Page 58 of Provocation
‘We were just about to contact you.’
‘Where is she?’ Shade snarls, making them both go white.
‘Upstairs. But, Admiral, she looked upset.’
We leave the two freshmen looking concerned at the bottom of the stairs and race up. I’m in the lead, taking three at a time to get to the top.
I go to her room, but she’s not in there. There’s stuff all over the floor though, clothes and books. The closet is open and the mirror on the inside of the door is cracked. I hear Shade swear softly.
Panicking, I run into Blake’s next but she’s not there either and then I hear a muffled sob echo in the bathroom.
I’m at the door and pushing it open within two seconds, and I find her kneeling beside the tub. I can’t see what she’s doing, but she’s crying and panting.
‘Tulip?’
She turns, her face twisted in anguish, her hair in disarray like she’s been pulling it.
‘They—They—,’ she hiccups.
She sobs harder and I go to her, falling to my knees and enveloping her in my arms. She clutches at me like a lifeline, her fingers digging into me as she buries her face in my chest. Her breathing is hard and erratic, like a panic attack, but I don’t think that’s what this is.
‘Feel my arms around you,’ I say. ‘I’m here. You’re not alone.’
She cries harder.
‘But they—’ She breaks off and her arm leaves me to sweep at the air over the tub before clutching at me again.
I peer into the water. It’s dark and murky. Her coat floats in it, waterlogged and covered in something black.
‘Your coat?’ Blake asks from behind us, confusion evident. ‘This is about yourcoat?’
‘I’m sorry,’ she sobs.
‘What are you sorry for?’ he sounds so bewildered that it would be funny if our girl wasn’t so distraught.
‘I left it on a chair. I didn’t know they’d… Mypresent,’ she wails.
‘It’s okay,’ he murmurs, squatting down next to us. ‘I’ll get you another one.’
‘It won’t be the same!’ she cries against me.
‘It will be,’ he vows, and there’s something in his voice that makes me look at him.
There are tears in his eyes.
‘It’ll be exactly the same, gorgeous. I promise you. I’ll order it right now, okay? Please don’t be upset.’
‘Really?’ she whispers, still breathing hard, still gripping me tightly. ‘You’d get me another one? And it’ll be exactly the same? Not different?’
‘Of course. Same color. Same hood. Same buttons. Everything the same.’
She pushes herself against me, still crying but quieter now.
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispers. ‘I’m sorry. Please…d-don’t go in my room.’
We exchange a look and Shade looks grim from the doorway. He doesn’t say a word as he leaves the bathroom, taking out his phone as he goes. I wonder what he’s doing, but I have more pressing matters, like the girl on my lap who’s pressing her body to mine like it’s the only thing that’s going to make her feel better.
I hold her close as I stand up with her, motioning for Blake to come too. I take her into his room because I know she’s spent more time in here, and I lay on the bed with her.
