Chapter 94: Sadie: Scent Marked?

SADIE

My eyes fly open, and I push myself up too quickly. A glance around confirms I’m in the campus clinic just before the dizziness sends me back against the pillow.

Okay. I can stay horizontal for a few more seconds. The important thing is that I’m here.

I close my eyes and breathe out, waiting for the dizziness to ease before checking the IV in my hand. The tubing shifts as I look down, so I leave that arm still and check the rest of me instead. Same clothes I wore to class, which means Trey brought me straight here.

Thank Goddess he did. I was worried he’d decide to be a knucklehead and take me home to be examined by a private doctor instead. Then I’d have woken up in my bed, having nearly killed myself and accomplished nothing.

Instead, I’m here. If Celia’s claims about having eyes and ears everywhere, the clinic might still be harder for her to reach than our apartment or wherever else I could’ve taken him.

"Miss Rhodes, I thought we agreed you’re allergic to sesame."

I turn to find Julian at the door. I didn’t hear him come in, though judging by his expression, my hearing should be the least of my concerns.

"I know we agreed." I sit up slowly, using the extra few seconds to think. "I... um, ate it by mistake. There was this soup, and nobody told me it had sesame in it."

He puts his stethoscope around his neck and approaches the bed, looking just as unconvinced as before. I press my lips together. Adding more about the soup probably won’t help.

"I’m beginning to think you like coming here." He glances toward the entrance, then lowers his voice as he leans in. "Do you miss me that much?"

"Why are you whispering?"

He lets out a sigh and stands straight. "Because Trey is waiting outside, and I don’t know how he’ll take that if he hears. He might think I’m making moves on you, is that still what you college kids say, and barge in here." He gestures toward me. "I could barely get any work done with his scent mark all over you. I don’t need him coming in to make the point in person."

"Scent mark?" I blurt, grabbing my shirt and lifting it to my nose.

A few sniffs gives me nothing, so I look up at Julian. He’s grimacing.

"You didn’t know?" His eyes move from my shirt to my face. "Did he scent-mark you without asking? What exactly is going on between you two?"

I bite my lip before managing a smile. "He told me he was going to. I just didn’t realize he already had." I lower the fabric. "We understand each other."

Julian stays where he is, and I look down at the pattern on the bedsheet. He’s good at reading me. Finding out I’ve only just learned about the scent mark from him won’t improve his opinion of the situation or of Trey.

Certain things scream toxic relationship to older people. He’s only in his early forties, but I’m fairly sure that qualifies him to have an antenna for this sort of thing. Not that mine isn’t picking up a signal. I’d just rather discuss it with the man responsible before Julian starts asking questions I can’t answer.

I don’t even know when Trey did it or how. He should at least be here for some of my disbelief.

"Fine." Julian steps back, and I let out a small breath. "We’ve treated the reaction, but I want to keep you a little longer to make sure you’re recovering properly. There’ll be medication for you to take home."

I nod, finally looking at him again.

"I was worried this had something to do with your eyes turning green." He pauses. "Take better care of yourself, Sadie."

"You know me. I can handle myself. This was a mistake."

"I know you can. But you’re getting careless." He glances toward the door before lowering his voice. "I don’t trust that kid out there. I hope he isn’t stressing you out."

Well, I’m here because of him and his evil stepmother, which makes answering that honestly a little complicated. Trey isn’t the problem. Being with him just seems to come with people who are determined to become one.

"He’s taking care of me." I hesitate before asking, "Will you let him come in? Just him. I want to talk to him alone. And make him leave his bag and phone outside, please. Don’t let him argue about that part."

He gives me a look before answering. "Anything for you."

Once he leaves, I let out a long breath and lift my shirt to my nose again. I know I can’t smell a scent mark on myself, but that doesn’t stop me from checking.

Trey actually scent-marked me? Does that mean every guy I’ve walked past knows something’s going on between us? Have people been figuring this out while I’m having entirely unrelated conversations with them?

I lower my shirt and groan into my palm. Wonderful. I’ve been wearing a we’re hooking up tag, and we haven’t even done that yet. Surely, I deserve to hear about my own relationship before everyone else.

The door opens, and I lift my head.

Trey stands in the doorway, and everything I was preparing to ask him slips away when I see his face.

He’s pale. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him pale.

"Trey? Are you okay?"

He closes the door and crosses to me without answering. Before I can work out what to ask next, he sits on the edge of the bed and folds himself against me, his arms closing around my back.

I hesitate, awkwardly caught between wanting to look at him and realizing he doesn’t want that yet. Usually, he pulls me into his chest. This feels different. He’s come to me, and it takes a second to realize he needs me to hold him.

My arms start to close around him, but he pulls back and cups my face. His hands are trembling.

"How are you?" His voice sounds strained. "I thought something happened to you. I thought... fuck, I thought Celia did something." He looks over my face. "Julian said it was an allergy. You’re okay now? You don’t still feel sick?"

Covering one of his hands with mine, I shake my head. "I’m okay. Much better now."

He doesn’t seem convinced, and the guilt makes it harder to meet his gaze. Of course he was going to worry. But when I planned this, I didn’t picture his hands shaking against my face.

"You don’t feel as hot now, but—"

"I need to tell you something," I cut in. His eyes settle on mine again. "Please listen, okay? All of it. I need you to believe me."

He hesitates. "Okay. What is it?"

After a second, he nods. "Yeah. Go on."

I wet my lips, wishing I could explain the reason before admitting what I did. Last night, I thought I’d be relieved once we were alone. Instead, my heart is pounding, and I have to take a breath before I can begin.

"I knew the soup had sesame in it. I ate it on purpose."

His hands leave my cheeks. "What the fuck?"

"Yes." I swallow. "It wasn’t a mistake. I needed somewhere I felt safe enough to talk to you. Somewhere nobody could listen." His expression makes me hurry through the rest. "That’s why Julian asked you to leave your bag and phone outside. I asked him to."

"What the hell are you talking about? Who’s listening?"

"Celia."

He goes rigid, his jaw tightening. I keep watching him, wondering how much explaining it will take before this sounds like anything other than me losing my mind. He wasn’t in that room. He didn’t hear how easily she—

"She threatened you, didn’t she?"

My lips part. I’ve spent so much time working out how to make him believe me. I didn’t even need to do that much?

"Yeah," I say. "She did."

My shoulders settle against the pillow, and I look down at my hand as it comes to rest in my lap.

"She made me feel like I was nothing. And I know that feeling, Trey. It isn’t new." My voice shakes, and I pause before continuing. "But last night, nothing I said mattered. She just kept finding another way to make it worse. Then she threatened you, and I couldn’t think about anything else."

I tell him everything, starting with Ezra and what Celia wanted me to do for him. The money she offered, the contract she made me sign, and how she said she could hurt Trey and leave me to take the blame.

Sometimes I have to stop before I can get the next part out. It’s humiliating to explain how frightened I was. How she let me sign before suggesting I’d done it for money. How she played my voice back without the threats that made me agree.

"She said you’d only hear it if I told you." I look at him. "I knew she wanted me scared. I just didn’t know which parts I could afford not to believe. What if there was something in the apartment? What if she could listen through your phone? I don’t know how any of that works, Trey."