‘Just came over a bit dizzy,’ I say, but with the shake in my voice I’m fooling no one. It’s the first time any of the others have seen my symptoms and it feels like a turning point. Another nail in my coffin.
He considers me a moment before he lets go of my arms and turns to his wife. ‘I’ll cover him for a while. You make sure he’s ok,’ he says, like I’m not standing right here. She nods and he turns back to me. ‘Take ten,’ he says. ‘Lucy will sit with you.’ And then he heads for the gaggle of women who’ve just appeared at the other side of the bar.
‘When did you last eat?’ Lucy asks, pulling me back into the flat by my forearm. It feels a little like I’m being dragged into my house by my mother, but I don’t dare argue. Lucy’s far too nice. If Bram is darkness, Lucy is light. She’s only a few years into immortality and she wears it well, floating around my flat like she walks on air.
She deposits me on the sofa and heads for the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with a cup of tea and a small stack of custard creams.
‘Thanks,’ I say, shoving an entire biscuit into my mouth. I kind of hope she’s going to go back out into the bar, but instead she sits down next to me on the sofa, one knee bent underneath her so she can face me.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ she asks, and there’s a split second where I think I’m going to tell her everything, about the test results and my uncertain fate, and how it’s all becoming a little bit more bearable with help from my friendly neighbourhood vampire. But of course I don’t.
‘I’m just a bit run-down,’ I say instead. ‘I’m supposed to be sleeping more and eating well.’
Lucy nods, but I can feel her studying me. She wasn’t kidding about her journalistic skills earlier; she used to be a reporter so she can sniff out a story from across the room. In my defence, Cam did tell me to do both of those things, so it’s not exactly a lie. It’s just not exactly the truth, either. And I feel like Lucy knows it.
‘Drink your tea,’ she says, not unkindly. I take a swig and nearly choke.
‘How many sugars are in this?’ I splutter, but she just shrugs.
‘Five-ish?’
I almost feel my soul leave my body. ‘Five? Jesus, Luce, I take it withone.’
She shrugs again, unrepentant. ‘I was trying to boost your blood sugar. It can make you dizzy if it’s low.’
If only it were that simple, I think, but don’t say. Instead, I thank Lucy for her concern, down as much of the tea as I can without retching, and eat another biscuit. I don’t know if it’s the sugar overdose destroying my tastebuds, but I’m sure they don’t taste as good as usual. Not that I’m going to say as much to Lucy. That would be like kicking a kitten.
When she’s satisfied that I’m well enough to be released, Lucy allows me to return to the bar, with strict instructions to tell someone if I feel odd again. I nod my agreement, but I don’t mention that the person I’ll actually be telling is Florence.
All of a sudden, I’m struck by how urgent my situation could be. If Cam’s warning was right, that I only have weeks left until I maybe turn, maybe die, I can’t afford to sit back and let things happen. I need to start living my life, like he said. Today it’s dizziness, but tomorrow, or two days from now, or next week, it could be something far worse.
And I’m not ready. For either eventuality. I have unfinished business.
I fish my phone out of my pocket and tap into my message thread with Florence.
QUINN
Ready for your first human date?
She replies almost immediately and it makes me wonder what she’s doing. What does Florence do with her time? I’m suddenly desperate to know.
FLORENCE
Not if you keep calling them that.
QUINN
I’ll take that as a yes. You free Saturday afternoon?
FLORENCE
I could be.
QUINN
3pm at mine.
You’re gonna LOVE it.