Rachel
I was pretty certain that I was going to faint.
Lightheaded was an understatement as I stared blankly at Rex while he told me his uncle wasn’t in the grave.
“How’s that possible?” I whispered, wondering why the words sounded as if they were coming from a distance when they’d spilled from my lips.
“We’re going to figure it out, sweetheart, I promise.” He grimaced at his dirty hand which hovered above mine. I could tell that he wanted to hold it, but he didn’t because of the mud on his.
Uncaring about the filth, I clutched at his fingers and whispered, “Does this mean he isn’t dead?”
He sighed. “I don’t know what this means but I promise we’ll figure it out, okay? Lily’s going to take you home. You go and wash up, and when I get back, I want to find you in bed, napping, agreed?”
“I’m not tired,” I said faintly. “And I don’t appreciate being talked to like I’m a child.”
His mouth turned down at the corners. “You need to rest.”
I shook my head. “I need you.”
Something flickered in his eyes.
Relief?
My brow furrowed at the sight, but before I could say a word, he told me, “Give me thirty minutes. I’ll be home by then.”
“Y-You won’t. You’ll get drawn into work.” I didn’t say that to make him feel guilty. Both of us were workaholics. But he still flinched as if I’d wounded him.
Reaching into his pocket, he hit the button on the side of his cell and said, “Set timer for thirty minutes.”
I blinked.
“The second it buzzes, I’ll be on my way home.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” He squeezed my hand. “Go with Lily. For me.”
Nodding shakily, I clambered to my feet, leaning heavily on Lily when she appeared at my side.
Blindly, we walked out of the small graveyard.
The wind whistled in my ears with each step I took, and my vision seemed to narrow, strange black walls settling at the edges.
In time to my heart, my eyesight seemed to shrink.
Then, I heard stomping.
“Wait up!” Giulia called out.
The edges of my vision wavered.
“Rach!” Tiffany yelled.
“Rachel,” Indy said gruffly as she rushed to my side—the stomping had been her running feet.
I swallowed, turned to her, saw her, felt her hand tighten on my arm at my other side.
More rushing feet, the rustling of feathers in a down coat, a swift breeze sending the sharp notes of a citrusy perfume to me…
The Posse was there.
Surrounding me.
My bottom lip trembled, and how the fuck I kept it together, I had no idea, but I did.
The silence of before abated as they started muttering among themselves. Amara and Alessa bickering in Ukrainian, Indy and Stone whispering about how to stop me from passing out—I must have looked as bad as I felt—Giulia, Tiffany, and Lily conferring on what to feed me.
A real group effort.
How ironic… that the first time I didn’t feel like an outsider was here.
Now.