Page 122 of Destined To Fall

“Where are we going?”

“I, um…”

At my stumble, his face softens, and his tone morphs.

“Forgive me for saying this, but you look pretty rough. Is there someone at home for you?”

“No.”

“Is there somewhere I can take you where there is?”

My mind goes somewhere it shouldn’t, and an address that isn’t my own tumbles out of my mouth.

I take a deep breath, wincing at the rawness everywhere, and knock, my hand shaking hard. Or is it my arm that’s trembling, and the hand is just attached?

A million thoughts race through my head, making it pound even more. There’s one that’s overshadowing the rest of them, though. I just need to see his face. Even if it’s only for a few seconds before he slams the door in mine.

It takes an age for it to open, at which point my legs have joined my arms and are shaking so violently I’m about to crumple to the floor at any minute. I pull myself together as much as I can, but it’sa struggleenough to keep me upright.

Just a little while longer.

“Vivienne, what the hell—” He cuts himself off, and his eyes turn to saucers when he takes me in, in all my scrub-wearing glory.

“S-xy. Ri-ht?”

“Jesus, Viv. Your voice and your face!”

“I’m…fine.” I wave him off, and he moves as if to take a step forward, hands rushing out as I wobble, but blessedly, I keep standing.

“You are far from fine. Is that—are those—finger marks on your neck? Jesus Christ, Vivienne, what the fuck happened? Who did this to you?”

“It’s…fine. Ijust—you—face…sorry—things…”Fuck.

“Vivienne!”

Jeremy’s face turns horror-struck right before the world spinsout of focus. I realize too late that I’m passing out and going to hit the floor.

Time blurs again. I have no sense of it, no real feel for it, but somewhere in the back of my addled mind, I know it’s passing me by. I come in and out of focus. Soft, sweet words rouse me to drink. At some point,I think I hear a woman’s voice, but maybe that was my own. Though it didn’t sound broken or damaged. Am I fixed?

“Jer-my?” It comes out weak and raspy.

I wince, but it hurts to move my face, so I cut that shit out quick.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m here.” He sounds far away, but then I feel his warmth envelop me, and I’m weightless.

I feel myself slipping again, but something important pushes through the haze.

“Max.”

“What?”

“Ne-ds. Know. Not dead.”

But before I hear a response, I’m slipping into oblivion once more.

Something warm and firm presses to my forehead while fingers brush against my hair, rousing me fromsome placedeep and dark. A soft, cotton-flowery smell wafts past my nose. The urge to laugh surprises me until my mind clears a little more and I realize why.The polarity in the two times I’ve passed out and regained consciousness tonight—wait, that doesn’t seem right.

“Hey, sorry, it’s time for meds.”

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