Page 79 of Rooster

Chapter 28

Rooster

It is absolutely insane how I can go from more content than I can ever recall being to a sense of foreboding hitting me in the chest like a freight train.

The pleasure I felt earlier with Morgan was unprecedented.

We grabbed a shower, but with unspoken rules, we didn't take things any further. Sitting in bed with her, arguing over what to watch on television, felt natural. We laughed, joked, and teased each other for our complete opposite likes in movies and television series before settling on a show about animals in the Arctic.

There was no awkwardness. Silent moments were spent holding her hand or with my arm wrapped around her back. When she snuggled deeper into my embrace, I felt a sense of wholeness that I hadn't felt in a long time. It's as if she wedged herself into a part of me that I didn't know was missing.

She dozed in my arms, and when I reached over to turn off the lamp, she sleepily asked if she could stay in bed with me, chuckling sleepily when I told her I'd hold her down if she tried to leave.

As content as I was, I still couldn't fall asleep.

And that's how I find myself right now, with her in my arms, face buried in my chest.

I should be internally celebrating, but of course, this is the opportunity my mind takes to wander. As it does, doubt begins to settle inside of me.

Henry had no reason to reach out to me or tell me to take care ofour girlwhile he was working. I go years at a time without any contact from my twin, but I can't let myself forget that he placed her in my life. Since Henry has never been one to give gifts without expecting something in return, I should know better than to think this situation is any different.

As the hours drag on, my mind refusing to settle, I begin to grow uneasy.

Why has she stayed attached to me? I know my value and worth, but Twisted is so very talented in what he does. He's fit, and objectively speaking, he's a good-looking guy.

Morgan didn't want him. She zeroed in on me, the nerdy IT guy, who looks exactly like the man who traumatized her.

The longer I think about it, the less sense it makes unless she picked me for a reason. There haven't been any red flags that I've noticed, but that doesn't mean that she isn't just a great actress. It's very possible that she has been bread-crumbing me, giving me exactly what I didn't know I was looking for until she presented it to me.

Does she seem too perfect for me because that's the role she's playing?

It would be a serious long con if that was the case. Is Kaylee involved? I tracked Henry's movements before Heathen went to the warehouse, where he picked Kaylee to marry. Could Henry have been a part of that as well?

I can lie here and make myself crazy over the questions.

Hell, Henry's game could be to simply get in my head and make me doubt everything so that I ruin my chance with Morgan. The fact that my brother hates me so much that he's willing to ruin my life bothers me more than it should. But I accepted Henry for who he is a long time ago, despite there always being that niggle in the back of my mind that wishes he would just wake up one day and decide he wants to be a decent human being because I love him. I know that will never happen. Family wasn't ever one of his priorities, and there's no sense in wishing he'd change that now.

I don't know if putting distance between myself and Morgan is the right choice, but if she's nothing but a gift from my twin, I don't know if I'll be able to ever trust that what we have is real even if she is also just a pawn in one of his games.

With her sleeping quietly beside me, I almost have to force myself out of the bed. I don't want to give in to the voice in my head, but I also want to be cautious and not get blindsided by Henry's plan. I know he's up to something, and it kills me that I haven't been able to figure out his angle yet.

Maybe there's also a certain level of fear that his end game could leave me brokenhearted where Morgan is concerned.

She shifts slightly when I slip out from under her, and I hold my breath, looking down at her to make sure she stays asleep.

A sickness forms in my gut as I stand up and grab clothes appropriate for leaving the room.

Sneaking out of the room to go do research and try to get to the bottom of why she's in my life feels like a betrayal to her. Sickness pools in my gut with every step I take down the stairs.

The same thoughts that kept me awake and pulled me out of bed with Morgan form a layer of overwhelming exhaustion when I take a seat on my office chair.

Still, my fingers work over the keys.

My first order of business is a recheck of my system to ensure Henry hadn't stuck some weird code inside when he messaged on the app earlier. It seems clear, but there's always a chance that he has a timer set on his intrusion, and it won't be discovered for a very long time. My brother has always been a pro at the long game. His patience is unmatched.

As I search, I can't help the argument in my head about what I want to find. Do I want there to be proof that what I've started with Morgan will turn sour because of my brother, so I feel justified in my thoughts about wanting to clam back up and build a wall between us?

Do I want those worries to go unfounded, giving me an opportunity to build something bigger with her? The latter would still always keep that whisper of doubt, but at the same time, I don't want to ruin a good thing with a wonderful woman with unfounded worries.

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