Chapter 23
Lethargy starts to take over my body and my movements become listless as I follow Hero out of the venue. The streets of Soho are a blur of lights and I’m overwhelmed by the music and the sea of bodies pushing past me.
“Hero,” I mumble. “Wait–”
The ground beneath me shifts and I wait for the impact of the pavement only to feel an arm securing itself around my waist.
“Careful,” August says, hoisting me back up.
“S-sorry,” I mutter out an apology.
My trench coat is wrapped around me shortly after, the familiar scent of sandalwood and bergamot filling my senses. August tugs me towards him and I lean my forehead against his shoulder, feeling too lightheaded.
I don’t remember how long it took for the taxi to come but I do remember warm hands guiding me in and being pressed up against a hard body under a silky exterior, the feeling of the material under my fingertips easing my discomfort.
“Hallie, your keys.” Hero’s voice wades through my muddled consciousness. “Where is it?”
“Purse,” I reply weakly, burying my face into soft, silky fabric.
I feel the absence of my clutch bag as it’s pulled from my hand, registering the sound of someone rummaging through the contents inside.
“Does she have everything?” The sudden beam of light from Hero’s phone causes me to wince and I feel a hand raise to shield my face from the blinding brightness.
“Hinode,” August hisses. “Light.”
“Shit, I forgot, sorry.” Hero mumbles. “What’s the code to the gate, Hals?”
I lift my head as I strain my ears to hear, suddenly realising that I’m still in the taxi, wedged between Hero and pressed tightly against August.
“The what?”
“The code,” Hero repeats. “To your gate.”
I blink. “I can’t remember.”
“Hallie—”
I flinch at his harsh tone, turning my head away and hiding my face in August’s shirt.
“Gigi knows,” I mumble. “Call Gigi.”
“Where’s your phone?” Hero questions, voice stern. “I don’t have her number.”
“Purse,” I hiccup. “No passcode.”
An exasperated sigh leaves Hero as he begins rifling through my bag again.
“Snaps, can you help her get-”
The sound of the car door opening prompts me to crawl to the opposite side. I stumble out of the taxi, a sharp pang shooting through my ankle and I lose my footing, landing ungraciously on the ground.
“Hallie,” Hero reprimands me. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Getting out of the taxi,” I answer, feeling a headache forming in between my eyes.
“You’re on the floor,” He hisses. “Get up.”
From the disapproving tone of his voice, I can tell that Hero is losing his patience.
“You can both go home,” I say quietly. “I’m fine now.”
“Like hell you are,” Hero argues, exasperated. “Don’t be difficult.”
His voice is firm, almost admonishing, and I suddenly feel like a child being chastised.
“I’m not trying to be.”
“Then get up and walk.”
“W-wait,” I request, feeling a strain on the foot I twisted earlier.
There’s a burning pressure on my ankle and a dizzying weight in my head as I try to blink back the tears forming in my eyes.
“Hallie, hurry up.”
I can see Hero’s agitated figure standing by the gate from a few metres ahead. He’s holding my phone by his ear with one hand whilst keeping the gate open with the other. Rising to my feet, I’m suddenly struck by a faint spell of vertigo and my legs give out from under me.
“I c-can’t,” I whimper in response.
“Stop wasting time, Hals.” Hero yells towards me.
“I’m not,” I grimace. “My head hurts… and my foot…”
“Hallie, I swear to god—”
From my crouched position on the floor, I can see a faint trickle of blood from where the strap of my heel chafed against the skin of my swollen ankle.
“Hinode, stop.” August calls out to Hero. “She’s hurt.”
Hero walks back over to me, clearly disgruntled. “How the hell did you manage to do that?”
“I don’t know,” I sob quietly, reaching out for the railing as my head continues to spin.
The gate buzzes close and Hero curses, rushing back over to open it again.
“Mahalia.”
I hear August call my name this time as he approaches me but I refuse to look over, already feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
“I’m getting up,” I sniffle, tired. “Just give me a moment.”
Feeling him standing beside me, I swallow down the hurt and ignore the throbbing pain in my ankle as I attempt to straighten up.
The last thing I need is for August to start scolding me as well.
“Arms around my neck,” He instructs.
I turn to him with a questioning look and blink. Before I can respond, he slides his arms under my knees and lifts me bridal style.
“Take it easy on her,” August says, holding me tightly against him. “She’s disoriented.”
Hero’s response fades into the background as my surroundings blur once more. I don’t recall being this sensitive to my environment when I’m drunk but I don’t think alcohol is the only thing in my system right now.
The familiar ding of the lift and the sound of the doors opening is what draws me back to reality as I glance around and realise I’m back in my flat. The lights are dimmed in the living room and I’m thankful that only the lamps are on.
“Where’s her room?” August asks.
“She sleeps in the living room,” Hero replies. “I need to sort out her bed, you can set her down on the armchair.”
“She’s fine, I’ve got her.”
It takes Hero a good few minutes to set up the sofa bed. The sounds of the frame unfolding, the mattress extending and the bedding being arranged echoing in the living room.
August eventually sets me down on the bed, fluffing up a pillow under my head.
Slowly, I push myself up to a sitting position, the dizzying feeling beginning to fade which I’m grateful for.
“Stay in bed, Hallie. You’ll end up hurting yourself somehow,” Hero scolds me before muttering towards August. “She bruises like a peach.”
The irritation in Hero’s voice weighs down on me and I purse my lips, feeling worse and worse about the entire evening.
August squats down to my level tucking the loose corner of the bed sheet under the mattress.
“Are you okay?” He asks me.
“I want soft clothes,” I mumble, disliking how the dress I’m wearing is beginning to feel.
It’s suddenly scratchy and rough and all too uncomfortable on my skin.
“Can you watch her?” Hero sighs. “I’ll grab something from her closet.”
“Sure.” August nods.
He sits on the armchair in the living room as I slowly swing my legs to the side of the bed. August watches me intently as I reach for my heels and struggle to undo the strap.
“Do you need help?” His voice is unusually soft and it tugs on my heart.
I shake my head, resenting the idea of being a further imposition in his presence, considering everything that’s happened between us recently.
Hero returns to the living room, handing me a familiar-looking jumper and I grimace. Out of all the items of clothing he could have picked from my closet, it would be the jumper August gave to me.
“Change here, I don’t trust you to be in the bathroom by yourself.” Hero’s voice takes on an assertive tone. “August and I will be in the kitchen. I’ll make you something for tomorrow.”
The opening of cupboard doors and pans clattering in the kitchen followed by hushed whispers as Hero and August converse between themselves reverberate in the kitchen.
“You sure she doesn’t need to go to the hospital?”
“She just needs to ride out the high,” August answers. “Preferably conscious.”
“How long is the comedown?”
“Usually a few hours.”
“Do you know what she took?”
“No, but I don’t think it’s anything too serious,” August replies. “She’s probably not used to the effects.”
I hear Hero sigh.
“She’s fine, Hinode.” August says. “She could have taken something a lot worse.”
A longer pause settles between them.
“I was with her earlier. I didn’t even realise.”
“It’s not your fault. And it’s not hers either.” A pause. “I take it she’s never done drugs in her life?”
My eyes widen.
Drugs?
The revelation sends me into a small spiral.
I was drugged?
My chest constricts and I claw at the straps of my dress, desperate to pull the garment off my body.
A soft meowing catches my attention as Calix jumps up on the sofa bed next to me.
“Hi Cal,” I sniffle, stroking his head.
Purring softly, Calix nuzzles into my hand before headbutting my palm affectionately. I let out a watery smile, watching as he stretches lazily before laying on his back and exposing his belly.
“I’ve got somewhere to be tomorrow morning before my shift at the restaurant,” Hero says with a wince. “I’m gonna have to cancel.”
There’s a silence between them before August speaks.
“You can trust me with her.”
“I do,” Hero responds. “It’s her I’m a little skeptical of.”
August lets out a low chuckle. “What is she going to do? Attack me?”
“Yes,” Hero deadpans. “Probably with her mouth. She kissed you?”
“I don’t think it meant anything. She was drunk.”
My stomach sinks, the feeling of guilt seeping back into my gut.
Hero chortles. “Snaps, your girlfriend is not going to be happy—”
“Christ, not you too.” August’s voice sounds exasperated. “I left you alone with Saito for five minutes.”
The seeping sensation travels up to my chest and I press a hand to my heart to alleviate the ache.
Calix seems to sense what I’m feeling because he kneads my leg for a short while before curling up in my lap.
“Look, I know Hallie,” Hero begins. “She isn’t someone who goes around—”
“Can…” I call out meekly, purposely interrupting them. “Can someone help?”
“Are you decent?” Hero’s voice responds from the kitchen.
“Yes.”
The sound of hushed conversations filters the air before the clamour of clanging pots and pans rings loudly in the kitchen. Expecting to see Hero, I’m puzzled when platinum blond hair and grey eyes crouch down in front of me.
“The heels?” He questions me and I nod. “Is this Calix?”
Standing alert, Calix puffs up his fur before jumping down and curling around my legs protectively.
“Hey kitty,” He begins. “I just need to have a quick look at your maman’s ankle.”
Calix stares at August, golden almond eyes unblinking for the longest moment before meowing resignedly and bouncing back on my lap.
August helps me remove my heels, his movements slow and his touch careful, as he examines my ankle.
“I don’t think you’ve broken anything,” He reassures me. “The swelling should go down in the morning.”
He brings a bag of frozen peas out of nowhere and gently places it on my ankle as tears begin to well up in my eyes.
“I’m so sorry August,” I apologise tearfully. “I didn’t know about you and Valentina.”
August blinks. “What?”
“I would never try to ruin your relationship,” I sniffle, feeling a different burning sensation in my chest. “I promise, I’m not like that.”
“What?” August repeats, confusion marring his features.
“If I had known you were with Valentina, I would never have tried to kiss you. It was a drunken kiss and–” I falter.
I couldn’t bring myself to claim it was a mistake and that it didn’t mean anything because that would be far from the truth.
“You…” August’s gaze lingers on me, contemplative, before he exhales slowly.
“I didn’t know.” I swallow, voice strained. “I’m sorry, please don’t—”
“Sleep, Mahalia.” August interrupts me, rising from the bed. “Don’t burden yourself with overthinking. You’ve had a long night and you’re not feeling too good. We can talk about it in the morning when you’re a little more yourself, okay?”
I’m about to argue when Calix meows loudly in my lap.
“Listen to Calix,” August reaches down to pet him, the Calico cat purring in content. “Get some rest.”
I watch as August gets up and heads back to the kitchen, fully anticipating him to be gone the next morning. In the next room, I can hear August and Hero talk quietly, their incoherent sentences and disjointed phrases blurring together into a stream of white noise.
Exhaustion eventually envelops me and, before long, I find myself drifting off to sleep.