Page 19 of Reckoning

I shrug. “It was just one milkshake.”

He narrows his eyes. “Single or double?”

“Excuse me?” I reply before staring at the glass in his hand. Is that what happened? Is that how they drugged me? They simply slipped something into my drink? I curse myself for being so stupid. If I’d stuck to water then none of this would have happened. That’s what my little treat cost me.

“There’s alcohol in this.” Ben says more to Roman than to me.

“No.” I say. “I don’t drink. I don’t…”

Roman takes the glass from Ben and sniffs it before fixing me with a look.

Does he think I got drunk, is that it? Do they both think that I what, came back here, got wasted, and imagined the whole thing? That it’s simply a projection of my wild imagination?

I get to my feet, trembling more. A wave of nausea hits me and I know it’s a side-effect from what they gave me. Thank god it was only a sedative and not the other stuff Otto used to control me because that would not be so easily undone.

“Sofia.” Ben murmurs.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” I say. My voice high pitched with both panic and hurt.

“We didn’t say that.” Roman replies.

“You think I got drunk and it’s all in my head?”

“No.” Roman says getting to his feet.

My eyes are filling with tears. I never once questioned him, never once stopped supporting him.

Christ, it’s happening again. Just like the last time. He thinks I’m lying.

“It’s okay.” He says.

“They drugged me.” I state, hearing my voice catch, hearing myself start to give into the sob.

“I believe you, Sofia.” Roman says. “I believe you.”

“But you said…”

“Listen to me.” He replies, tucking his hand under my chin, lifting my face to look at him properly. “If you say someone was here, then I believe you. If you say someone drugged you, then I believe you.”

I can’t look at him. I can’t think straight in this moment. The fear of rejection, of betrayal, of all of it is spiralling inside me.

I pull myself away, stumbling back.

“Sofia.” Ben murmurs.

“I…” My voice trails off as my head seems to spin once more.

I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to convince them.

My brother catches me before I hit the ground and he sweeps me up into his arms.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.” He says.

I whimper back as my hands dig into the fine fabric of his shirt. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave this space even though I know it’s been compromised. But he’s carrying me out, barking orders, already taking control and I’m helpless to do anything to stop him.

Sofia

Istare up at the fluorescent lights as they whizz past my head.