Page 7 of Relapse

“Fuck, good,” he says simply. “Least we’d have known you were safe.”

Silence stretches between us again, thick and electric.

My lips twitch despite myself.

“Hmm,” I hum softly, tilting my head like I’m genuinely considering it. “So you did want me gone.”

His jaw tightens instantly.

“Jesus Christ, Blair,” he snaps, stepping closer so fast the words practically hit me in the chest, “I wanted you alive.”

The tension shifts immediately.

Sharper.

He’s close enough now that I can feel the heat rolling off him, close enough that the smell of smoke and leather wraps around me again, thick and familiar and way too easy for my body to recognize.

His eyes lock onto mine, hard and unwavering, like he’s trying to force me to understand something I keep intentionally joking around.

“You think any part of that was easy?” he says, voice lower now, rough around the edges in a way that feels dangerously real. “You think leaving you there fucking killed us for fun?”

My pulse stutters.

Which is deeply inconvenient timing, honestly.

I swallow before I can stop myself, but instead of backing down like a sane person would, I tilt my chin up higher.

“Worked out great then,” I mutter. “Look how emotionally stable I am now.”

His gaze drops to my mouth for half a second before dragging back up.

“That’s exactly my fucking point.”

I open my mouth, fully prepared to say something sarcastic and emotionally evasive, but the second I shift my weight, the entire street tilts sideways for half a second.

Oh.

Cool.

Love when my organs unionize against me.

A dull throb punches behind my eyes hard enough to make me wince before I can stop it. My stomach rolls a little too, which honestly feels dramatic considering the amount of substances I willingly introduced into my bloodstream last night.

My body right now:you know what would be fun? Dying.

I straighten immediately like nothing happened.

Unfortunately, Dagger notices everything, which is deeply irritating and honestly kinda fucking invasive, but in a hot, yes eye fuck me way.

His eyes narrow instantly.

“The fuck was that?”

“Nothing,” I say way too fast.

“Bullshit.”

I wave a dismissive hand. “I’m just hungover. Very common condition. Millions suffer every year.”