Page 166 of Runaways

"He'ssad, Noah. When you threw out the flowers he gave you the other day, he fucking cried."

"All Tate does is make me cry." I turn off my lantern, return it to the side table, and pull the covers over my body. "I don't feel like reading anymore—I'm going to bed. Please close the door when you leave."

"You want me to leave?"

"I don't want him to come in again so, yes."

Silas sighs. "Okay, Noah. But you're hurting my feelings now, too."

"I'm sorry," I tell him before he closes the door. "I don't mean to."

"I know."

Silas pulls the door closed, and I quietly cry into my pillow, waiting for sleep.

After spending most of the night lying awake in the dark, I sleep in the next morning. Silas tried to wake me up for breakfast, but I told him I was too tired, and then went back to sleep for another hour before getting in the shower.

I wring out my hair, wrapping myself in a towel before walking to the kitchen to heat some water for coffee.

"Hey," Tate says.

"Jesus…" I clutch my towel to my chest. "You scared me. What are you doing here? Aren't you and Silas supposed to be hunting?"

"I got the day off because I helped with the bear last night," he says. "You missed breakfast."

"Yeah, I know that."

"Well, I brought you back some pancakes."

I ignore him and grab the kettle.

"I already made you coffee. It's on the table."

I set the kettle down and turn around. Tate stands behind me with his arms crossed in front of him, and sure enough, the French press is on the table, full of fresh coffee, right next to a plate of pancakes. Dumping it and making another would be too aggressive, so I grab a cup from the cabinet and fill it.

"Um…thanks, Tate. I'm just going to go get dressed now."

"I can help you with that, too, if you want."

"No, thanks."

"Noah, stop." He steps in front of me before I can pass, and I quickly look away before he can make eye contact.

"What?"

His hand closes around my coffee cup, and he takes it from me. "Set this down first," he says, placing it on the table. "Now, tell me what to do."

"What do you mean? I don't need anything from you."

"Tell me what to do to make it better. I love you, Noah. I miss you so much, and I hate it. If you just tell me what to do to fix it, I will. I promise I'll be good to you."

Tate takes a step toward me, and I take a step backward.

"You're a liar."

"Yes, I am. But I'm not lying to you right now."

He takes another step forward, and this time, when I try to move away from him, my back hits the wall.

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