Ryder:
Can't. Someone needs to stay with Cade.
The response was almost immediate:
Logan:
Luce is there. We need you on this.
I glanced at Cade, who was making a visible effort to engage with Luce's story, to appear okay despite the hurt that radiated from her in waves. Logan was right, this meeting was important.Finding Damien was a priority. But so was Cade's recovery, her emotional well-being.
Ryder:
Next time, I'm staying.
No response came. I slipped my phone back into my pocket, frustration building in my chest. Something had to give. We couldn't keep going like this, with Cade feeling abandoned by two of the three people who had promised to be there for her.
"I should probably head back to my room soon," Luce was saying, checking the time on her phone. "I still have my English Lit assignment to do." Panic flashed across Cade's face, there and gone in an instant, but I caught it. The thought of being alone, even in a house full of people, still terrified her.
"I'll stay," I said quickly, meeting Cade's eyes. "If that's okay with you?" Relief softened her features. "Yeah," she nodded. "That would be good." Luce shot me a grateful look as she stood, gathering her things.
"I'll come by tomorrow, okay?" she said to Cade, leaning down to give her a gentle hug. "Maybe we can convince you to step outside for a bit? Just to the garden, nothing major." Cade tensed but nodded.
"Maybe. I'll try."
"That's all anyone can ask," Luce said, squeezing her shoulder before straightening up. "Text me if you need anything before then."
I walked Luce to the door, leaving Cade curled up on the couch. Once we were out of earshot, Luce turned to me, concern evident in her blue eyes.
"What's going on with Cole and Logan?" she asked, keeping her voice low. "Cade's noticed they're avoiding her. It's nothelping." I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up again.
"I know. Trust me, I know. They're dealing with their own guilt by throwing themselves into the hunt for Damien."
"And leaving you to pick up the slack," Luce observed, her tone sharp.
"I don't mind being with her," I said honestly. "I just wish they'd see what it's doing to her, thinking two of the three of us can't stand to be around her."
Luce nodded, her expression softening. "Talk to them. Make them see reason. She needs all of you right now, not just you."
"I will," I promised. "Tonight."
Max showed up just as we’d finished speaking, and I shot him a suspicious side eye. I knew he had been spending more time with Luce, and while I was grateful for his protection, I was concerned that he was getting a little too close. Maybe my creative death threats needed some more work, so he knew his place, because all he did was grin at me before offering Luce a lift home. After seeing them out, I returned to the living room, where Cade had stretched out on the couch, her eyes closed, though I could tell from her breathing that she wasn't asleep.
"You don't have to stay with me, you know," she said without opening her eyes. "I know you probably have better things to do." I moved to sit on the edge of the coffee table, close enough that she could reach out if she wanted to, but not crowding her space.
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be, Poison. I promise." She opened her eyes then, searching my face for any sign of insincerity. Whatever she saw seemed to satisfy her, because she nodded once, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Okay. But I'm probably going to fall asleep soon. The meds make me so tired."
"That's fine," I assured her. "I'll be here when you wake up." True to her word, it wasn't long before her breathing deepened and evened out, her body relaxing into true sleep. I stayed where I was for a long time, just watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the occasional flutter of her eyelashes as she dreamed. In sleep, with the tension eased from her features, she looked almost like the Cade we'd lost, the fierce, defiant girl who'd challenged us at every turn, who'd slapped me the first time we met, who'd stood her ground even when terrified. I missed that Cade. But I loved this one too, with her fragility and her courage, her determination to heal despite everything that had been done to her.
The sound of a door opening and closing upstairs pulled me from my thoughts. Cole, most likely. My earlier anger resurfaced, fuelled by the memory of Cade's hurt expression when he'd made his excuses and fled. I glanced at her sleeping form, then at my watch. Logan's meeting with Lynch would soon be wrapping up. If I was going to confront them both, now was the time.
Carefully, I extracted my phone and sent a quick text to Owan, who I knew was studying in his room down the hall:
Ryder:
Can you sit with Cade for a bit? She's asleep, but I don't want her to wake up alone.
Owan's reply came almost immediately:
