Page 20 of Shadow

I said nothing as I stared at the wall in front of us.

“I can tell you, based on my own experience, that it fucking sucks to wait for someone you love. I thought she’d died on me and that I’d fucked my own world up with my actions. We’re both getting second chances. Long game… Shadow.”

I looked over at him and nodded. “Yeah. Long game.”

He gave me a grin and cocked his head to the left.

“You’re going to rock her socks. Do that thing you’ve been thinking about. The one with the cross.”

My cheeks heated at his words. “Get out of my fucking head, man.”

He winked and stood. I watched him go into my closet and grab my bag.

“What are you doing?” I frowned as he went to my dresser and snagged some clothes out.

“I need a new roommate. That’s going to be you.”

“Like hell it is.” I got to my feet and made to snatch my bag away from him, but he tutted at me.

“It’ll be fun. You can split your time between places. We’ll be besties.”

“I thought Sin was your bestie.”

“He is. He’s bestie one. You’re bestie two. I’ll get us matching t-shirts.” He grabbed several pairs of socks and put them into my bag. “If anyone asks why you’re sleeping in my room, tell them I need help rubbing baby oil on my body so I can lie on the floor at night and pretend I’m a garden slug.”

“That’s crazy.” I snorted at him.

He winked. “Trust me. It’s not the weirdest shit I’ve done.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

His blue eyes glinted with his madness. “Wait until we fuck our first girl together. It’ll be wild, bestie. You’re in charge of the marshmallow fluff. It won’t work if you forget it.”

I stared at him in confusion as he continued through my room, randomly grabbing stuff and putting it in my bag, humming that song Sirena liked to hum.

Fuck, he was a nightmare, but he was my nightmare.

I guess it could be worse.

CHURCH

Aweek passed since Stitches tried to tear our house apart to get to Bryce. Luckily, Bryce had become scarce afterward, for which I was grateful. Sirena had mostly returned to her old self.

I hadn’t been to classes all week. Ashes was sitting with Sin to give me another break, and Stitches was waiting in the courtyard for Sirena to get out of class.

I heard movement above my head as I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling. We rarely saw Cady. In fact, had I not known she was upstairs, I’d have thought we had ghosts. She never came down. Sirena continued to leave food and drink outside her door, but Cady wouldn’t speak or open the door. It was bothering my specter. I didn’t like that. In fact, it was beginning to piss me off. The bitch couldn’t stay locked away forever.

Sighing, I got to my feet and made my way to the door that led to Sirena’s room, or rather, Cady’s room now. I stared at it for a moment before knocking.

Nothing.

I knocked again. Still nothing. My patience was already thin, per my usual, so this wasn’t going to work for me.

I pulled the key to the door out of my pocket and unlocked it before taking the steps two at a time. I made it to the top to find Cady staring out the window.

“You shouldn’t come in if you aren’t invited,” she murmured, not bothering to look at me.

“It’s my house. I do what the fuck I want,” I shot back, stepping fully into the room. She reminded me of Sirena as she sat there and stared out the window.

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