Nate’s getting someone to sit on Violeta’s house. I think they’re waiting for you. Stay away.

He didn’t reply, but I could see he’d read my message. After I’d finished preparing the dinner Nate had started, I thought about Gabe’s earlier text.

Ben’s using again.

Okay, so I’d thrown Ben under the bus a little, but only out of necessity. It wasn’t like I wanted Ben to go to prison again, but maybe he needed to go.

Like last time.

I texted Ben again. Maybe you should stay at the warehouse.

He didn’t reply, and this time he didn’t read the message. I found myself increasingly agitated as the evening wore on, even as I sat down with Josh while he watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

My phone rang. It was Cass Robbins.

“Hey, I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but Julia’s in the ER right now,” she said. “She was brought in a few hours ago.”

“Oh my God!” Wanting to tune out the lyrics of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” I stood and moved into the kitchen. “What happened?”

“It looks like she overdosed on some oxy. One of the paramedics who brought her in said she was ranting about birdhouse pills.”

“Birdhouse pills?” I echoed weakly.

You’re a monster, Mr. Grinch. Your heart’s an empty hole.

“Yeah. It doesn’t make any sense. Maybe that was the logo on the pill. Do you think drug dealers have started naming oxy pills like they did ecstasy?”

I shook my head even though Cass couldn’t see me.

Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch.

“How’s she doing?” I asked faintly.

“The paramedics gave her naloxone, but there’s a lot of swelling in her brain. We’ve put her in a medically induced coma to give the swelling a chance to reduce. Check in tomorrow, and we’ll see how she’s doing. I’m sure she’ll want to see a friendly face when she wakes up.”

If she wakes up.

We both heard the words, even though neither of us said them out loud.

“Look, I’ve gotta get back to my shift,” Cass said. “I just thought you’d want to know.”

I thanked her and hung up, returning to the living room to sit next to Josh. Charlie jumped up onto the couch and curled into my side. I stroked one hand down his silky ears. After the movie had finished, I took Josh upstairs and tucked him into bed.

When I came downstairs, I checked my phone again, but there was still no response to my texts. I started on the dishes, thinking about Josh’s CAR T-cell infusion tomorrow. I had the money in my secret checking account, ready to make the final payment tomorrow.