Page 224 of Only Be Mine

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t.

And somewhere outside this house, Seth was probably standing in the dark, staring at a phone that wouldn’t connect.

Chapter 76

Cate

Present

Ididn’t sleep.

I lay beside Trevor in the dark and counted his breathing.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Steady. Even. Unbothered.

At some point, his arm slid over my waist, instinctive and possessive. The weight of it pinned me more effectively than the deadbolt had.

I didn’t move.

If he noticed the tension in my body, he didn’t comment.

Morning came slow and gray.

Trevor woke before me, or pretended to.

He kissed my shoulder lightly, like nothing had shifted. Like we hadn’t stood on opposite sides of something irreversible just hours earlier.

“Morning,” he murmured.

My throat felt scraped raw. “Morning.”

He propped himself up on one elbow and studied me. “Better?”

It was such a gentle question.

Such a cruel one.

“I was just tired,” I said.

His eyes searched my face. Not for comfort.

For tells.

He smiled faintly. “That’s what I thought.”

He got out of bed and moved through his routine like a man who trusted the world completely - shower running, closet door sliding open, cufflinks aligned on the dresser.

Normal.

Every movement intentional.

I sat up slowly, testing the air.

The bedroom door was open.