ease let me l

box like a shield. He looked terrified, his eyes darting betwee

e Adria was cowering. With an impatient growl, he snatched a linen napkin from a nearby ta

voice sounding like gravel g

zers, desperate to salvage the evening, began ushering guests to

Please, everyone,

p was firm, bordering on painful. "Pull yourself together, Adria," s

contract of her world was a steel trap. She let herself be

her. She reached for her water glass,

opposite her

p space, his bandaged hand resting on the tablecloth like a declaration of

mon's uninjured one, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Oh my god, Damon, you scared me," she mu

mon's childhood friends, took the remaining seats.

from Damon's bleeding hand to Adria's pale face and let out a ner

m under her thighs. She dug her fingernails into her pa

er shoulders were hunched, the way she was making herself

appetizers in front of them

in her body. Her stomach cramped hard. Since the miscarriage, since the hemorrhage that had nearly drain

plate, bile risi

on was giving him, "I'm surprised you came, Adria. You used to a

d Damon. That was

d her of the rumors, the whispers that she had run away because she was

her water glass again, but her hand jerked. Wat

h

ound came from

umping in his seat. He glar

His eyes were cold, dead

arried a threat of violence t

apkin, dipping it in her water glass. "Here, let me clean your cuff, honey," she cooed, dabbing

muscles in his arm bunch. But then his eyes flicked to Adr

h him, staring at the top of Adria's he

eat. She had to look normal. She cut a piece of the

, her cheeks burning. "Sorry," she w

e oysters seemed to be mock

he sheen of sweat on her upper lip. He remembered. He remembe

snapping his fingers

Damon said, pointi

. Campbell froze, her h

" Damon ordered. "Ho

tated. "Sir, th

voice was a whip cr

pression was a mask of sneering disdain,

ping with venom. "I don't need you passing out a

o hurt. But the soup... he remembered s

warring with the pain in her ch

fighting back. The Adria he knew would have thrown the drink in his face. Thi