Page 33 of Fated to Monsters

She catches my arm. “You’re the one making it complicated, Bo.”

Each time my name leaves her lips, my heart constricts tighter.

"This is the way it has to be." I yank free of her and leave the shower, latching onto the first semi-clean-looking towel I can find.

The faucet creaks as she turns it off and her footsteps pound on the floor behind me. “Fine, if that’s the way you want it, we’re done.”

Her last two words cut like the sharpest blade through my heart.

I want to protest, to scream and fight and beg and plead but I can’t bring myself to say a fucking word.

10

Wren

“Hey,” Dash says upon entering the bedroom. “Sydney’s ready.”

Fuck. In the chaos of things with Bo, I completely lost track of time and the plan that was already set in place.

Dash catches my shoulders and steadies me, his blue gaze meeting mine. He keeps his voice low. “You okay? What’s wrong?”

I force a smile. “Nothing. I’m good.” Because I refuse to let Bo hear a single word that I’m anything other than completely fucking okay about what just happened.

If he wants to keep his emotions at bay, then two can play this fucking game.

I rush over to the pile of women’s clothes and rummage through until I find something to throw on. I shove my feet into my boots and go over to the mirror, smoothing down my hair and pinching my cheeks to bring some color to my otherwise pale face.

“You look beautiful,” Dash tells me without even having to ask.

Always the gentleman, that one.

Bo, on the other hand, he's everything but.

I meet Dash’s gaze in the mirror, ignoring Bo dressing off in the corner. “Do you want to come with us? Be good to get out of the house.”

Bo perks his head up immediately. “You’re leaving? Like leaving, leaving?”

“Are you sure?” Dash steps closer.

“Of course. You’re the only one I don’t have to worry about unleashing your powers. I can’t imagine Sydney would have any issue with it either.”

“Is someone going to tell me what’s going on?” Bo marches over to where Dash and I are standing.

“No. It’s none of your business.” I cross my arms over my chest and turn toward him. “Now if you’ll excuse me, we have somewhere to be.”

Bo catches me in the same way I had caught him when he tried to leave the shower. “What about the mark, Wren?”

The usage of my name only means that he’s doing what he can to get under my skin more than he already has.

I shrug him off. “I’ve been informed it isn’t but more than a few miles, nothing we haven’t dealt with before. Themarkyou put on me shouldn’t fully engage so long as you stay here.”

The mark is a burden tying us together despite the very fact that he wants to get far, far away.

Maybe if he hadn’t acted like an irrational idiot, we wouldn’t be stuck in this mess and he could be free of me like he desires.

“Come on,” I tell Dash while sliding my hand into his.

The sun shines through the window and casts light across the room, one that I imagine will feel warm and comforting on my skin once I’m outside. I've spent all my time inside this house, only venturing out in the darker hours when I'm most comfortable.

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