe, I nod. I can do this.

This time, when I step toward her, she doesn’t flinch away. She pulls me closer, using me as leverage to pull herself out of the back of the ambulance. She’s shaky on her feet, but she hides it well, holding her head high and for the first time looking directly at Constable Delacroix.

“Thank you, Officer. You’ve all been great, but I’m exhausted and leaving.”

Pride swells in my chest hearing her stand her ground. I disagree with the decision, but fuck if I’m one to tell her she can’t do whatever the fuck she wants. Constable Delacroix looks at me, and when she realizes I’m not going to back her up, she sighs and says, “Fine. You’ll hear from us as the investigation progresses.” Her attention shifts back to me when she adds, “Take care.”

Take care.

Take care ofher.

Take care of her likeyoufailed to do.

I don’t need her to elaborate to know exactly what she’s saying.

Lex makes it two uneven steps before I scoop her into my arms and carry her to our rental.

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