Page 23 of Scars of Silk

I lean down, my face close to his. “Dan, you aren’t a user, are you? I can’t be here if you are.”

One eye opens. “Clean as a whistle, apart from what the doc just gave me.”

Without knowing what I’m doing, I lean forward and plant my lips against his forehead. “Good.” Then realising I’ve just kissed a near stranger, a damaged one at that, I straighten up. One thing for sure, is that what Dan needs right now isn’t that.

I think I know what he needs.

A friend.

Am I going to be one?

He’s out cold, so I sweep through the house. His father's house it would seem. It doesn’t seem Dan’s style; not that I know him, but I can also see where things are in place, their position almost too perfect. There’s a razor in the bathroom with rusty edges, a robe on the door that’s covered in a thick layer of the dust. I leave the robe, but grab the razors. Opening the mirrored bathroom cabinet, I take out a spare pack of blades, some scissors and eight bottles of painkillers of varying strengths. I can see where he got the meds for his overdose now. Maybe he was legitimately trying to self-medicate. Maybe the coma was an accident. Perhaps not.

No. I knew that wasn’t the case. I could feel it in my bones and so could Dr Findlay.

Popping my head back into his room, I check if he’s still asleep. His snores are filling the air so on the off-chance I pick up the pad of paper on the bedside table where his friend Abi left her number. My phone has the smallest amount of juice left. Thankfully, she picks up on the first ring.

“Hey, it’s Sienna.”

“Oh.”

“I was wondering if I could pop over and talk while Dan is sleeping?”

“You’re still here?”

Oh. “Yeah, I’m working down here. I need to go back to London tomorrow, but I figured I’d check in on him, I called a doctor out.”

There’s a long pause. “You must think I’m a real shitty friend?”

“No! I think he’s a dick, and he’s hurt you. I was wondering though if I could ask a favour?”

“Do you want to come over here?”

“Uh.” Oh. “Uh, I’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m on Faith’s case. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about…” It isn’t at all, I’m lying to your face, but come, anyway. “Can you come here?”

“In an hour. I’ll need Adam to watch the kids. I don’t want them to see Dan like that.”

“Sure. I can understand that.”

She’s about to hang up when I call her back. “Abi.”

“Yes?”

“Can you bring me more clothes? I promise I’ll replace them tomorrow.”

She hesitates just for a moment, probably wondering why I’m not getting the hell out of here… I know I’m wondering too. “Sure thing.”

I smile as she says a phrase similar to what Faith would say.

Putting my phone back in my pocket, I tiptoe back to Dan’s room and begin tidying up. It’s a stinking mess. I’m sure it wasn’t that bad when I stayed only last week. Maybe it was. Maybe I was so desperate for a hook-up I was oblivious… maybe.

Yes, definitely.

Softly and quietly, I clean around him. Dusting and wiping down. Every so often his snores break the silence. I should be working. That’s what Eli is paying me for. And hell, if Faith doesn’t need it. But I think I’ll wait for Abi and get some background info first, and then, when Dan is strong enough, I shall find out everything he knows.

I’m waiting when the doorbell rings and I open it, trying not to let my awkwardness show. “Hey.”

She thrusts me a bag of clothes. “Here, I tried to dig back through my older, skinnier clothes for something that might fit. Although you’ll be best looking in the spare room here to see if any of Faith’s are still here. She’s more your size.”