Aaron dropped down so that he was crouching next to her at eye level. Part of him wanted to remind her that she could get up and walk away right now, but he knew she wanted this, and if he suggested such a thing, it would only make her angry, not deter her. “Hey, beautiful. You’re okay,” he said quietly. Cadence’s eyes widened, and across her, in his peripheral vision, he could see Jamie finding the vein in her arm. “You’ve got this. You’re going to be just fine.”

Jamie ...