Chapter 88 She sees all

Chapter 88 She sees all
Kai killed the lights. "Then we need to be quick. And quiet. And you need to look like you're not bleeding out."

Kai threw him a clean black hoodie, and Romeo immediately put it on, wincing as he did. 

Romeo's jaw tightened. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You're holding your side like you're trying to keep your organs inside your body."

"Metaphorically."

"Romeo."

"I said I'm fine."

I reached over and touched his arm. He flinched, just barely, just enough for me to feel the tremor running through him. The wound in his side was still bleeding, dark and slow, soaking through the makeshift bandage I'd pressed against it in the car.

"You're not fine," I said.

"I will be. Once we get inside." He met my eyes. "I just need to get to my room. I can handle it from there."

"Romeo…” 

"Trust me."

I didn't want to trust him. Didn't want to let him limp through the house alone, pretending he wasn't hurt, pretending everything was normal. But the lights were on in the foyer, and Mrs. Vanderbilt was probably waiting like he said. 

"Okay," I said. "But if you collapse…” 

"I won't collapse."

"Romeo…” 

"I won't."

Kai opened his door. "We need to go. Now."

\-—————————

The  door was unlocked.

We slipped inside, our footsteps silent on the tile. The house was still, no voices, no footsteps, no sign that anyone was waiting for us. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

Then the lights came on.

"Romeo."

Mrs. Vanderbilt stood in the doorway to the hall, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. She was wearing a silk robe, her hair loose around her shoulders, and her eyes were sharp as knives.

"Hi." Romeo's voice was steady and controlled, like he hadn't just been in a fight. Like he wasn't bleeding through his shirt. "You're up late."

"I could say the same to you." Her gaze swept over him, lingering on his rumpled clothes, the tension in his jaw, the way he was holding himself just a little too still. "Where have you been?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"With Kai. We went for a drive."

"A drive." Her voice was flat. "At midnight. In the middle of the week. You have school tomorrow. All of you.” 

"We lost track of time."

Mrs. Vanderbilt's eyes moved to me. "And Calliope? Was she with you?"

"She was at rehearsals," Romeo said. "We picked her up on the way back."

I nodded, trying to look innocent. "The play is over, but the drama teacher wanted to do a read-through of the next one. I lost track of time too."

Mrs. Vanderbilt studied me for a long moment. I could feel her gaze like a weight and pressing down, searching for cracks in my story.

"I see," she said finally. "Well. It's late. You should all get some sleep."

Romeo nodded. "Goodnight."

She gave us one last glance before going go the stairs. .

At the top of the stairs, she spoke again.

"Romeo."

He stopped.

"Are you bleeding?” 

I froze.

Romeo turned, his expression carefully blank. "It's just a scratch. From practice."

"Practice?"

"Yes."

She didn't respond. Just looked at him, looked at me, at Kai, at the three of us standing together like we were trying to hide something.

"Goodnight," she said finally.

She turned and walked away.

\-————————

Romeo collapsed as soon as Mrs Vanderbilt disappeared up the stairs.

Kai caught him before he hit the floor, my arms around his waist and he took him to the kitchen. 

"Romeo…” 

"Don't…” He winced, his jaw tight. "I'm fine. I’m healing but it slow.” 

"You're not fine. You're still bleeding.” 

"I'll heal. I just need…” He stopped, gritting his teeth. "I just need to rest."

I pulled off his shirt, revealing the wound beneath. It was deep, a long gash across his ribs, the edges already starting to knit together. I could see the tissue mending itself, slowly, almost imperceptibly.

"Your body is healing itself," I said.

"It's what we do."

"Romeo…” 

"I told you I'd be fine." He managed a smile, weak, pained, but real. "Werewolves heal fast."

I wanted to argue. Wanted to tell him that he was still bleeding, that he'd just fought two wolves and almost died, that I'd watched him collapse in my arms and felt my heart stop.

But he was looking at me with those dark, tired eyes, and I knew he wasn't going to let me mother him.

"Fine," I said. "But you're not getting up for the rest of the night."

"That's fine. You're staying?"

I looked at him, at the blood on his chest, the exhaustion in his face, the vulnerability he only ever showed me.

"Okay," I said.

\-———————————-

I spent the rest of the night in Romeo’s room. And the next morning, Romeo was better.

Not healed completely; the gash on his ribs was still pink and raw, but he was walking, talking, pretending like nothing had happened. He helped me sneak out of the house and back to the annex to get ready for school, even though I barely got four hours of sleep. 

I watched him from across the kitchen as I ate my breakfast, some toast and eggs. 

He looked better. 

\-—————

School was a blur. I had been prepared to spend the whole day dozing off. 

Bur I sat through my classes, my mind elsewhere. Ruby wasn't in school. She wasn’t answering my texts.

At lunch, I couldn't find Romeo to give him the update on Ruby.

I texted him: Where are you?

No response.

I texted Kai: Do you know where Romeo is?

Kai: He went to find Ruby. He noticed she wasn’t in school this morning. 

Then I was right then. Ruby wasn’t in school. My stomach dropped.

\---

Ruby's house was a small bungalow on the edge of town, with a white fence and a porch swing and flower boxes that had seen better days. Romeo’s car was already parked at the curb when I arrived, Romeo leaning against the hood, his arms crossed.

"Where is she?" I asked.