God, why did he have to say it like that?
“Together,” I parrot through a throat so tight it hurts.
“Haven—”
“Put it on me,” I cut in, turning my back to him because I can’t stand the forlorn look in his eyes.
When I glance over my shoulder, I see his hands shake as he takes the necklace from the box. I pull my hair to one side, biting the inside of my lip as warmth fills my chest.
The chain is cool against my neck.
His knuckles graze the back of my neck, and for a second, his hands go still, like he forgot what he was doing.
Then he fumbles with the clasp. “Fuck,” he mutters. “Why are these things so?—”
“You’re doing fine.”
“Seriously, how do girls?—”
He cuts off at my giggle, huffing out through his nose.
“Jesus,” he mutters as he finally gets it.
When he releases the delicate chain, it feels absurdly heavy on my skin. I touch the butterfly pendant and catch myself thinking about Bastian again.
We haven’t spoken about him. I’ve wanted to several times, but it always felt like it would spoil the moment. And God, we were so happy down at the beach. I don’t know if there’s a single place on earth that could ever rival those woods behind the trailer park, but that beach house came damn close.
But now that we’re back…now that Kai’s given me this necklace…
I blow out a slow breath, eyes squeezing shut. It’s easier with my back still turned.
“Has he messaged you?” I blurt out.
Kai’s hands freeze on my shoulders. “Rooke?”
It’s not a question, though, not really. It’s as if he’s buying time to figure out whether or not to lie to me. He—hopefully—chooses truth. “Not since we left. You?” But then his hand glides up my neck, and he speaks before I can answer. “Wait, never mind. Forgot your phone’s still busted. We’ve gotta get you a new one.”
I think about the new phone hidden inside my tote bag. The one Bastian gave me as another way to bind me to him.
“It’s weird, right?” I murmur, turning to face Kai. “We’ve been gone a week.”
“That was the deal,” Kai says carefully. “If we did what he wanted, he’d leave us alone. So this is him, leaving us alone.”
I snort. “Yeah, because Bastian issogood at respecting boundaries.” I slump back in my seat. I roll my head to the side, staring at Kai until he side-eyes me. “I’m going to tell you something, but you can’t be mad.”
He shrugs even as a muscle in his jaw starts to tic.
“I saw him again after.”
Kai looks away so quickly, I’m surprised he doesn’t sprain his eyes. We both know afterwhat.
The kiss in the lecture hall we traded for our freedom.
“I know,” Kai says in a thick voice. My heart stutters at the thought that he somehow saw me and Bastian in my dorm room, that he was watching again like he did the day Bastian?—
But then he carries on speaking. “We were both at the football game when he?—”
“No,” I cut in impatiently. “Afterthat. He…” I pinch the bridge of my nose.
