Page 56 of What We Bury

“You were screaming,” he repeats. “It didn’t sound like sleep.”

I stare at him. He stares back. His eyes are dark and steady, and for a beat I think I see pain reflecting back at me, like hearing me scream hurthimsomehow.

“So what? You climbed in through my window?”

“Busted the door open, actually.” He winces. “You’re going to need a new lock.”

“Oh my god.”

“I’ll fix it. Or replace it. Whatever you want.”

“Jesus Christ. There’s a spare key in the planter outside! I told Holden it was there.”

“Shit, sorry. I didn’t get that information. Didn’t think to check, either.”

I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them, making myself small. The adrenaline is crashing now, leaving me shaky and cold, and the nightmare clings to the edges of my vision.

I lick my lips, my eyes traveling down his body. I catch the edge of a bandage on his forearm poking out from under hissleeve. “Is that from what I did to you?” I ask, nodding toward his arm.

He looks down and touches it, like he’d forgotten it was even there. “It’s fine. I’ll heal.” He smiles, and he’s so damn beautiful it makes my stomach flip a little.

I force my eyes back to the bandage. “Did you get tested? That was the same knife I—Brock might’ve had something. Plus, I bit you. Teeth can cause?—”

“I know. I’m okay.”

“Okay,” I repeat, because I honestly don’t have anything else to say right now.

“I’m Micah, by the way.” He lowers one hand, holds it out like I should shake it. But when I just stare at it, he holds it up again. “Sorry.”

“Sage.” I wince when he smiles. He already knows my name. They all do.

“Nice to officially meet you, Sage.” He finally lowers his hands to his sides.

“Likewise.”

His eyes cut to where Eli’s jacket hangs over my chair. “Eli gave that back to you?”

I nod. “Yesterday. He babysat me during my shift. We talked over sandwiches at the park after.” My voice is still scratchy from the nightmare but I catch the surprise that flickers across his face. “You guys always this . . . hands-on with your blackmail targets?”

He laughs. “No, usually we only obsess over people who impress us.” He looks me up and down. “And you were impressive.”

A hot flush crawls up my body and I pick an invisible piece of lint from my blanket to cover my reaction. It’s crazy to think how insane my life has become in just three days. Not only did I murder a man, but I did it in front of five seriously hot but scaryguys who’ve spent the entire weekend escorting me through every moment of my life.

“Sorry for the jump scare.” I run a hand over my face, still sticky with leftover terror and sweat. It’s too much. All of it. I don’t know how to push him out or invite him in, and I’m too tired to care which is the right choice.

He bounces a shoulder. “It happens.”

The silence stretches between us. Outside, a car passes, headlights sweeping across the ceiling. Somewhere in the building, a pipe groans.

“So, um, I thought you had a roommate?” he says. “We didn’t notice them come home.”

“We?”

“Eli, Knox, me.” He counts the names off on his fingers. “We rotate.”

I shrug. “She’s been staying at Tyler’s—her boyfriend. I’ve barely seen her all weekend.”

“Is that normal?”