Page 121 of Shadow

Stitches gave me the finger and continued his work.

Sin dropped the area rug onto the floor and did a turn in the center of the room. “Fuck, that’s a lot of pink.”

“Yeah, figured cupcake boy would like it,” Stitches said gleefully. I knew he didn’t like Bryce, but damn.

“Hey, Sin. Cady is looking for you—” Church halted in the doorway, his face paling. “What the fuck happened in here?”

“I painted.” Stitches grinned. “Isn’t it great?”

“It’s fucking pink,” Church said, looking around the room with his lip turned up. “Why the fuck is it pink?”

“Because Bryce is a little sweetie pie,” Stitches said, grabbing more glitter.

“Is that fucking glitter?” Church demanded.

“Ah, the herpes of the arts and crafts world. Yes. Yes, it is.” Stitches tossed more glitter on the walls.

Church rubbed his eyes before looking to the ceiling, as if a higher power would aid him in the apparent arts and crafts herpes, which was now also on the floor.

“Sin. Cady. Now. Stitches. Clean this unicorn fuck up. Ashes… why didn’t you stop him?”

“I only just found out,” I said. “I told him to get blue.”

Church sighed but didn’t say anything as he left the room.

“You good?” I asked Sin as he stepped around me, focusing on the floor.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I guess.”

I grabbed his arm to stop him as Stitches whistled some upbeat tune.

“You want to talk?”

“I can’t,” he muttered. “I have to go see what Cady wants.”

I studied him for a moment. He seemed so damn sad. I hated it. I’d heard him crying again in his room last night. I’d have gone in, but I didn’t want him to feel ashamed of having all the feelings he was having, and knowing Sin, he would. I let it go, but I could see the dark circles rimming his eyes.

He’d not been sleeping. He still left at night. And he was trying to spend a lot of time with Cady the last few weeks, even though they didn’t say much to one another. She’d gone into his room after dinner, and they’d hung out.

Stitches had raised his eyebrows at me, and I’d given him a shaky smile.

She hadn’t stayed long, which was a relief. Not that I thought Sin and her had anything going on. I just didn’t want more drama. I was over that shit.

“We can talk tonight,” I said. “Hang out. Play some games. Watch a movie. Smoke. Talk. Whatever you want, man.”

He nodded. “OK.”

He didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t push it. I let him leave and turned to Stitches, who had finished his masterpiece.

“You do realize this looks like shit, right?” I asked.

“Yep.” He grinned at me. “Perfect for that fucker.”

I chuckled and started taking down plastic and tape. Stitches joined in, making the work go faster.

“When do you think Sirena is coming back?” Stitches asked as we made the bed in fluffy white and pink blankets and sheets. Stitches hadn’t pulled any punches. He even tossed a stuffed bear onto the bed.

I shook my head at his antics. He made this place look like an eight-year-old girl’s bedroom.

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