(BLACKWOOD)
Helena collapses.
Luckily, I saw her go pale and was already moving.
Catching her before she can hit the floor, I swing her into my arms and hold on tight. In a dark apartment, I hadn't taken in the full extent of her exhaustion, but up close, I mentally curse.
Helena doesn't say a word, just gazes up at me as if she's staring at a ghost.
I kick the front door closed and flick on the light switch before I carry her across the studio apartment toward the couch. Not the bed, because as I waited for Helena to return home, I'm almost positive I saw a roach scramble over the sheets.
Whatever this apartment costs, it's not worth it. Even if the owner was only asking ten dollars a night, it would still be ten dollars too much. She must have been desperate to settle for a place this bad.
And you drove her to it.
After settling her on the couch, I drop into a crouch beside her. "Have you eaten?"
Her voice doesn't seem to work because she shakes her head no.
