Page 135 of The Obedient Lie
No.
I stepped forward slowly, scanning the room like maybe it was a mistake. Like maybe they’d just moved it temporarily. But it wasn’t leaning against the wall. It wasn’t in the hallway. It wasn’tanywhere.
“You moved my bed?” I asked sharply, not bothering to hide the disbelief in my voice.
They didn’t answer.
Bastion lounged against the couch arm, flipping a lighter open and shut, his eyes on me now. Luca sat beside him, still, relaxed —annoyinglyso.
“You moved it?” I asked again, louder this time.
Luca didn’t blink. “We didn’t move it.”
I turned to him. “Then what?”
“We got rid of it.”
My stomachdropped.
“Youwhat?”
Bastion finally stood, stretching with the kind of lazy grace that made my spine tighten. He took a step toward me, then another, until the heat of him hoveredtooclose.
“I don’t get it,” I said, voice sharp with disbelief. “You got rid of my bed. So where do I sleep now? On the couch?”
He didn’t even flinch.
His hand lifted, large and warm, and he cupped my cheek with a gentleness I wasn’t prepared for.
“No,baby,” he said, voice like silk. “You sleepbetween us.”
Ifroze.
Then I laughed — short, cold, bitter.
“Cruel joke, Bastion.”
But he didn’t smile.
Neither did Luca.
And that scared me more than if they had.
Because this wasn’t a joke.
This wasn’t them toying with me or trying to get a reaction.
It was astatement. Ashift.
I took a step back. “You’re trying to punish me.”
Still silence.
Still watching.
LikeIwas the one out of line for being shocked.
“I said I didn’t want to pick,” I whispered. “I said this couldn’t happen. You don’t get to make itworse.”
