“Whatever happened, Boots, I’m asking you to stay because you’re my friend. You’re gonna upset everyone. And you’re too emotional to drive.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m an adult. I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can take care of yourself, but that doesn’t mean I won’t worry about you. I want you to stay.”
“I can’t.”
“I couldmakeyou stay,” I threatened, feeling out of options.
She glared at me, her eyes spitting like an angry cat’s. I almost expected her to start hissing.
“Try it!” she snarled. “I think I’d enjoy that fight more than you would!”
As much as I wanted to prove her wrong, I knew I couldn’t win this game because I wasn’t even one of the players. I was only standing in for the idiot who shoulda been there.
“Where are you gonna go?”
“The Sanctuary. Gigi gave me directions.”
I didn’t like it, not at all, but I stepped out of the way and let her dive into the elevator car.
“If you get in trouble along the way, call me and I’ll come.” I held up my hand before she could interrupt. “Just me, I promise.”
“Thanks.”
The door closed with a ping.
I don’t know how I held on to my temper as I stalked to Chance and Rome’s room. Hammering a fist on the door, I saw the blue on my skin and told myself to slow my roll before I set something—or someone—on fire.
Rome opened the door wearing his mean face.
“What’s wrong with you? Can’t you knock like a normal person?”
“What did you do to Mira?” I demanded.
“I didn’t do anything to her. Why?”
“Well, whatever it was youdidn’tdo, you better go fix it! She’s leaving!”
“WHAT?”
“I told you she’d be fragile for a long time, but you didn’t listen.” I pushed into his space, balling up my fists. “Now she’s got her bag and her keys and she’s taking off. Go stop her!”
He shouldered past me in a cloud of blue and sprinted down the hallway. I argued with myself whether or not to follow, but, in the end, decided it was his mess and he could clean it up himself.
#
Rome
What is she thinking? Is she insane? She can’t leave!
My brain raced in time with my power-fueled feet. I couldn’t fathom what had happened to drive her away.
Finally reaching the parking garage, I leapt over roofs and slid across hoods, setting off alarms and shooting off jolts of power to shut them up. I calmed a little to see her car stillwhere she’d parked it last night. Getting closer, I could see she sat behind the wheel, her forehead plunked down on it and her face in her hands.
So worked up I could hardly see, I ripped her door off its hinges—and my heart stopped.
She was crying.
