“Hey.” Thin arms wound their way around her, pulling her forward into a body that smelled of orchards and citrus. “It’s all right,” Vi whispered. “It’s going to be all right.”

Juliette couldn’t even push away the wild drumming beating down on her long enough to give an answer. She didn’t even know what she could say that would justify her complete meltdown. How could she explain that she was only just starting to feel the full impact of the terror she should have felt during her stint in the cage? How could she possibly make anyone understand what she’d gone through? They may not have beaten her like Maraveet or raped and tortured her like Killian’s mom, but the never knowing what they would do was a sort of torture beyond words. It was waking up and wondering if that would be the day they would finally break her. It was the prayers that went unanswered and the guilt of being powerless. Tangled amongst all of that was the loss she felt at losing Killian and knowing it was the right thing. She couldn’t stay with him when he refused to leave that life that had put her in the hospital in the first place. She couldn’t stay with him knowing it was a possibility that she could be taken again. She couldn’t stay when her presence in his world made him weak. He’d said as much himself and Cyril had confirmed it. She would be his death and she would never allow that.

“When can I go home?” She lifted her wet, blotchy, and swollen face off Vi’s damp shoulder. “I need my bed.”

Vi gave her a sad little smile. “Not until tomorrow, but I’m going to stay right here with you, okay? So, just lie down and rest for now.”

She did, not because she’d been told to, but because the thought of sleeping the hours away made the idea seem logical. Only a few more hours and she’d be in her own bed, dressed in her own clothes and walking through her own home. It had been so long that she almost ached with the need to be surrounded by all the familiar things she’d always took for granted.

“What’s that?”

Juliette followed the line of Vi’s pointing finger at the pendant she still held clutched in one hand. She unfurled her fingers so the girl could see.

“Killian gave it to me,” she whispered. “It belonged to his mother.”

“It’s beautiful!” Vi gasped. “Where is Killian? I thought for sure he’d still be here.”

Her fingers closed around the cameo. “He left.”

Vi blinked. “Oh, when is he coming back?”

“He’s not.” Hot tears trickled from the corners of her eyes and soaked into the pillow. “He’s gone.”

“What?” There was a bemused chuckle in the question. “Why?”

“Because he could never love someone like me.” That was what he’d said, someone like her, someone inexperienced and stupid in the ways of love and sex.

“No, that’s not right. The guy is crazy about you. Trust me, I know. I was there when you were taken.”

Juliette had nothing to say to that, no explanation. Even if she had, she was in no mood to do so. She shut her eyes instead and willed herself to sleep.

True to her promise, Vi was still there when Juliette opened her eyes again. The sun was already high in the sky and it filled the room with a pale, white light that chased away the cold gloom of the night before. Vi sat slumped forward in a plastic chair. Her arms were folded on the bed next to Juliette’s hip and she was sound asleep. In the doorway, she could just make out Phil’s somber profile and wondered if he’d been there the whole night. But it was the pendant still clutched in her hand that really pulled her attention. She peered down at the ivory face of the girl with the flower and thought of Killian. She wondered where he was and what he was doing and if she would ever see him again. She doubted it. The night before when he’d walked out of the hospital had been their final goodbye. The thought was devastating, but she knew there was nothing she could do, but let him go.

Next to her, Vi shifted and sat up yawning. The right side of her face was a maze of welts from her coat sleeve. Her makeup had smudged, leaving thick, black mascara rings across her cheeks. She squinted at the window across the room, then turned to peer at Juliette.

“It’s morning.”

Juliette smiled at the hoarse croak. “Yup, looks that way.”

Groaning, Vi pushed back the chair and rose, straining her entire body towards the ceiling. She yawned loudly and bowed backwards with her arms above her head, her fingers interlocked. She straightened and let her arms drop down at her sides.

“I need coffee and an Advil.” Grunting, she glowered down at the chair. “You’d think they’d make those things more comfortable.” She rubbed her ass. “My butt is killing me.” She exhaled and glanced at the door. “Hey, Phil’s still here.”

Juliette nodded. “I think he’s been here the whole night.”

Vi huh’d. “I guess he really feels bad.”

“About what?”

The girl turned to Juliette. “For abandoning me at the mall.”

“He what?” Juliette’s voice carried across the room, drawing Phil’s attention. He peered inside briefly before going back to standing guard. “He what?” Juliette repeated quieter.

“Remember that night you called and I said I was at the mall?” At Juliette’s nod, Vi continued. “Well, remember how I said Phil got a phone call and would be right back? Well, he didn’t. He got called back by Killian or whoever’s in charge and he just left without a damn word.”

“He what?” Juliette’s snarl was followed by the struggle to untangle herself from the blankets.

Vi stopped her. “Calm down. It’s fine. I was pretty pissed myself, but whatever. I always knew he wouldn’t be around forever. Not like he’s really my dad or anything. He’s just some guy paid to stick around. It was my fault that I…” she trailed off to study the diamond pattern sewn into the blankets. “I’m over it.”

Juliette ceased her struggling and peered at the girl standing before her with her tangled locks and drawn features. Maybe it was because she had never really seen her sister, but looking at her now, it was impossible not to see just how lonely she was. Everything about her screamed for affection and companionship and Juliette had never once stopped to give her either.

“Hey.” Reaching out with the hand not hooked to an empty bag of fluid, Juliette took Vi’s fingers. She gave them a light squeeze. “We’re going to be okay. I promise. You and me.”

Brown eyes lifted and peered at her with apprehension and a timid glimmer of hope. “Yeah?”

“Promise,” Juliette said again. “Things are going to change. We’ll make sure they do. We have each other no matter what.”

A hint of a half-smile tugged the corner of Vi’s mouth. “I like the sound of that.”

Juliette beamed. “Good. Now go get us some coffees while I hunt down the doctors and hopefully get the hell outta here.”

Laughing, Vi hurried from the room.

Juliette watched her go before reaching for the call button hanging off the side of her bed and hitting it … repeatedly.

“Yes?” came a grumpy voice from the speaker mounted on the wall.

“Hi, I was just wondering when I’ll be discharged?”

A moment passed, then, “The doctor will make his rounds shortly. Please just be patient.”

She hated bothering anyone, especially people who held her life in their hands, but there was nothing wrong with her and she wanted to go home.

“You wouldn’t happen to know how long that will be, would you?”

“No,” came the abrupt response, then a click as the connection was severed.

“Thanks a lot,” Juliette grumbled.

With nothing to do, Juliette sat there and stared at the opposite wall, trying not to think of anything, except going back to her normal routine as quickly as possible, which meant calling the hotel and the diner and begging them not to fire her. Charis would take some convincing, but the hotel might still take her back once she explained the situation. She didn’t even want to think about what might happen if neither took her back on top of everything else. The very thought was soul crushing.