The Devil of Devenir

ix

She grabbed a cup and filled it halfway with ice before going to a water fountain and filling it up. She felt her phone vibrate and paused to pull it out of her pocket.

Unknown number.

Frowning, she tapped the screen and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Thea." The smooth baritone of his voice invaded her ear.

"William?"

"Did I just see you walk past?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "No."

"Yeah. I did. 32."

She looked up and noticed the number on the door next to her. 34. She walked back, towards the direction she came in and stopped in front of room 32. And there William was. His eyes met her gaze and held it.

"Um." She didn't know what to say.

"What're you doing here?"

She fumbled for an answer.

His eyebrow raised. "Bones call you?"

Deciding that was an easier route to go, she slowly nodded.

"You gonna stand there or come in?"

She glanced back down the hall—back where Josh was undoubtedly getting irritated waiting for her to return with his water. But William thought she was here for him. She couldn't just walk away, could she? So she slipped into the room. He eyed the cup of water in her hand.

"That for me?"

"Uh—" she could always get more. She handed it to him. "How did you...get my number?"

"Bones. Pass that straw."

Oh. She'd given it to him on her way out yesterday, just in case. She glanced at the table too far from him and picked up the straw, unwrapping it and handing it over. He shoved it into the cup and took a sip.

"What are you doing here?" She wondered, moving towards the chair next to him. She hesitantly sat down and attempted to get comfortable, but the tension refused to leave her body.

His eyebrows furrow. "I thought you talked to Bones."

"I, uh, did. I just...I was distracted—I forgot what he said."

The look on his face doesn't change. "Started throwing up blood last night. Bones freaked out. Internal hemorrhage, they said."

"Oh, shit." She leaned forward, ready to reach for the blanket and pull them back to inspect his abdomen, before realizing that might be crossing a boundary line. Her fingers twitched in her lap. "That's not good."

"They said I pulled through surgery without any complications, but they'd be monitoring me closely."

"Where's Bones?"

"Had some business to handle. He'll be back later."

"Well, what about family?"