Page 104 of Mine to Protect

Surely now he saw her crazy.

Not interrupting the conversation, I swiped the small plastic orange juice bottle off the table and carried it back into the living room. Shoulder against the glass pane, I zoned out as I stared into the tight gathering of trees.

A bright, happy giggle from Sadie broke my trance. Turning, I found her on his lap, their gazes locked.

I tossed the small plastic bottle into the air once, twice, as I studied it. Everything looked intact.

“Just drink the stupid thing, Birdie,” Sadie said like my slow pace annoyed her. “Here.” Shoving off John’s lap, she practically skipped to me. Taking the bottle from my hands, she twisted the cap off too fast for me to hear the telltale sound of teeth snapping. I opened my mouth to protest, but instead, she held up a hand and took a swig. “See. Fine. I got it directly from the coffee shop. You’re safe.”

Maybe I was acting like a freak. It was ten years ago, after all. And this guy didn’t have anything to do with what happened in Texas. Separate instances. That happened to be similar.

My stomach rolled with nausea.John’s right, I am about to start.

Sadie flicked her annoyed eyes from the plastic bottle now in my hand to my face and back again. When I lifted it to my lips, her smile grew. The first swallow was small, but still, I forced it down. Then I waited.

Nothing.

Another sip.

Nothing again.

Again and again, I sipped from the plastic bottle and waited until it was all gone. Staring at the empty bottle, relief washed over me, lifting the worry growing in my belly. Nothing happened. Everything was normal. Not everyone was out to get me.

“Thanks, Sadie, I didn’t realize how bad I needed that.” It was true. The sudden rush of sugar made my head swirl.

“You’re welcome. Are we best friends now?”

Avoiding her question, I held up the empty bottle between my fingers and nodded toward the trash. On my way, I eyed John, who sat smirking with his coffee cup at his lips.

“She just wants to be friends.”

“I can’t be friends with someone who looks like she wants to make a skin suit out of me.”

John barked a loud laugh. “Stop it,” he chuckled and took a swig from the cup. “So good. Coffee is a must in the mornings. No idea how you live without it.”

I shrugged.

Well,triedto shrug. I narrowed my eyes at my shoulder.

Odd.

Flexing my fingers, I pulled them close to my face and studied them, wondering why they felt so stiff, so unusual.

Stillness worked its way through my veins, relaxing every muscle as it went.

Fuck.

My eyes went wide as I stared at John, who was too busy talking to Sadie to notice I was slowly slipping into a drug-induced coma. My feet were lead, tennis shoes stuck to the floor—not that I’d be able to use my legs if I couldn’t feel my feet. Euphoria swept in, making me smile.

The room moved in a rush as my legs gave out completely and I collapsed to the floor. My head smacked against the ground, bouncing up after the initial hit, but the pain didn’t register.

John’s face appeared above me, his pupils large and lips moving, but his words fell on deaf ears. Little by little, my vision darkened. John’s eyes fluttered closed and a heavy thump landed against my chest, knocking the wind from my lungs.

Unable to move, I watched the ceiling. My mind raced, trying to keep up with what was happening.

A banging vibrated along the floor, tickling my back. An ear-piercing scream broke through the silence just as the room faded to black.

36

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