Page 26 of Forged

“Hey, Lars, it’s Neomi.”

“Neomi. It’s so good to hear your voice again.”

I swallow hard, leaning against the dresser, eyes fluttering closed for a moment.

“I, uh…” I wince at myself.

Lars’ tone changes. “Are you okay?”

“Define okay,” I say, forcing a lightness I don’t feel. “Because I think someone just followed me after I left the game.”

“What happened?” His voice sharpens. “Explain what you mean by being followed.”

“There was a car that followed my Uber to the hotel,” I blurt. “He got out of the car when I got here, then just stood and watched me. He was in black, wearing a hoodie. I couldn’t see his face. Then he just…left.”

A low curse slips out of him. “Neomi…”

“I’m fine,” I insist. “Just frazzled.”

And I hate that. Frazzled isn’t me. There’s another slow exhale from him, like he’s trying to rein something back before it snaps.

“Where are you now?”

“In my room.”

“Alone?”

“Very.”

I can feel his concern through the phone, crawling over my skin, tightening everything inside me.

Then he says, “I’m coming to you.”

“Lars—”

“Don’t argue,” he says softly. “You call me after a week of silence, sounding like this, telling me someone followed you? There’s no world where I stay put, Bella.”

Heat rolls through me so fast I have to grip the edge of the dresser.

“That’s not why I called,” I breathe.

“No?” His tone warms, amused. “Then tell me why.”

I bite my bottom lip almost hard enough to draw blood.

“Because I wanted to hear your voice.”

A low sound comes across the line. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

The line goes dead.

I knockonce on Neomi’s door. Through the peephole, I see a shadow move before the door opens.

She stands on the other side with her shoulders squared and her spine straight. Her hair is loose, makeup gone, her expression sharp, eyes sweeping over me in a quick assessment that tells me she’s alert. If something shook her tonight, she’s trying to keep it locked down.

“You didn’t have to come,” she says.

“I know,” I answer.