Chapter 90. What to Do With Ryan

S:

We go to bed.

At least that’s what everyone else thinks.

I step into my room without a word, letting the door shut quietly behind me. The walls feel different now. The shadows—darker. Or maybe that’s just me.

I don’t bother with the lights. Just drag myself toward the bed and drop. Back against the mattress. Staring at the ceiling. Empty.

I think I hear footsteps—

Soft.

Purposeful.

The door creaks open.

Rae.

She steps inside slowly. No words. No hesitance. Her favorite pillow is cradled in her arms, hugged close like a peace offering. Or a question she already knows the answer to.

And I want to tell her no.

That I need space. That I’m unraveling. That I don’t know who I am right now—what I might do if someone says the wrong thing. I want to say I’m poison tonight. And she’s pure. She shouldn’t be near me.

But—

I don’t.

I just shift, pulling the blankets back, and let her in.

She climbs