I stepped forward without thinking and pulled Naomi into a hug.
Her body went rigid for half a second. Then she collapsed into me. Face against my chest. Arms wrapping around my back. Fingers gripping the blazer like I might disappear if she let go.
She didn't cry. Not really. But her breathing came uneven. Shaky. The kind that comes right before tears decide whether they're worth making an appearance.
"Call your mom," I said into her hair.
She shook her head against my chest.
"I can't. Not here. Not with everyone."
"Then we'll find somewhere quiet."
Belle watched this happen. Her amber eyes tracking the interaction with the same intensity she used for everything else. Jordan had already wandered off toward the exit, probably to find somewhere horizontal to exist for the next four hours.
Misato's phone buzzed. She glanced at it. Her entire face went carefully blank.
Blair.
Had to be Blair.
