Theo stands stiffly, his eyes wide and fixed on Evan. Evan’s face is shocking; what they’ve done to him is brutal. He’s going to be in pain for a little while, with his eye in particular.

“Get some wet towels,” Theo commands.

“His lip might need stitches,” Priya says, walking over from the kitchen where’s she’s microwaving something.

They take over completely, which I am grateful for because I feel like I’m holding on by a thread, my heart thudding in my chest too fast.

Evan could have died. I thought he had at one point.

I take in a deep ragged breath and let go of him.

“I’m fine,” Evan grunts, hating the attention.

“Sit still, they’re trying to help. You look awful, bro,” Theo says.

I stumble backward and grip the edge of the counter. Evan is getting looked after now, so I need to take a minute away. My ears ring.

Hazel’s hands grip my upper arms just as my head feels light. “Are you okay? You’ve turned pale as a ghost.”

My vision blurs the way it does when I stand up too fast. My blood pressure has always been low, and at times when I find eating hard, like when Penny died and when I was kidnapped, I’m even more prone to dizzy spells. “Hazel, I thought they were going to kill him,” I whisper.

“Oh, Piper.” She pulls me in for a hug, and for the first time since we got in here, I want nothing more than to hug my best friend. I want the same comfort she gave me when I lost my sister. She never let me lie down and wallow for long. I lay my head on her shoulder and hug her back. “He didn’t die, though. He’s here and the others are going to fix him up.”

“The deepest scars are the ones you can’t see, Haze. How is he going to get through all of this?”

“The same way the rest of us will, with help from each other.”

I nod against her shoulder, for once being the pessimistic one, and I hate it.

“What happened to you guys?” I ask, still holding her tight.

“We woke up groggy, and minus you and Evan.”

“I’m glad you were here.”

“Where did they take you?”

“To their game room. They tied us to chairs and beat Evan.”

She pulls back and her wide eyes stare into mine. “But they didn’t hurt you, right?”

“No, I’m good.”

Her pupils home in on my cheek. “There’s a mark.”

“I was slapped. It’s nothing, Hazel.”

“The bastards,” she grinds out.

“Drop it. Let’s focus on what’s next.”

Dropping my arms, I step back, and Hazel lets me go. “You’re really okay?” she asks, moving her head closer to judge my reaction.

“I’m okay. I promise.”