Page 65 of Even Robots Die
“At least three hundred for the rest of the week,” Juliette says.
“I can do that,” I say as I turn off the speaker and microphone of my holo and tell Milton to send the money over.
It lasts only a few seconds, but when I turn the speaker and microphone back on, the sounds from the other side of the holo assault me.
Elodie is yelling that I left them to fend for themselves and that I don’t even care about them. I can hear Juliette and Amélie trying to calm her, but they don’t really know how to do so. No one does if I’m to be honest. Elodie has always been a wild card and the best thing to do in this situation is to let her vent and wait. She always ends up calming down, and then we have to deal with her poor mood and sulking.
I’m in no state to deal with this, though. I feel like my stomach is trying to eat itself and my head is starting to pound as if my brain wants out.
I feel like crying.
“Are you okay?”
I realize I have actually started crying when the question is asked. What I don't really realize is who asked in the first place.
“Who is that?” Elodie asks and I’m pretty sure if I could see her right now, there would be a sneer on her face.
I’m glad I can’t though, because it means my sisters can’t see me either, but it also means they can’t see who just entered my room in just thin black pajama pants.
Brice doesn’t even bother answering; he walks to the side of the bed and squats beside my head—because, no, I didn't even bother sittingin the bed when I took that call. I’m still curled on myself while I try to decipher whatever I can do to help my sisters.
“Florentine, are you okay?” he repeats, and it’s not lost on me that he’s not calling me Miss Furious for once.
“It’ll pass,” I tell him, but I don’t even think I can convince myself, so there is little luck that I could convince him too. It’s true that it should pass, but I have no idea how long I’m going to be in pain.
He brings the back of his palm to my forehead and swears.
“You’re burning,” he says under his breath, and the only answer to that is a gasp.
Not mine.
That’s when I remember I didn’t cut the call on my holo and my busybody sisters have been very quiet in hopes of finding out what is going on. Or to catch some piece of gossip.
“I sent the money,” I tell them before adding, “I’ll do what I can for Dad. I’ve got to go.”
Brice raises his right eyebrow in question, but I wait until everyone says their goodbye to terminate the holo call and even then I don’t answer his silent question.
39
Brice
“What are you doing in my room?” Florentine asks me, and I don’t miss the fact that she sounds more tired than annoyed or pissed off.
I don’t know what is happening to her, but she looks exhausted and that high temperature of hers can’t be a good thing.
She’s red, yes, but not the kind of red I’ve tried to bring to her skin since she arrived here. Not the kind of red I like.
I don’t like seeing her like this.
She winces at something I can’t see and her eyes close, as if she’s trying not to show me how much pain she’s in.
“I heard you cry,” I tell her softly.
“You heard me cry and thought to come and piss me off in addition?” she asks me, and it lacks her usual bite.
I don’t like this.
I realize I also don’t like the fact that she thinks the only thing I do when it comes to her is try to piss her off.
