POV: Vivian | Timeline: Wednesday, lunch with Natasha
"You look like absolute shit."
Natasha never minced words. That was why I loved her.
We sat in our usual booth at the café around the corner from my office. Wednesday lunch. Our standing date. The only hour of my week when I could be completely, brutally honest with someone who knew all my secrets.
Well. Almost all of them.
"Thanks," I said dryly. "That's exactly the ego boost I needed today."
"I'm serious, Viv." She leaned forward, concern creasing her forehead. "You've got dark circles that could double as bruises. Your hands are shaking so bad you almost knocked over your coffee twice. And you keep looking over your shoulder like someone's following you. When did you last actually sleep?"
"Define sleep."
"More than two consec
