With a deep breath, she plastered on a smile and let her gaze travel over him.
“You look really handsome,” she said, her sincerity ballooning Dan’s pride. “You should wear a suit every day.”
“Your wish is my command,” he said with a wink.
A more genuine smile tugged at her lips, and he watched her shoulders relax a fraction. Dan didn’t want to flirt or tease right now; he wanted to find out what was bothering Harper so he could fix it.
“We should probably go,” Harper said, glancing at the clock on her stove. Dan hesitated, prying questions on the tip of his tongue, but he nodded, and they finished the wine in their glasses.
The walk to Lizzie and Indira’s apartment was tense and quiet. Dan sensed Harper was somewhere far away, somewhere he couldn’t reach.
Walking through the small courtyard outside of the apartment building, they found Thu and Alex sitting on a bench talking. Harper offered them both a terse hello and stood stiffly as Thu hugged her.
They made their way into the building to join the party and Thu shot Dan a questioning look and a nod toward Harper. He responded with a desperate, confused shrug.
Laughter and shouts punctuated the thudding music as they approached the unit.
“Seems like we might have some catching up to do,” Thu said with a daring look to Alex. She opened the door, and they took in the scene of crowded bodies in the space.
Clusters of people in suits and dresses lit up the room. A beer pong table sat in the center, rowdy dudes cheering with each toss while others swarmed the booze table set up against the wall.
Energy pulsed through the crowd, and Dan couldn’t help but smile as something like enjoyment filled him, encouraging him to let loose and have a good time.
He reached for Harper and pulled the coat off her shoulders, draping it with his on the growing pile to their right.
Turning back to her, he traced his fingers along her exposed back. He was surprised to feel a thin film of cold sweat covering her skin.
Glancing at her, he took in the clench of her jaw and tight press of her lips. The color was drained from her face, and he was about to ask her if she needed to step outside for a minute when a loud shriek caught his attention.
Lizzie and Indira barreled through the crowd toward them, giant glasses of wine sloshing as they went. Dan barely had time to brace for impact before Lizzie launched herself into a violent group hug with all of them.
“It’s about time!” Lizzie squealed, letting them go.
“Dan! Thank you for finally getting our Harper to one of these!” Indira said, grabbing him by the hand and tugging him farther into the apartment. “Let’s give you a tour.”
Lizzie moved next to them, sweeping a hand across the room. “This, my friend, is the Bone Zone. Please, make yourself at home.”
“Bone Zone?” Dan repeated with a laugh.
Lizzie nodded. “The zone in which we bone. Kitchen is that way,” she said, pointing to the back right corner where a wall cutout showed more people lingering by the fridge.
“Bathrooms are down the hall,” Indira added, doing a game show hostess gesture to a hallway on their left. “Shall you be in need of a bedroom, please use Lizzie’s, not mine.”
Dan shot Lizzie a disbelieving look, but she nodded seriously. “I lost a bet,” she offered as an explanation.
He let out a deep laugh and turned to look for Harper.
Thu and Alex leaned against the wall near the door, eyes only for each other, no Harper in sight.
He scanned across the room, no trace of her glossy black hair or the green of her dress.
His heart kicked into gear.
She was gone. And something in his gut told him she wasn’t okay.
CHAPTER 18
HARPER
Dying.
I’m dying.
The thought repeated itself on loop through Harper’s mind.
Bees stung through her veins while fire ants bit along her screaming skin. She wanted to run, but her legs were cemented to the floor. The panic was going to kill her.
Somehow, she managed to put one foot in front of the other and moved down the hall, trying to escape it.
Black crept in at the edges as she collapsed against the bathroom door. She pressed the burning skin of her cheek into the cool wood, trying to focus her swimming vision on the doorknob. Her sweaty palm slipped off it over and over again.
Harper squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think past the high-pitched ringing in her ears. With a raw, shaking breath, she opened her eyes, forcing her trembling fingers to the knob with what little control she had left. She latched onto it and turned, using the last of her strength to push it open.