I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve slept. Or eaten. My stomach aches from the emptiness, but I can’t hold anything down.

I jerk up in bed when the front door opens. It swings so hard it bounces off the wall, startling me to the point of a gasp. I head over to the door. Nate.

Something’s wrong. I can tell right away.

At first, I think something must have happened with the press. Those stupid reporters. They probably followed him on the way to the gym. I told him before he left that he shouldn’t leave the apartment, that they’d hound him, wanting a statement, a comment, a reaction, but he insisted on keeping up with his regimen since he’s about to leave for training.

But now that I’m looking at him, I know that’s not what’s going on. His energy is different. Strange. I can feel it all the way from across the room.

I climb off the bed and take slow steps toward the front where Nate’s standing, glaring at me. “Where were you? I tried—”

“Do you know what I had to do to convince my dad to loan me that bond money?”

I’m quiet for a moment. His words sound a bit slurred and his tone is so harsh, I don’t know how to respond.

“Do you have any fucking idea?”

I jump back from the gravel in his voice. The weight of his gaze is almost painful, but I force myself to hold his eyes.

No, I don’t want to know, I want to say. Whatever he had to do, I’d rather him keep to himself. It’ll only stress me out more, make me feel like even more of a charity case than I already do.

I glance down at my hands, then look up at him. He’s staring at me, but his eyes are out of focus. I’ve never seen him like this, not even close to this. I don’t understand. I thought I knew him better than this. This seems completely out of character for him. His voice. His tone. He never sounds like this, even when he’s mad. I don’t get it.

And then it clicks.

“Nate,” I say carefully, trying to lock eyes with him. “Have you been drinking?”

But I don’t need to ask. It’s obvious by the way he stumbles as he moves closer to me and I can smell the hard whiff of alcohol from here. I fold my arms across my chest.