Page 36 of Burn

“Well, Adrian?” Her tone is more demanding. She’s getting impatient with me, and I don’t blame her. I’ve had days to figure this out, and I show up here entirely unprepared.

“Everything,” I finally manage, “I’m sorry for everything.”

She sighs, leaning back against the bed and closing her eyes, “I guess that’s a start. I’m tired, Adrian.” With that, she stills, and her breathing seems to even out. I stand there, watching her until the door cracks open, and Lane and Dave enter the room. Dave’s face is relaxed and indifferent. Lane, though. Lane appears to be looking for any excuse to call security. I lift my hands in a show of resignation and slowly move toward the door, and whisper, “I’ll go.”

Her lips pursed into a tight sneer, and as I step into the hall, Lex’s soft, raspy voice interrupts the otherwise silent room, “Don’t go, Adrian. Give Lane and me a minute, please.”

Dave follows me into the hall and collapses into a chair, laughs, and says, “Man. She’s always so calm and cool that I almost forget how brutal it can be to find yourself on her bad side.”

I grab a chair and pull it up next to Dave, sitting down. I allow my head to rest in my hands, my elbows on my knees, and ask, “Any suggestions on how to… I don’t even know. Get the massive target off my back with her?”

He laughs. It’s a quiet chuckle but sounds genuine. “Nah, man. You’re fucked. You’d have to solve world hunger for her to put the claws away. She’s very protective of her people.” He startles me with a pat on the shoulder, so I turn my face to look at him. His smile is warm and genuine. “It says a lot that you asked, though. Don’t let Lane scare you off.”

I nod, and when the door to Lex’s room opens, Dave and I both rise to our feet. Lane steps out of the room, a bag slung over her shoulder. She smiles at Dave, but I can see the look of defeat in her eyes as she hands him the bag and says, “We can head home. I miss the kids.” Dave wraps his arm around her shoulders and presses a kiss to her temple before leading hertoward the exit. When they nearly reach the elevator, Lane calls back to me, “Don’t make a bigger mess than you already have.”

The elevator dings, and they step into it, leaving me alone again in nearsilence.

Crow

Lex

“I don’t like this, Lex.”

The second Adrian left the room, her whole demeanor shifted. Her anger was gone, replaced by concern. I can’t blame her for it. Over the last few days, I told her what happened in the days leading up to the fire. If the fire hadn’t happened, would I have ever wanted to see him again? Now, here I am, trying to convince her to leave me alone with the monster in the nightmares I shared with her. My throat is exhausted from the talking I’ve already done, and with each word, it grows raspier.

“I know you don’t. I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you care this much,” my voice is barely above a whisper. “But you said you need to leave tomorrow anyway. Go home and see your babies. I promise I’ll be okay.”

I force a reassuring smile on my face. I need to talk to him, and I can’t properly do that with them here. I need them to leave. Lane scans the room and sighs, “Okay. I can be back here within a couple of hours, if you need us.”

She sounds so conflicted and moves slowly as she packs up the few belongings she and Dave brought with them. They’ve slept in this room, in uncomfortable chairs, for days. They need to leave, not only for me but also because they must be exhausted and both have jobs to return to. When her small bag is sealed, she turns to face me once more, worry lining her beautiful face. I cough out a laugh, “Lane, I promise. I’m fine. I’m exhausted, as you must be also. I won’t take any shit.”

She leans across the bed and wraps her arms around me, squeezing me tight. When she releases me and leans back, her eyes shine with unshed tears. “Okay, okay. I know, I’m being ridiculous. He just makes me so nervous.” She shakes her head, trying to chase the tears away. “Okay, we’re going. I’ll try not to be too vile as I leave. But, Lex. I’ve listened to enough murder podcasts. I’m very confident I could dispose of a body.”

This statement really makes me laugh, which also means I cough and sputter when I choke out, “Noted. He’d be out of his mind to cross you.”

She gives me one final hug and whispers, “I love you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

When she pulls the door closed behind her, I enjoy the momentary lightness. For the first time in days, I’m alone and can think clearly. Adrian is here. Adrian apologized. For the first time since he reappeared, I feel like I have the upper hand with him. The shift in power dynamics is, to put it mildly, confusing. I close my eyes; my body and soul exhausted from everything. Without meaning to, I start to drift off to sleep, and when the door opens, I don’t need to open my eyes. I can sense his presence. He consumes the air in the room, and I can feel his eyes on me. My heart pounds faster, the monitor next to the bed betraying me with its quickening beeps.

I wish I could remain like this—eyes closed, pretending to sleep, but he knows I’m wide awake. He knows that I know he’s here. I expect him to be near the door when I open my eyes, so I’m surprised when he’s taken up the space Lane had occupied, right next to me. I watch his face and see the moment he decides to speak, but I can’t do it. Not now. It’s so late, and I’m so tired, so I speak first.

“Stay, Adrian. Please.” I look at the chair behind him, then back at his face, my gaze drops to his mouth. Fuck, it’s a goodmouth. Tingles spread through my body. “There’s no bed, but you can pull up that chair. I’m so tired.”

He nods, reaches back for the chair, and slowly sinks into it, resting his thick arms on the bed. I can feel his warmth through the blankets where his forearm rests against my hip; it’s unexpectedly comforting, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I feel safe. I force myself to settle into the bed, curling onto my side so that I face him, closing my eyes. Sleep claims me before I can muster the words ‘Good night.’

Adrian

Her breathing evens out almost instantly. The tension in her face eases, and her lips part slightly. I listen to the slow, rhythmical, and raspy sounds as I study her features. Her eyes are so intense that when they’re open, I struggle to see anything else, but now I can appreciate the lines of her cheekbones, the fullness of her lips, and the line that intersects the bottom one. I linger on her cupid’s bow; I’ve never seen one so pronounced.

I watch the rise and fall of her chest, and itreallyhits me that I never thought I’d see her like this. Alive. Breathing. Within arm’s reach. I decide not to sleep. I’ll stay up and watch her breathe through the night. I lean back in the chair, and a chill spreads through me in the absence of her body heat against my arms, so I fold them across my chest. I don’t know if it’s because I finally relax, knowing she’s okay, or if it’s the pendulum-like beeps of the heart monitor coupled with the sweet sound of her breathing, but despite my best efforts, I slip into sleep minutes later.

The sound of alarm bells jars me awake — they blare through the speaker system at an ungodly volume that blocks out everything. I spring to an upright position, pushing the blankets off my legs. They scratch at myskin like sandpaper. As my feet hit the ground, I realize my shoes are already on.That’s weird.The voice over the loudspeaker is so familiar, and I know it shouldn’t be here.

“It’s Monday, May 18th, the weather is purple. Would the real Slim Shady please stand up?” It echoes through my room, and I move toward the door.

What the fuck?

The hallway is a scene of pandemonium. People are everywhere. The first face I see is Cally. He walks slowly and steadily through the chaos, his face emotionless, and his eyes fixed straight ahead. I follow him, somehow knowing he’s going in the right direction. I pass an open door and inside, I see Claire on a bed, wearing a flimsy nightgown, her arm stretched above her head like she’s posing.

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