Page 78 of Soul of a Psycho

“I don’t know,” he finally says with a sigh, letting his hands fall in his lap.

I raise my brows at him. How does someone not know if they’ve slept?

He turns towards me, angling his body as if trying to hide from the door. “Remember the pills I told you about? That I get from the doctor?” he speaks lower.

“You mean the ones you don’t take?” I ask quizzically.

He told me about the lineup of medication they prescribed him from his time in Briarcreek, but he said they made him feel weird and loopy. I don’t blame him for not wanting to take them. I wouldn’t either. Especially when they think Cade is one thing, when he’s actually another. He’s not a troubled problem to medicate, he’s a traumatized product of bullying. You can’t medicate that away.

“Well, I do take the sleeping pills.”

“Oh,” I say, confused on why he looks like he hasn’t slept then.

“They aren’t working,” he continues. “I think I built up a tolerance for them.” He shakes his head, jaw clenching.

“So, you just… lay there awake all night?” My heart aches, picturing him in that cold shack in the woods.

Now that I know his mother is the headmistress, I wonder why he doesn’t just ask for a single. Does she know he sleepsout there? I didn’t take her as being cruel, but I know just how deceiving people can be. No one would think Congressman Lyons partakes in spousal abuse, but he does.

“No,” Cade says. “I’m out. I have dreams,vividdreams.” A wicked grin teases at the corner of his mouth before smoothing. “I just don’t feel like I’m actually asleep.”

The bags under his eyes agree, and I brush away his hair to gently run a fingertip along the hollow. Even sleep deprived, he’s somehow more gorgeous. The contrast against his pale skin makes him seem like a haunted work of art, heartbreaking and alluring at the same time.

“I’m sorry,” I tell him and lean in, unable to stop myself from wanting to kiss his cheek. The need to wash away his weariness is as essential as needing air, and I’m suffocating.

His skin is warm on my lips, and I’m again worried that he’s coming down with something.

“Why don’t we just lay down?” I say, scooting back.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” He looks to the door and then back at me.

“Just for a bit,” I gently tug at him.

My heart is still weeping at the idea of him, cold and restless, in the woods. He deserves a bed, a warm place to rest his head for a moment, and I can’t seem to muster the energy to worry about getting caught. I’m feeling pretty tired myself, and after last night, what else could go wrong?

Chapter Fifty-Two

Cade

The sun has long set and gone, replaced by a grim drizzle outside Sky’s window. I’ve been awake for the past ten minutes, oddly refreshed and listening to the soft breaths that rise and lower Sky’s chest. She’s wrapped around me like a koala, so deep in sleep that every so often her eyes dart back and forth beneath her lids. The clock on Ruby’s side of the room says it’s close to seven p.m. and that we’ve slept for the past twelve hours, but I’m not about to wake her. I’m too enraptured by this moment to do much of anything.

The heat of her body, the smell of her hair, all of it is encompassing me in a clarity that’s as concerning as it is relieving. Concerning, because I don’t care about my plans. My sole focus for the past two and half years is about as important to me as the gum under my shoe right now. I couldn’t care less about the wire cutters, laid out and waiting for me, or the books, half finished and threatening to take away my chance at valedictorian. How can all that determination vanish just because of amoment? But it also feels like relief. The boulder of revenge that I’ve shackled to my leg is gone. I’m light. Floating.Content.I could stay in this moment forever, being held by an angel.

I don’t know where Ruby is, but I’m glad she decided not to bother us. I needed that sleep like an addict needs a hit. Maybe her parents will be put off enough to pull her out of Hillcrest, leaving Sky with a single I can sneak into. The idea of getting to sleep beside her every night sounds like a wet dream. I’m lost in thoughts of sleeping inside her when voices sound in the hall.

A deep male cadence echoes under the door, sounding annoyed. “This one?!”

Two pairs of footfalls resonate under the gap, shadows stopping right in front of it.

“You really shouldn’t—” my mother starts.

“She’smydaughter,” the man barks and the door slams open.

Broad shoulders fill the frame, and I instantly tighten my arm around Sky, not liking the looks of him. She jerks upright, rapidly scanning the room for the threat before landing on the man in a gray suit. She stills, eyes widening, and the sweet pink flush of her cheeks drains.

Somewhere in my mind, I know this man is her father, and that I’m holding his daughter in a precarious position, but I can’t let go. The fear emanating from Sky is more than just the typicaloh shitof being caught. It’s like a tidal wave of unease, and I can’t stop myself as I shift in front of her, blocking his view and his scolding stare from piercing her.

“Can I help you?” I growl, and I hear Sky suck in a breath behind me.

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