Page 96 of Shadow

“I know. It kills me that I haven’t been here to protect her from them. I sometimes worry I’m one of the monsters stalking her through her dreams.” Church sighed.

“You’re not.” I shifted a bit to hold her closer, not feeling like he was going to rip my head off so much now.

Church rolled onto his side and put his arm around her as she slept on my chest.

“Are you staying?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’m staying,” he answered, closing his eyes.

I looked over to Asylum, who smiled at me.

Church hadn’t touched his phone, but once today, I was sure that was to tell the watchers he would be with us.

“Like I said,” Asylum whispered, grabbing the remote and navigating to another terrible movie. “You’re in. Congratulations.”

I smiled and kissed the top of Sirena’s head.

It was about time life started looking up.

ASYLUM

“Iwant to come back. Let me,” Mirage’s voice rattled around in my head.

I rubbed my eyes as I stood in the bathroom the morning after the alien bug movie marathon. One didn’t watch just one movie if there was an entire franchise of them out. Of course, now I had regrets because I was exhausted off my dick and seemingly talking to myself as I brushed my damn teeth.

“We had a deal—” I started.

“Fuck the deal. Let me come back. I deserve to be there too.”

“Take off the fucking bunny mask and be me, then I’ll let you back.”

He snarled in my head. “You’re a fucking prick.”

“I love you. You’re part of me. I’m only looking out?—”

“You just don’t fucking want me to beme.”

I sighed and dropped my toothbrush back into its holder. “I want you to be happy. I’m sorry if it doesn’t come out that way. You’re right. I’m being an asshole. I’ll let you out, but we should discuss the mask and carrots?—”

“No.”

“Fucking hell, you’re a nightmare. Whatever. I’ll let you out after Church leaves and shit is calm here.”

“You better, or I swear I’ll just pop out anyway, and you won’t like how that goes.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I muttered. “Who’s being the asshole now?”

“Still you.”

I flipped myself off in the mirror amid his soft laugh. I grinned. We couldn’t stay mad at one another. Good thing because that would make for an uncomfortable living situation.

I ran my fingers through my hair quickly before leaving the bathroom to find Church still asleep in bed with Sirena and Shadow awake with her between them.

“Weird, huh?” I mused, taking in how it looked.

“Very,” Shadow muttered.

“Mirage is coming today, so get ready for carrots,” I said.

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