Page 65 of The Drummer

His haunted eyes slice into me, stripping all words from my head.

He rips his gaze away. “Anyway, I just need you to know that,” he mumbles on his way to the hall.

“Hang on,” I call after him. “Dude, you can’t just say something like that and walk away.”

He turns back, regret all over his face. I hate that it’s probably for opening up to me, not any of the million other things it should be about.

“I know. Forget I said anything.”

Anger rises in me. “Not gonna happen. That’s not something you can take back.”

God, I can’t breathe.

“Luke. Look at me.”

He doesn’t. Only the floor gets his attention.

Rage like I’ve never felt burns through me. “No! You’re gonna listen for once. I don’t know what asinine plan you have in your head, but after all we’ve been through, don’t you dare do that to me,” I seethe. “Don’t you dare leave me alone with that kind of loss!Luke!”

His gaze lifts for a fleeting brush of mine before landing back on the laminate tiles.

“Say something!” My voice cracks.

He just shakes his head.

Because he doesn’t want to lie to me again.

Because he knows he can’t promise his mind isn’t where I’m terrified it is.

Tears pound the backs of my eyes. My throat closes as my thoughts spiral into chaos. I don’t know what to do, what to say. He needs help, but I don’t knowhowto help. All I know is that he won’t open himself up to the people who would.

A bang on our door interrupts the suffocating tension.

Relief flashes across Luke’s face when housekeeping calls out, and he flees down the hall, back into hiding.

I remain motionless in the kitchen, staring into the shadows, shaking and lost.

“Housekeeping!” the hotel employee shouts again.

I hear the whir of the lock when the person assumes theplace is empty. The door opens, and the woman gasps when she sees me.

“Apologies, sir! I’ll come back.”

“No, it’s fine. Perfect timing,” I mumble.

She gives me a curious look, then scans the mess of the room.

“Yeah, um, sorry about this,” I say.

Her weak smile is somehow the exact response I needed. “It’s okay. My supervisor warned me. She said there was an… event… last night.”

“Ha. Yeah. It was definitely that. Hey, I’m Casey. What’s your name?”

Her surprise transforms into another smile. “Cameron.”

I nod. “Nice to meet you, Cameron. Mind if I help?”

“Oh no! You don’t have to do that. It’s literally my job.”

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