Page 142 of Piece You Saved

When I’ve got them under control, I get up, flush the toilet, wash my face, and hope no one will notice or ask about my red eyes. I test out a smile in the bathroom mirror that I think looks convincing before I head for my bedroom door.

I’m at the top of the stairs when the front door snicks shut.

My fingers tighten around the banister because I know who just left. Someone I will never see again. For one long second, my vision swims so badly I can’t see the staircase even though I’m standing on it.

Kade appears at the bottom of the stairs, and so does Aden. They both stare up at me with expressions that are impossible to read.

I try out my new, convincing smile. “Is the food ready? I’m starving.”

Their eyes track me down the stairs and into the kitchen, but neither of them says a word.

CHAPTER 38

ADEN

It’s been two days since Saige blew a hole through Rylan’s eye. She’s been quiet; quieter than any of us are used to seeing.

I place a plate down on the dining table in front of her. “Here it is, the famous sandwich!”

She smiles and says, “Great. It looks amazing.”

I watch her pick up the sandwich. She takes a bite. Chews. Swallows. I wait for a response because it’s a good sandwich.

She takes another bite. Chews some more. Swallows.

Her expression never changes.

I glance at Kade; he gazes back blankly.

When she’s finished eating, she drains the water from her glass, stands up with the plate, and walks over to the sink.

“So… how was it?” I prompt.

She glances over at me. Blinks. “What?”

I motion to the empty plate in her hand. “The sandwich? How was the sandwich?”

Her eyes dip to it as if she’d forgotten she was holding a plate. “Oh, great. Thanks. It was great.”

And then she walks out and heads upstairs.

I wait until she’s back in her room, then turn to Kade, speaking in a hushed whisper. “You have to talk to Harley.”

Snorting, he focuses on his laptop. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“She just ate the famous sandwich like she was eating a plate full of dust. She’s not okay.”

His gaze finds mine. “Maybe she just didn’t like it.”

I stare at him.

“She might not have,” he says, sounding so defensive it tells me everything I need to know. The sandwich is good. Saige… she’s not good. At all. She hasn’t been since Harley walked out and didn’t come back.

“Saige is okay. You’re reading too much into things,” Kade adds. “That’s all.”

“She hasn’t wanted to sleep in our rooms, and I’m sure she’s having nightmares again,” I say, trying to keep my voice down.

A rapid burst of typing occupies him for a couple of seconds. “After everything she went through with Rylan, it makes sense she’d be having nightmares.”

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