Page 95 of Stitches

A massive room awaited me, complete with a bed done in fluffy pink blankets and pillows, cream-colored walls, twinkly lights, all my painting stuff plus loads of new stuff. Overstuffed furniture with one of the chairs facing a window so I could look out to the dark woods. Plush white rugs. A vanity. Dresser. Closet.

I turned to look at the guys.

“Do you like it?” Church asked.

“You wanted your own space. We worked all weekend to give it to you,” Ashes added, looking around apprehensively. “We’ve never decorated before really, and definitely never for a girl.”

“If you hate it, we can completely redo it,” Church cut in.

It was perfect. I loved it.

I threw my arms around Church and kissed him before going to Ashes and doing the same. When I got to Stitches, he backed away and gave me a shaky smile. I swallowed my emotions and turned away, not wanting him to see he was upsetting me.

“Specter,” Church said, moving to stand beside me as I stared at the easel and fresh canvas.

I looked up at him.

“I’m sorry about…everything. We never should have gone silent on you. We’ve just been dealing with some shit and needed time to do it. It was never a reflection of you or anything you’ve done,” Church’s voice was thick as he said the words. I knew they were hard for him.

“You’re perfect, baby,” Ashes said, taking my hand and squeezing it. “But since you were gone, we thought maybe we could do this for you to show you how much we care and how sorry we are.”

As much as I knew I should still be angry with them, I couldn’t find it in my heart to do so. If there was anything in this world I wanted more, it was to find happiness and not dwell on the bad or ugly.

I stepped away from the guys and went to the easel and sat on the stool with a paintbrush in my hand.

“We’ll make dinner,” Church called out. “We’ll come get you when it’s done.”

I didn’t turn. I simply dug into the paints, excitement blossoming in my chest.

Ashes let out a soft laugh before I heard them leave me, the door at the bottom of the stairs clicking closed behind them.

Without hesitation, I swirled the black onto the canvas before dotting the night sky with stars.

Then I added the dark forest.

The fire barrel for Ashes.

All of us watching as he burned things.

And in the distance, I added something new.

A white rabbit, silently watching.

STITCHES

Itossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. At one point, I’d even gotten up to go to Sirena only to stop at the closed door at the end of the hall and stare at it.

When we’d spoken to Asylum, I’d been in a rush to get back to her. Maybe it was adrenaline working overtime on me. Now that I’d let everything sink in, I was back to square one.

Hell, I was probably further back than square one because now I knew everything that had happened was real. I was used and abused. Fucked by men. Fucked by women. I’d taken cock like it was my birthright.

What little innocence I had left in my life had been stolen from me.

My door creaked open, and I looked at it, my heart in my throat.

Please…

I didn’t know who I wanted it to be, but the moment she entered the room in her white nightgown, I knew I’d wanted it to be her.

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