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It's nice of her to pitch in. “I’ll help.”
We walk from the lobby together, getting a nod from the doorman as we pass. I give him a smile and a friendly, “Happy Thanksgiving,” that he replies kindly to in return. On the sidewalk, I lean close to Alice. “We should bring him down a plate of pie. Sucks he’s working on the holiday.”
She gives me another look, the skin between her brows furrowing before she sets her gaze forward and walks just a little faster. A bubble of unease swells in my belly that I ignore as I say, “I didn’t realize you had a car.”
“I don’t.”
“Oh.”
When I fold my arms over my chest against the chill, she explains, “I borrowed it. It’s not far. Parking in this city is a bitch.”
“Yeah.” She’s not wrong about that.
We walk a couple more minutes before she points. “It’s just up there. I can see it.”
I should have worn a jacket. If I’d known we were hiking, I would have. My phone chimes and I pull it out, seeing Cash’s name on the screen.
CASH
All good?
Yep. Just walking to Alice’s car. She brought pie.
I’m on my way down.
We’ll be right there.
“Your man?”
“Yeah. Remember when I said he’s protective?” Alice scowls, but nods. I go on. “He’s on his way downstairs. Like he worries I might be crushed to death by pie.”
“He’s on his way down?” Is that a note of distress I hear in her voice? Why would she be distressed?
“Yeah…”
“Well, we better hurry, then.” She quickens her already swift pace. “I don’t want to make a bad impression on your guy before I even meet him.”
“Oh,” I shake my head. “Don’t worry about that.”
“There’s my car.” The lights flash as she unlocks it with the fob, pulling the passenger door open and lifting two pies from the passenger seat. “The others are on the floor. Didn’t want to risk them sliding off and making a mess of the car.”
“No problem.” I’m already leaning into the car, reaching for the pies when I feel something sharp stab my neck. Hand flying to cover the bite—I’m sure it’s a bite—I begin to rise. Forgetting about the car I’m hunched down in; I clap the back of my head off theroof and let out a string of syllables that fail to form words. My vision blurs at the edges and I think I wobble.
Do I fall into the car or am I pushed?
The door slams shut. I catch the scent of a sweet spice as I blink long and lazy blinks, my eyes impossibly heavy. I’m so tired.Where am I?
Something shifts beside me, and I turn my head slowly to the side, seeing Alice. My friend. I start to smile but can’t. I’m too tired. My body is heavy.
The darkness hovering at the side of my vision is too much. I want to sleep, and yet somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I shouldn’t.
“Don’t worry,” Alice says soothingly. There’s a sweetness to her voice that feels too much. Too sugary. So sugary the sweet is almost bitter. A contradiction that makes little sense in the murky haze of my mind.
“Worry?” My voice doesn’t sound right, the word a whispered slur.
“I didn’t give you enough to put you to sleep.”
“En-ou-f?”Why won’t my tongue work?
