Page 55 of The Truth Between

My heart jumped into my throat as I reread what I’d just seen because I didn’t believe it to be true. I glanced over my shoulder, half expecting Soren to walk into the room. But I was alone. I hesitated for a moment as I thought about what had been evolving between Soren and me. With a deep breath, I quickly typed back a response.

Me: Yes. I’m more than ready.

I double-checked that the bathroom door was locked and waited for Aria to type back to me.

Unknown Number: I’m going to send you a bunch of information through voice memos and texts. That will be the easiest way to explain what we’re going to do. I’ll also have more details for you in a couple of hours, but you’ll need to leave at 3:15 a.m.

Me: Sounds good. I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you.

I put Aria’s phone away for now, making sure to turn it off and hide it again in case Soren or Franklin did come in here looking around. I grabbed my toothbrush and let it run under the faucet. After I put toothpaste on it, my hand shook as I brought it to my mouth. My mind twisted and turned as I tried to come to terms with what I was doing and how it was going to change everything. I didn’t know what waited for me on the other side of this because this could be choosing life or death for me and Gran, not to mention what Soren would do when he found out.

Spitting into the sink, I rinsed my mouth and splashed cold water on my face. When I looked up, my reflection stared back at me, and my thoughts weren’t any clearer.

With a sigh, I ran a hand through my hair and unlocked the bathroom door, but I froze midstep.

Soren was standing there, just outside the bathroom. To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

He raised an eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You seem surprised to see me.”

I swallowed, struggling to find my voice. “I. . . wasn’t expecting you.”

“I just wanted to check in on you.”

The thought was sweet, but I didn’t know if he’d question why I’d had the door closed. “I was just, uh, brushing my teeth.” I pointed to the toothbrush on the counter as proof. “I was getting ready for bed.”

“I didn’t think you. . .” His voice trailed off and I began to wonder if I overdid it.

Soren stepped aside so I could walk past him, letting me out of the bathroom.

“I want you in my bed tonight,” he said.

That made me do another double take. I hadn’t slept in his room the entire time I’d been here, but now he wanted me to on the evening I was planning my big escape. “Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

I adjusted my stance in an effort to not appear nervous or show that I was getting annoyed with his questioning. I needed to remain neutral if I wanted to keep my little secret to myself.

“Because you’ve never wanted me with you in it before. Outside of. . . you know.”

“What is it, Iris? I want you to say the entire sentence.”

“Outside of when we fucked.”

“Good girl.” Soren’s face softened slightly, and he stepped closer to me. He brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his fingertips gently grazing my cheek. “That changes tonight.”

“Why?” I asked again, trying to think of an excuse about why we couldn’t do it. Being alone in my own room would be required if I was escaping tonight, and this was throwing a wrench in my plans.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed before speaking again. “Because that’s where you belong. In my arms,” he said finally.

“But I was planning to sleep in here tonight.”

He tilted his head slightly, studying my face. “You don’t trust me,” he noted, more as a statement than a question.

That was an ironic statement, given everything I’d been through. “It’s not that. I was just hoping for more time to process everything. The past few days have been a huge shift in… whatever this is, after all.”

Soren raised an eyebrow at me. “Is that why you really want to be alone tonight?”

Fuck. Did he suspect something, or was this his way of trying to keep the conversation going?

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