Page 148 of Nemesis

The vibe in the cafeteria is… depressing. We glance around, and my panic climbs. There are people here, all eating in fucking silence. It’s more like a funeral home than a hospital down here, and it doesn’t help that the cafeteria is located in the basement.

I use the voucher to get two sandwiches—one for him, one for me—and two bottled drinks. Instead of choosing a seat, though, Kade tips his head toward the door.

“Let’s eat outside on one of the benches.”

“Sure,” I agree.

He picks one. I don’t even care, really. Now that I have food in my hand, I realize how hungry I am. I dig into one of the sandwiches, and we eat in silence.

Kade exhales. “I don’t think they’re going to be able to wake him up.”

I frown. “What?”

“I think he’s too smart for that.”

“What are you saying, Kade?”

He glances at me. He’s barely touched his sandwich. It sits beside him on the bench. “I think Gabriel wouldn’t allow him to just wake up.”

I scoff. “He’s not God.”

“No, he’s not,” he agrees.

A vehicle turns down the street, trundling toward us, and I draw my legs up to my chest. Not that I particularly care about strangers witnessing the hot mess that is me right now, I just… well, okay, fine. Even though I feel relatively put together with the fresh clothes, I’m still exhausted.

That nap on Reese’s bed only seemed to make me more tired. But curling up next to him…

Why is Kade being negative all of a sudden? The doctors said Reese will wake up as soon as whatever he was injected with gets out of his system. Their drugs reacted negatively, but they said brain activity was okay.

“Artemis.”

I meet Kade’s gaze. He holds out his hand, and I automatically put mine in it. His whole hand engulfs mine, warm and dry and calloused. I smile at him, trying to reassure him without words that things will be okay.

“I’m sorry.”

“For being negative?”

He frowns. “For choosing Reese.”

My gaze drops to the syringe in his free hand. With mine caught in his grip, he quickly tugs me forward and stabs it into my upper arm. Straight through the sweatshirt—his sweatshirt—and t-shirt, into my muscle.

“What the fuck?” I jerk back and kick out. My heel connects with his thigh. The movement puts me off-balance, and I topple off the bench.

Fuck.

Ouch.

Little rocks bite into my palms. I push myself up and glare at him.

“Seriously, Kade, what the fuck?”

For choosingReese? What does that even mean? Why would he feel the need to pick? I didn’t know there was such a choice to be made.

Him or me. Who knew?

Kade rises and advances. “Just take it easy. You’re going to feel light-headed in a second.”

I scowl. “Fuck off.”

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