Page 108 of Left in the Dark

“Go to sleep,” I whisper.

She sighs, her eyes closing. A few seconds pass, and she murmurs, “I love you.”

My heart seizes inside my chest as I stare at her. I run my fingers through her long locks, watching her. Her breathing is steady and regular, her eyes closed.

Slowly untangling myself, I wrap her arms around the pillow my head was lying on. I pick up my sweatshirt, fold and set it on top of her dresser for her to wear. She had one of mine in high school that she wore to bed. She used to tell me it made her feel safe because it kept the nightmares away.

I wish she would’ve told me what those nightmares were about.

Lifting the mask, I place a gentle kiss on her lips. “I love you so fucking much, my lil minx,” I whisper.

With one lingering look, I turn around and walk out the door.

Time to put your game face on. You’ve been keeping a lot of secrets from Jaxson and Luca. Things they don’t need to know right now.

Sliding my hands in my pockets, I nod at Stryker as I pass him.

As I head toward my truck, Delaney’s words echo inside my head.“I’m not trying to keep you a secret. I’m being selfish, keeping you all to myself.”

I sure as fuck hope this isn’t a repeat of high school all over again.

CHAPTER 70

Delaney

Ihiccup as I hold onto Stryker’s arm. His masked face glows as he leads me up the porch steps to my cabin. “I think you and Callie partied a bit too hard tonight.”

I giggle, missing my masked man so damn much. I drank more, hoping it would dull the ache. Fat fucking chance of that.

But it did give me the illusion of being happy and silly. For that, I’m grateful.

“We just had a few drinks.” I slap my hand against his chest. “Thank you for not ratting me out.”

Stryker’s sarcastic laugh lifts the drunken veil slightly. “If you think your masked man doesn’t know everything you’ve been up to, you’re delusional.”

“Ugh. Let’s sit on the porch for a minute. I’m feeling hot.”

Stryker guides me to one of the cushioned seats. “Stay right here and don’t move. I’ll grab you some water.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

As Stryker heads toward the door, my buoyant mood fades. The cool, late October air feels good against my overheated skin. I feel nostalgic as I stare at the darkness, lost in memories.

A few days ago, I woke up in bed, the dream lingering. In it, Zayne was holding me in his arms. His face was blurry, butI distinctly heard his voice saying,“I love you so fucking much, my lil minx.”

I lay there for a few minutes, wallowing in confusion.Why did I hear his voice so damn clearly?

What’s strange is the masked man left me his sweatshirt neatly folded on top of my dresser. A cold chill washed down my spine when I saw it. Zayne had given me his sweatshirt to wear while we were in high school.

Was it a coincidence or a hint as to the masked man’s identity?

No, it can’t be Zayne. He’s in California. And he despised me and proved it when he moved on, kissing that woman in the bar.

My phone beeps, pulling me from my thoughts. I retrieve it from the bodice of my witch’s costume. Even though my thoughts are in turmoil, I smile when I see his name.

MM: You drank too goddamn much. What the hell were you thinking?

ME: I was having fun. It’s almost Halloween.

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