55. Mira

55

MIRA

I don't know how long I've been here.

My holding cell doesn't have a clock, but the sun is starting to come up now. I think it's been a few hours since they booked me. Long enough that the ice pack a nurse at the hospital gave me has gone warm.

My eye is throbbing, but my throat hurts even worse. It feels like I drank a razorblade smoothie. The nurse gave me strict orders to ice it every six hours, but that was before I confessed to my father's murder. I have a feeling I'm not going to get top-notch medical care in jail. None of the officers who have peeked in to check on me have said a word about how I'm doing or anything else.

It's fine. I'm not up for talking, anyway.

I used my one phone call to call Taylor. "What do I need to do?" she asked as soon as the line connected. "How can I help?"

"Nothing. I'm just keeping my promise."

"Holy shit, Mira. You sound awful." Then: "Wait—what promise?"

I smiled even though I wanted to cry. "You made me promise that if I ever got arrested, I'd call you first."

"Now is not the time for inside jokes, Mimi! What do you need from me?"

"Nothing." I twisted away from the phone to clear my throat, which was enough to bring tears to my eyes. "Zane is taking care of everything."

"You really sound horrible."

"I look horrible, too. In case you were wondering." A P.A. at the hospital found me a t-shirt in the Lost I threatened him."

"Worse!" I snap. "You do see how that's worse, don't you?"

He kisses my temple again, his lips whispering against my skin as he says, "It's going to be fine."

"We're trying to get out of jail, not find new ways to get locked up!"

"Okay, then how about this: next time you decide to confess to a murder you committed under completely justifiable and legal means, maybe give me some warning. I'd love to never repeat the last six hours ever again." His hand spreads across my waist like he's trying to claim as much of me as he can. "I couldn't get to you and it was driving me mad."

All at once, every bit of worry and frustration and fear drops away, and I'm exhausted. Zane tightens an arm around me, and I let him hold some of my weight. I lean against him, my cheek pillowed on his warm chest.

I was so close to losing him tonight. But he's here.

We both are.

And there's only one thing I want now.

"Let's go home."