I snort. “I hope not, because so do I.” Except you. The thought spirals until a question occurs to me, and I hate myself for how much I’m about to sound like Lucas Burke, except that I’m going to keep it neutral—Salem’s answer is up to Salem. “Did you tell Jenna what really happened?”

He laughs dryly. “I didn’t have to. She broke up with me. Literally on my way here.”

“What? God, Salem, I’m sorry.” I mean, selfishly, I’m not remotely sorry, but Salem deserves better than to be unceremoniously dumped because he happens to have befriended a freak. “What happened? Is it real, or is this, like, a silly miscommunication that will resolve over dinner? Because if she thinks anything untoward was happening in your room last night—”

“She doesn’t,” he assures me. “She doesn’t even know for sure that you were in my room, and she’s mad anyway.”

“What’s she mad about?”

He shrugs. “She thinks I’m into you.”

Oh, Jenna, you sweet summer child. “Aaaand did you correct her?”

“What’s the point?” he asks, rolling his eyes. “It was gonna end soon anyway. I’m tired of being a secret fuck-buddy to someone I barely even like.”

I hadn’t realized how tightly wound every muscle and organ of my body was until I feel my chest loosen at that proclamation, and a laugh bursts from my throat. “Oh, thank God you just said that. The world finally makes sense to me again. I still have so many questions.”

“Yeah, well, I have no great answers. I do, however, have your bag”—he pats the familiar backpack sitting on the floor next to him—“which has your phone, deck of cards, a book, and some clothes. Not gonna lie, it was fun choosing your underwear. I went with the heart print. It just said ‘healing’ to me.”

“Have I mentioned how much I hate you?”

“Not in the last ten minutes, which feels like a new record,” he says with a grin. “I gotta run again—they told me I can only stay for a couple of minutes, and then you need to eat lunch. I’ll come back with some visitors tonight, see if we can’t get a poker game going.”

“Sounds perfect.” We say our goodbyes, and the nurse wheels in a tray of some kind of pasta and obviously canned vegetables. Somehow, I don’t think the infirmary fare is the same stuff they’re serving at the Beast, but the convenience of being able to eat in bed is pretty great.