Page 128 of Wicked Little Nightmare

"You're too good to me," I muttered, pressing a surprisingly gentle kiss to her lips.

Lakey snorted, nipping at my lower lip. "I'm not good at all, Cam. You know that better than anyone."

I couldn't help but chuckle, even as I felt the familiar tension building in my core. "Guess that makes us perfect for each other, huh?"

Her answer was cut off by a gasp as I hit just the right spot. I could feel her tightening around me, her nails digging into my shoulders.

"Fuck, I'm close," I growled, picking up the pace again.

Lakey's eyes locked with mine, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Then let go, baby. Give it to me. I've got you."

Those words, coupled with the sight of her beneath me, pushed me over the edge. I came with a shout, my entire body shuddering as waves of pleasure washed over me. Through the haze, I felt Lakey follow, her body arching off the bed as she cried out my name.

I collapsed onto her, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The chaos in my mind had quieted to a dull whisper, leaving behind an eerie calm. We lay there, tangled in each other, as the minutes ticked by. The silence wasn't uncomfortable — it never was with us. It was like a security blanket, wrapping us up in our own little world.

I traced lazy patterns on her skin, connecting the scars that marred her body. Each one told a story, a testament to the journey that brought us here. My fingers lingered on the tattoo on her wrist, surrounded by those cheesy little hearts — my tattoo.

"You ever regret this?" I murmured, tapping the ink.

Lakey's laugh was soft but sharp. "What, permanently marking myself as property of Cam Axley? Not for a second, baby."

I snorted, burying my face in her hair. "You're fucking insane, you know that?"

"Says the guy who just tried to fuck his demons away," she retorted, but there was no bite to it. Her fingers went through my hair as she gently scratched.

Truth is, Lakey knew me better than anyone else ever did. She knew the monsters I fought, and she never once flinched. Maybe that's what fucking terrified me the most. That one day she’d hate what she saw and walk away from me.

It terrified me to know that I’d never let her.

"I love you, you know," I finally said.

Lakey smiled, her eyes taking on that soft glow that came only when she heard those words fall from my lips. "I know, dumbass. And I love you too."

We lay there for a while longer, just enjoying each other's company, until the real world came knocking at our door again. Grudgingly, we disentangled ourselves from each other and started getting dressed. Kyle was probably freaking out wondering if I’d killed her in my rage.

I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on my shirt as I watched Lakey fix her hair in the mirror. For some reason, I felt this burning need to apologize. A need I’d never felt before. She was everything and if I lost her…

"Lakey," I said, hesitant. "About everything that happened..."

She turned around, light blue eyes boring into mine. "Cam. You don't ever need to apologize for who you are. I've seen it all and I'm still here."

I rubbed the back of my neck, uncomfortable with her intensity. "Even when I'm an asshole?"

Her smile was gentle, full of life. "Especially then. Besides, I’m arguably worse than you and I make no apologies. Neither should you, so how about we don’t do that again. It’s weird and it makes me feel weird."

I chuckled and came up behind her to wrap my arms around her waist as she finished with her hair. "Come on, Lakes. We've got some shit to do."

Forty-Four: Lakey

The stairs creaked under our feet as Cam and I descended, his towering presence a comforting shadow at my back. Below, three pairs of eyes locked onto us — Kyle's narrowed suspicion, Rose's barely concealed anxiety, and Sarah's professional curiosity. My lips curled into a smile that I’m sure didn't quite reach my eyes. It’s none of their fucking business what we do to each other.

"Everything's just fine. Just got fucked like no tomorrow," I chirped. I could practically feel the tension in the room, as Sarah eyed me. Almost as if she was trying to psychoanalyze what she thought just happened behind that door.

I walked up to Sarah, my gaze zeroing in on her, her body tensing slightly away from me. "I need another hypnosis session. Right now." The request came out soft, almost childlike, but there was steel beneath the sugar.

Sarah's brow furrowed, her professional mask slipping for just a moment. "Lakey, we typically space out sessions to allow for proper processing and—"

I cut her off with a wave of my hand, my smile never faltering. "I understand, really I do. But this is important." I leaned in, dropping my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I think I'm on the verge of a breakthrough. You wouldn't want to impede my progress, would you?"

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