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“There’s really no way for you to get in touch with me until the Acropolis,” she replied. “He got me a phone, but he monitors everything on it.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he repeated.

Tristyn came into her line of vision, and she gave him a small smile. “I have to go.”

“I’ll see you soon, Tessie.”

“Tell the others I miss them.”

“I will. We’ll figure it out. Just hang in there until I can get to you and fix all this.”

“You can’t fix this.”

“Just hang in there a little longer,” he repeated. “I’ll see you soon, Tessie.”

“Bye.”

She cut the call, knowing if she didn’t do it right away, she’d stay on the phone with him until Theon came and dragged her kicking and screaming back to the suite to punish her somehow. She wordlessly handed the phone back to Tristyn.

“You all right?” he asked, sliding it into his pocket before he sat down on the bench beside her.

“Yes,” she answered quickly, swiping at her cheeks again. “That was a friend I haven’t seen in a while.”

“I’m glad you were able to talk then,” Tristyn replied. He reached over and dug into the pocket of his jacket, extracting two more rolls. “You look like you need another.”

“Do you always carry these around with you?” Tessa asked as she took one.

“No. Only when I know I’ll be needing them. I’m in town on business and had a rather stressful day,” Tristyn replied, reaching over with a lighter. “Pizza should be here shortly. They weren’t very busy at this hour.”

“I don’t have any way to pay for my half,” Tessa said, her cheeks flushing again at the admission.

“Don’t worry, fury. I got it,” he answered, settling back against the bench and blowing out a puff of smoke. “I hope you like pepperoni.”

“Who doesn’t like pepperoni pizza?”

He chuckled. “I figured it was a safe bet.”

She held out the agaveheart to him. “You’re buying me pizza and giving me lull-leaf. The least I can do is share my liquor.”

He took it with a nod of thanks before taking a good pull from the bottle. “You’re going to be hurting in the morning,” he observed, holding the bottle up to see that it was nearly a third gone already.

She shrugged. “It’ll be worth it.”

“You had a rough day as well, I take it?” Tristyn asked, handing the bottle back to her.

“You could say that.”

Silence fell between them, somehow comfortable.

It was a few minutes later when Tristyn said, “This probably isn’t my place, but I’m going to say it anyway: It’s okay not to be okay, Tessa.”

“You don’t know me, Tristyn,” she said softly.

“Doesn’t change what I just said.”

The pizza arrived a few minutes later, and Tessa devoured her first slice. Tristyn held the box open to her so she could grab another, his first slice only half gone.

“Did you not eat at whatever function you were at?” he asked.