He'd noticed that? Bridget gave him a droll look before she sighed. “I can’t.”
She justknewthe moment she closed her eyes, she was going to be pulled into Vega’s makeshift dreamworld of Cavamyne.
Cade fiddled with the white edges of her hair before he tucked a few strands behind her right ear. “If you want to sleep, I won’t leave your side. That way, if Vega—”
“I don’t want to see her right now.”
The words came out harsher than she intended. Cade just cocked his head.
“What do you think she’s going to do?”
Ask me too many questions. Try to use Nylah. Figure out that I remember. Realize you’re bonded to me and use it to kill you.
Every logical answer got trapped in her throat. She wasn’t supposed to be confiding in him. She was supposed to be pushing him away.
For a moment, she couldn’t breathe.
She didn’t realize she was clenching her fists until Cade gently uncrossed her arms and pried her fingers loose. Red, crescent shaped marks were embedded in her palms.
“Bridget, I want to help.”
There was so much damnworryand love in his eyes, she wanted to obliterate herself into a pile of ash on the floor. It was now or never. She had to get it over with it. Like ripping off a Band-Aid. Or she never would.
“I know,” Bridget finally croaked. “I just…”
Her throat tightened up, like it was almost physically impossible for her to actually say the words. Chest thundering, she tried to make herself swallow.
After a long moment, Cade asked, “What is it?”
Bridget used all the strength she had to push her voice to a whisper. “There’s just so much going on right now and I…”
If she managed to get through this moment, how in the hell was she going to keep this up? She was already being a coward by using the easiest and lamest plan she could come up with. Maybe she really should have gotten some sleep.
With his thumb, Cade wiped away the stray tear that had traitorously left her eye. “Hey, it’s alright. I know finding out Vega is your sister has messed with your head and that whatever happened in the past is worrying you. But you don’t have to go through it alone. I’m right here.”
The confident, supportive smile on his face flickered when she didn’t answer. “If you don’t want my help, at least talk to Nylah.”
“I think we should break up.”
The suggestion tumbled from her lips in such a hoarse, jumbled mess, Bridget was surprised Cade understood her at all.Break up. It didn’t even seem like the right words for what they were. It was too insignificant. But it was the only thing she could think of that would be the first step in creating separation.
Time seemed to slow down as she watched Cade’s expression battle between shock, confusion, and anger. Eventually, downrightfuriousconquered his features. “No.”
Bridget blinked a few times. She didn’t have an answer forno. “Yes,” she stuttered.
“No,” Cade bit out, jaw clenched. “You can’t be serious.”
Why did she ever expect he would make this easy on her? She’d never seen him so outraged. And the stubborn draw of his brows told her she wasn’t going to win the conversation. “We have to.”
Cade scoffed. “We have to. Do you hear yourself?”
Yes. And she was now regretting even thinking that this tactic could work.
Without breaking eye contact, Cade grabbed her left hand and held it up. “You want to break up with me, but you moved your ring to your other hand?”
Bridget snatched her hand away. Heat flooded her cheeks. She had no idea when she’d moved her wedding ring to the correct finger. Her memories were now such a jumbled mess, she kept having to remind herself whichtimeshe was in.
“I didn’t mean to do that,” she whispered, twisting the broken emerald around her finger to pull it off.
