Page 66 of Shadow

She loved him.

It was clear as day he owned her heart.

I swallowed hard, wondering how long it would be until she realized it and decided to add him as well.

Maybe she already had, but I guess I didn’t get a say in that, especially now. Not that I cared at this point. I wanted whatever she wanted. Whatever would bring her back to me.

“She loves you more than you realize,” a soft voice called out to me.

I turned to see Bryce standing in the shadows. He, too, was dressed in solid black.

“How would you know? She broke it off with all of us. This is the first time I’ve seen her in a week,” I muttered. “She looks happy.”

“She’s not. She’s good at pretending.” He moved to stand next to me.

I tried to ignore him as I continued to watch Sirena and Asylum make snow angels on a grave.

“Have you fucked her yet?” I whispered, my throat tight. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if he told me yes. Probably kill him. Make her watch while I slit his throat. Bryce was soft and sweet. He’d open up beautifully.

There was room to hate myself for being a jealous prick later.

“No,” he answered back without fanfare, his voice soft. “She would never do that to you.”

I grunted. “Are you two…together?”

“No,” he answered again. “We’re just…here. The truth of the matter is, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’m not good at making moves on girls, and she likes to pull away when I try. Plus, I’ve already embarrassed myself. Twice.”

I looked over at him. “What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Where does she sleep?” I looked back to see her still in the snow. They stopped moving and stared silently at the sky.

“Asylum pushed our beds together. Sometimes, she sleeps between us. Sometimes, she sleeps in the chair next to the window. I think she hopes to see you coming to bring her home.”

“Is she happy?” I ventured, truly hoping he wouldn't tell me anything I didn’t want to hear.

“No, but like I said. She’s good at pretending. It lets her fit in here without her crazy showing.”

“What’s she done that’s crazy?”

He shrugged. “She’s getting rather good with that hatchet Asylum got her.”

“Sister Devon?” I asked. She’d gone missing recently. No trace of her. It was like she’d vanished into thin air.

He shook his head, his face serious. “No. She wasn’t around for that.”

“Who did it? Asylum?”

“Some of it. Some was me.”

I stared at him beneath the moonlight.

“She used to meet with Sully. She was a horrible human. She deserved to go. Her death is the first of many messages we plan on sending.”

Something about that satisfied me deeply. “I want to help.”

Bryce tore his focus from Asylum and Sirena and stared at me.

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