Page 156 of Hide And Seek

It was strangely unsettling and relieving at the same time, because I knew he wasn’t just some misunderstood good guy. He very muchenjoyedkilling people. And that meant every ounce of restraint he’d shown me wasn’t accidental. It was deliberate. Chosen over and over again.

And the choice he’d always made when it came to me was to protect me.

Obsessively. Violently. Ruthlessly.

But still... it was protection all the same. He’d kept me safe throughout everything and made it clear he always would. Even tonight, when I’d pointed out that my death would solve everything neatly for him, he’d rejected the idea without hesitation.

And then he’d done the most shocking thing of all.

He’d left his fate up to me.

That was the part I couldn’t stop thinking about. Not the murders, or the lies, or the chaos he’d caused, but the fact that he’d put his life entirely in my hands when killing me would’ve solved everything for him.

I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes, frustrated tears burning behind them. My brain was still trying to separate Rhys into pieces that made sense. The killer. The liar. The man who’d killed four people to protect me. The man who kept choosing me over and over again, even when it made everythingmessier for him. But none of those pieces existed separately anymore. They were all him. And somewhere along the way, despite every instinct screaming that I shouldn’t, I’d actually started caring about him.

Reallycaring about him.

The realization sat horribly inside my chest because it explained so much. Explained why I’d always looked for excuses for him. Why I’d noticed the softness beneath his brutality. Why I was still questioning my next move even when the right choice was obvious.

It was because I wanted him.

Not just physically, though that part was undeniable too.

I wanted him alive. Free. Beside me.

And right now, that was entirely under my control.

No matter what I did next, I knew Zach wasn’t leaving this cabin alive. That part was already decided. The only thing still undecided was whether Rhys walked away afterward or spent the rest of his life rotting in a prison cell.

When I pictured him doing the latter, something inside me recoiled violently.

I let out a shaky breath and stared up at the ceiling for another long moment before finally pushing myself upright.

“Rhys,” I whispered into the darkness.

The couch creaked sharply. A second later, Rhys was beside the bed again.

“Yeah?” he said softly.

I looked at him for a long time before answering. My heart was beating so hard it almost hurt. Then I inhaled slowly and forced the words out.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll help you.”

31

“Alissa.”

My eyes opened slowly. I couldn’t remember drifting off to sleep, but the light filtering through the curtains told me that I must’ve been out for at least four hours.

For once, it hadn't been shallow or restless. No jolting awake every twenty minutes. No nightmares. Just sleep, deep and uninterrupted, like my body had decided it was finally safe enough to let go.

Maybe it was from the relief I felt after finally admitting the truth to myself. Or maybe it was exhaustion finally crushing me after a week of sleepless nights. Either way, something inside me felt strangely quiet now. Like some violent internal struggle had burned itself out during the night, leaving only ash behind.

“What’s the time?” I murmured, blinking the rest of the sleep out of my eyes.

“Six.” Rhys handed a granola bar to me. “Eat this, and then we’ll get started.”

“Is Zach awake?” I asked.