“Don’t you touch that door.” Reika’s hiss was a second too late as Naoki pulled out the same half-empty can that had been returned to the fridge after their last angry exchange.
“I need a drink!” Naoki snapped, rounding on the bassist.
“You need to stop,” Reika said softly, sadly. His words were punctuated by the clunk of the front door—presumably Kai and Kirin escaping the danger zone, although Naoki couldn’t spare a thought for anything but the images that assaulted him as he tried to find the words he needed. His hesitation gave Reika an opening to take the can from him.
“I didn’t just kill him,” Naoki gasped, ashamed by the tears that welled in his eyes even as he tried to hold them back by refusing to blink. They cascaded down his cheeks regardless, and he snatched the booze back f
