Not at her soaked clothes. Not at the scattered papers. At her wrist. Then at her eyes. Nia knew that look.
It asked a question without forcing her to answer in front of everyone. Are you hurt? Nia gave the smallest shake of her head. Naomi looked back at Trevor. Let her go.
Trevor glanced at Madison's phone. Then at the witnesses. He had an audience now. That mattered. Or what?
Naomi said nothing. Ryan moved closer. Maybe you should leave. Naomi didn't look at him. Derek folded his arms.
Madison kept filming. Ashley whispered, Trevor, just let her go. Trevor shot her a look. What? I said maybe this is enough.
The courtyard changed slightly. Not enough for courage. But enough for discomfort. Trevor seemed to feel it too. And because he felt it, he tightened his grip.
Nia drew a sharp breath. Naomi's face didn't change. That frightened Nia more than if her sister had shouted. She had seen Naomi exhausted. She had seen her grieving.
She had seen her furious. But there was another version of Naomi that almost never appeared anymore. Still. Measured. Watching everything.
Last time, Naomi said. Trevor shook his head. You don't give orders here. Naomi stepped forward. Ryan immediately moved toward her.
She stopped. No raised fists. No threat. No dramatic posture. Her hands remained open at her sides.
The rain hammered the metal awning. Nobody beneath it spoke. Naomi looked directly at Trevor. Let her go. Trevor smirked.
You gonna make me? Naomi's voice became even quieter. You've got three seconds. For the first time, Ryan stopped smiling. Derek's folded arms loosened.
Ashley stared at Naomi. Even Madison's phone dipped slightly before rising again. Trevor laughed. It sounded forced now. Three seconds.
Naomi didn't answer. Nia could hear her own heartbeat. She remembered a battered black and silver object she had seen more than once inside Naomi's EMT bag. A coin. Heavy.
Scratched. Old. Naomi never explained why she carried it. Nia had once asked. Her sister had zipped the bag closed and changed the subject.
Now that same battered bag hung against Naomi's hip. Trevor couldn't know that. He couldn't know anything about the woman standing in front of him except what his eyes told him. Cheap shoes. Old jacket.
Tired face. Black woman from the wrong side of his world. And Trevor trusted what he saw. Naomi began counting. Three.
Nobody moved. A security light reflected across the flooded pavement. Trevor's fingers remained around Nia's wrist. Two. Ryan glanced at Trevor.
Ashley whispered. Let her go. This time there was fear in her voice. Trevor heard it. His pride made the decision for him.
He tightened his hand around Nia's wrist and pulled her half a step toward him. Then he looked straight at Naomi. What happens at one? Naomi's eyes went cold. The exhausted EMT seemed to disappear without moving an inch.