Philip tries tugging at my arm, and I clench Jace’s t-shirt tightly in response, mumbling “No” into the soft material.

Jace intervenes again.

“Look, man, I get that you’re protective of Vivienne, but I promise nothing will happen to her. I’ll put her upstairs in one of the empty bedrooms and make sure the door is locked. She’ll be perfectly safe and can leave whenever she’s slept it off, okay?”

Philip doesn’t reply. I pry my eyelids open and shift my head to meet his concerned eyes.

“I’m fine, Philip,” I tell him earnestly. “I have my phone. I’ll let you know if I need you, I promise. Go home.”

Philip studies my face for a moment, and I hold his gaze, trying to convey as much authority and assurance as I can.

“Fine.” His tone is curt, but resigned. I wouldn’t be surprised if he spends the night sitting outside the house in his car, but I can’t muster the energy to care about anything besides remaining right where I am at the moment.

Philip finally turns to leave. Another thought suddenly occurs to me.

“Make sure Katie gets home safely,” I call out after him. He looks back and nods.

I turn my head back against Jace, effectively tuning out the rest of the world. We remain standing in the same spot where he’d caught me. I can feel eyes on us, an ability I’ve honed over years of attending public events as the center of attention.

I didn’t realize how quiet the kitchen became until it gradually begins to return to a normal volume, interspersed with muttered whispers.

Jace suddenly sweeps my feet off the floor, keeping my head closely cradled against his chest. My eyes fly open as he walks back through the house toward the front door, passing an array of surprised faces. He carries me through crowded rooms effortlessly, and I turn my face back against his chest and close my eyes. The swirl of curious faces is not helping my uneasy stomach.

Jace adjusts my weight as we begin to climb up a staircase. The rocking motion stops for a moment, and he then proceeds to walk straight for a while before stopping again. He shifts me and I hear the creak of a door before he continues moving.

I’m gently placed on a soft surface, and I snuggle against the cozy fabric. Just as I’ve curled up on the comfortable bedding, Jace holds a bottle of water in front of me. Condensation drips down the outside of the plastic container.

“Drink this.”

I force myself to sit up and twist open the plastic lid. I take several hearty sips of the cool liquid, which seems to appease Jace.

He sets the half-empty bottle on the small table next to the bed and doesn’t protest when I lay back down. “I’ll be back in a little while to check on you,” Jace tells me. “I have a key to the door, so don’t let anyone else in, okay?”