Then her expression twisted with disgust.
“Celeste, have you forgotten?” she snapped. “He’s diseased. Get out of the car. Now!”
Almost on cue, the car rolled to a smooth stop in front of a sprawling villa. They got out as if fleeing a fire, not daring to linger even a second longer. I remained in the driver’s seat, slowly pressing a hand to my chest.
So this is what it felt like.
It didn’t hurt anymore.
Time really did dull everything.
——
Through the windshield, I watched Trisha hurry away, dragging Celeste along with her.
Their voices drifted faintly through the night air.
“Are you out of your mind? He’s diseased. Hurry up. Just pretend we didn’t see anything tonight…”
My hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel.
I reached for my cigarette case, slipped one free, and lit it.
Once, I could smoke cigars worth hundreds of thousands without blinking. Now, the cigarette had barely caught before the smoke clawed its way into my lungs, forcing me to bend forward in a fit of coughing.
Suddenly, someone tapped lightly on the window.
Celeste had returned at some point and was standing beside the car. She stood beside the vehicle, posture straight, her face half-lit by the streetlamp.