Bloodlines Page 0,72

thoughts and see her experiences in everyday life - but not the other way around. I assumed it was the same now, but with spirit, one couldn't take anything for granted.

"Right," she agreed.

"That's how... that's how you always know things about him. Like my visits. And when he wanted pizza. That's why he's here, what Abe wanted him here for."

Jill frowned. "Abe? No, it was kind of a group choice for Adrian to come along. Rose and Lissa thought it would be best if we were together while we were getting used to the bond, and I wanted him nearby too. What made you think Abe was involved?"

"Er, nothing," I said. Abe instructing Adrian to stay at Clarence's must not have been something Jill observed. "I was just mixed up about something."

"Can we go now?" she begged. "I answered your questions."

"Let me make sure I understand something first," I said. "Explain how he ended up in Los Angeles and why he's stuck."

Jill clasped her hands together and looked away again, a habit I was coming to associate with when she had information that she knew wasn't going to be received well.

"He, um, left Clarence's last night. Because he was bored. He hitchhiked into town - to Palm Springs - and ended up partying with some people who were going to LA. So, he went with them. And while he was in a club, he found those girls - some Moroi girls - and so he went home with them. And then he spent the night and kind of passed out. Until now. Now he's awake. And he wants to go home. To Clarence's."

With all this talk of clubbing and girls, an unsettling thought was building in my mind. "Jill, just how much of that did you actually experience?" She was still avoiding my gaze. "It's not important."

"It is to me," I said. The night Jill had woken in tears... that had been when Adrian was with those girls too. Was she living his sex life? "What was he thinking? He knows you're there, that you're living everything he does, but he never stops to - oh God. The first day of school. Ms. Chang was right, wasn't she? You were hung over. Vicariously, at least." And almost every other morning, she woke up feeling semi-sick - because Adrian was hung over too.

Jill nodded. "There was nothing physical they could've tested - like blood or anything - to prove that's what it was, but yeah. I might as well have had one. I certainly felt like it. It was awful."

I reached out and turned her face toward mine so that she had to look at me. "And you are now too." There was more light in the room as the sun rose higher, and I could see the signs again. The sickly paleness and bloodshot eyes. I wouldn't have been surprised if her head and stomach hurt too. I dropped my hand and shook my head in disgust. "He can stay there."

"Sydney!"

"He deserves it. I know you feel... something... for him." Whether it was sisterly or romantic affection, it really didn't matter. "But you can't baby him and run to every need and request he sends to you."

"He's not asking me, not exactly," she said. "I can just feel that he wants it."

"Well, he should've thought of that before he got himself into this mess. He can figure out his own way back."

"His cell phone died."

"He can borrow one from his new 'friends.'"

"He's in agony," she said.

"That's how life is," I said.

"I'm in agony."

I sighed. "Jill - "

"No, I'm serious. And it's not just the hangover. I mean, yeah, part of it's the hangover. And as long as he's sick and not taking anything, then so am I! Plus... his thoughts. Ugh." Jill rested her forehead in her hands. "I can't get rid of how unhappy he is. It's like... like a hammer banging in my head. I can't get away from it. I can't do anything else except think about how miserable he is! And that makes me miserable. Or think I'm miserable. I don't know." She sighed. "Please, Sydney. Can we go?"

"Do you know where he is?" I asked.

"Yes."

"All right, then. I'll go." I slid over to the edge of the bed. She stood up with me.

"I'll come too."

"No," I said. "You go back to bed. Take some aspirin and see if you can make yourself feel better." I also had a few things I wanted to say to