Page 63 of Cold Hard Truth

Mason’s eyebrows pinch, and I appreciate that he doesn’t understand what I’m talking about. Most people don’t, and it’s for the better.

“Don’t worry about it.” I blow on my steaming coffee. “Go have fun tonight. I’m going to watch reality TV and keep myself busy.”

“Thanks.” He smiles, turning to grab his leather jacket as he walks to the door. “But not too much fun, right? Thin walls and all...”

I laugh and shake my head. “Yeah, thin walls.”

Mason leaves, and once more the apartment is quiet. I cast a trashy reality show on the television and settle in.

After spending so many years jumping between hotel rooms and temporary apartments, I forgot what it was like to feel like I’m home. And even if the apartment is awkward when Sage and I don’t know how to act around each other, something about being in his space is comforting just as it was back then.

I feel safe here. Like Sage might hate me, but he’d never let anything bad happen. And as much as I hate relying on someone else to take care of me, I don’t mind when it’s him.

Sipping my coffee, I can’t help glancing at the clock. Sage had a late appointment, and the shop has only been closed for a half hour, but I don’t know whether he’ll come back here or meet up with Mason at the club.

He tracks my every movement but tells me nothing about where he’s going or what he’s doing. For all I know, he finished his last appointment early and went out on a date.

And I hate how that makes my stomach turn for no reason.

But when a key slips into the lock on the front door, my body relaxes. The door opens and Sage steps through, pausing just inside when he spots me on the couch.

“Hey.” It comes out breathless, and I feel like an idiot when he still has that kind of effect on me.

But every time I see him it’s like being knocked in the chest.

Sage tips his chin up, tossing his jacket onto one of the barstools in the kitchen. “Hey.”

I watch him out of the corner of my eye, no longer focusing on the television, as he makes his way to the fridge and grabs a beer. Leaning against the counter, he pops it open and takes a drink. The full force of his attention is on me, even if he doesn’t say anything.

Shifting on the couch, I try to pretend I don’t notice. He turns me back into the nervous girl who felt like she could never find the right words around him. I play with my dark hair, sweeping it from one shoulder to the other.

Sage lifts off the counter at that, walking over to me and stopping directly behind me. The heat of him prickling my skin.

“What happened?” His fingers brush my back and I freeze, realizing I slipped my sweater off when I was home alone and didn’t put it back on again when he walked in, leaving my back on display.

“Sorry.” He pulls away when I flinch from his fingers brushing over one of the long scars that cuts down the length of my shoulder blade.

I glance over my shoulder and look up at him. His jaw is clenched, his eyes darkening as they rove over my scarred back.

“Is that from…?” But he doesn’t finish his question as his face drains of color.

I nod. “The basement.”

His entire body tenses with my answer. And for the first time since we’ve been back together, we’re faced with the harsh reality of why I left.

He might understand the impact of it—Ellie’s death, his father’s sacrifice. But I could tell when I looked into his eyes in that basement that he couldn’t understand the depth. I was there for six days, and they’ve haunted me every day since.

One moment Ellie was laughing with me on the couch, and the next we were being dragged from the apartment by men who wanted to use us as ammunition against our father. I didn’t recognize them until Nick showed up on the second day. All I know is that they were doing someone else’s work and enjoying it.

The only thing worse than the pain was seeing how much fun it was for them to inflict it.

I’m still not sure how I function, but I do.

I’m here.

I exist.

It’s as simple and as difficult as that.

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