Page 44 of Play Pretend

I was fine, and Trinity was fine, but Willow wasn’t.

Reaching down, I wrapped my hands around Willow’s arms. She winced as I pulled her to her feet, but her gaze remained downcast. “Are you injured?” I demanded again, my voice still too harsh. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, but it was impossible. I wanted to pat my hands all over her soft body, take stock of every inch of her and make sure she was truly alright.

When she didn’t immediately answer, I took another deep breath. I needed to get myself under control.

Before I could get a word out, a blonde and a redhead flanked either side of her. I hadn’t realized I was still holding onto Willow until my sister gave me a weird look, one I couldn’t decipher. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t let go of her.

Truthfully, I didn’t want to.

“You okay?” Trin asked, her eyes wide. Willow nodded but still wouldn’t look at me. Her gaze lifted to Brynne’s and that’s where it stayed. I wanted her to look at me—I wanted her to talk to me.

It stung knowing she wanted Brynne over me—that she trusted Brynne to make her better. I could do it…if she just fucking looked at me.

“I’m fine,” she muttered. “Did everyone see?” I glanced around, my brows pressed together. That was what she was worried about? People seeing her?

I opened my mouth to answer, but again, I was beaten to it. “Who cares if they did?” Brynne scoffed. “Like they haven’t fallen off a barstool before.”

Even in the dim lighting, I could see the pink on Willow’s cheeks. “No one saw,” I assured her.

Look at me.

The words, theplea, repeated in my mind on a loop, but she didn’t. She just flicked her eyes between my sister and her best friend.

“Come on.” Brynne looped her arm through Willow’s, but my hand remained wrapped around her elbow. I didn’t know why it was impossible for me to let go—all I had to do was unfurl my fingers andletgo. But I couldn’t.

“You’re sure you’re alright?” I asked softly. She still refused to look at me, refused to even acknowledge my existence.

“She’s fine, Ro,” Trin murmured. She patted my back, and I tensed. I needed to relax, but it was hard. Impossible. Roughly, I cleared my throat and reluctantly let go of Willow, my fingers twitching.

Before I could say anything else, do anything else, Brynne was leading Willow through the crowd to the bathrooms.

I was helpless to do anything but watch as she disappeared. A long breath left me as I sank onto my stool and ran my fingers through my hair, tugging lightly on the strands. I tapped my free hand on the tabletop, hoping my unwanted ritual would soothe me. Trinity hesitated, her hands twisting together in front of her.I flicked my gaze her direction, and she gave me a tight-lipped smile.

“You good?” she softly asked. The muscle in my jaw feathered as I nodded.

“Yeah. I’m good.” Her mouth opened, then closed. But she said nothing else. She rested her hand on my forearm, and my muscle twitched. Her gaze lingered on mine for just a second longer before she headed to meet the girls in the bathroom.

Air filled my lungs until they burned, until they threatened to pop. She was fine—everyone was fine. No one was hurt. No one was dying.

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, seeing images of that night flash before me like the worst kind of nightmare. That was the night that changed the trajectory of my life—it changed how I interacted with people, it changed how my mind worked when someone was injured.

It changed everything.

And every part of my soul was screaming at me to bust down the bathroom door and make sure Willow was alright. Because if she wasn’t…

I took another deep breath.

I couldn’t think like that. I had to get through this.

My fingertips hurt from the incessant tapping on the wood table. Once, twice, seven times. Deep breath. Then more tapping.

Over and over, all the while, my mind spiraled into a darker, more chaotic place. It kept telling me that Willow was going to die. If I didn’t do something, if I didn’t save her, if I didn’t check on her, she would die.

And it was ridiculous—I knew it wasn’t logical, but that was my truth.

If I didn’t save her, she was dead.

I pushed off the stool and rested a hand on my hip, the other moving to my mouth. Luckily, I was tall enough that I could see over everyone’s heads and focus solely on the door. I waited and waited. My middle finger tapped against my cheek as I held my breath.

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