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“Ten.” He grins down at me, his elbow propped on a pillow. “You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

I clasp my hands beneath my cheek and turn to face him. He slides farther down the bed, mirroring my position.

“Did you sleep at all?”

His smile fades, concern settling into his features.

“Not really,” he admits, glancing over at my butchered bedroom door. “Are you ready to tell me what really happened here last night?”

“You wouldn’t believe me,” I whisper, my mouth pulling down at the corners.

“Try me,” he says, while caressing my cheek with his knuckles.

A part of me wants to tell him so badly. To finally tell him all the shit his stepsister has put me through. But my survival instincts won’t let me utter a single word.

“Can you come back tonight? Please?” I ask instead.

Milo’s forehead creases. “Are you sure your dad’s going to be okay with that?”

“Dad won’t be back for another couple of weeks.”

The way his jaw tightens tells me exactly how much he hates that answer. He’s never liked me being left on my own, much less for weeks at a time.

“Okay,” he says eventually. “I’ll stay with you until he comes back.”

I wrap my arm around him and tuck my head beneath his chin. “Thank you.”

Milo doesn’t ask me anything else. He just lazily runs his fingers through my hair as I lie curled up against him, listening to the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear. There’s something about that familiar rhythm that soothes the fear I’ve been carrying around for days. It shouldn’t be enough to make me feel safe, not after everything that’s happened lately. But somehow, the world doesn’t seem quite so terrifying anymore.

Still, no matter how much I want to trust this feeling, I know I can’t.

My nightmare hasn’t ended.

It’s just been put on pause.

Chapter 23

Wednesday

“That was incredible, Ms. Usher. I’m so glad I got the chance to see you in person,” another guest gushes as I hand her a signed copy of my book.

“Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

My smile stays firmly in place, even as I sneak another glance over her shoulder for what has to be the hundredth time tonight.

Milo is still there. One look at him and the rest of the room fades into the background.

“Okay, okay. I think we’ve gotten our money’s worth for the night,” Sienna bellows from beside me. “How about we give Ms. Usher some room to breathe?”

A few people laugh, but thankfully, they take the hint. The small crowd that has gathered around me begins to disperse, everyone chatting excitedly as they head toward the lobby.

I look around at all the smiling faces and finally allow some of the tension to leave my shoulders.

“That didn’t go too badly, don’t you think?”

“You did great, Max. Really,” Jalen praises.

“You really did,” Sienna adds, looking equally proud. “You didn’t look nervous at all.”