“Yes. A couple.”
“Let her rest, and she’ll see you later.”
My eyes met Mylos’, and I raised my hand. He did the same. “See you later?”
He nodded.
“Let’s go, then,” said Lily, picking up my bag. She rushed out the front door and closed it the minute I stepped out.
“Stop.” I held up my hand, but not in the same way I had with Mylos. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
“I desperately need to talk to you.”
Lily didn’t say anything on the way to the hotel. In fact, it wasn’t until I’d checked in and asked the valet to take my bags to the room that she took my hand and led me over to an out-of-the-way alcove. When I sat in one of the chairs, she sat in the other and reached into her bag. She pulled out a zippered case.
“What is that?”
“This is what I need to talk to you about.”
I waited as she unzipped it. “These are all Miles’,” she said, pulling out pill bottles one by one.
“And? Why do you have them?”
“They’re all painkillers, Pia.”
I pressed my fingertips to my temples. “The pain he’s in must be unimaginable.”
“No. You’re not understanding. These are all very similar types of drugs.”
I reached forward and put my hand on Lily’s arm. “I know you must be very frustrated with me, but I don’t understand.”
“Miles is abusing painkillers. I think he may be addicted to opioids.”
I tried to process what she was telling me. It was a subject I knew little about and said so.
“I followed him up to his room and stood just outside the door. I saw him open one of these bottles and put a handful of pills in his mouth.”
“Okay…”
“Read what it says, Pia.”
I took the bottle from her hand. “One, every six hours. Up to four a day.” I looked into her eyes. “I see. But, Lily, did you take away all his medicine?”
She shook her head. “No. I left one bottle. There were plenty in it.”
I continued to rub my temples. There was a reason she was telling me this. I was unsure whether I wanted to know what it was. “What are you going to do?”
“I want you to help me talk him into getting help.”
Exactly what I was afraid of. “He won’t listen to me, Lily. We…I’m not sure…”
“What?”
“I don’t think Mylos and I are even friends anymore. If we ever were.”
Lily raised one eyebrow. “You’re far more than that, Pia. You’re the woman my brother loves.”
I went up to my room and lay down on the bed. The party didn’t start for another four hours, and I needed every minute to think.