Page 130 of Blackwood

Beep-beep.

Beep-beep

The keypad to the front door unlocks.

I sit up fast, breath uneven as I shove the covers off. The hallway light bleeds in from the cracked door. I step into the hallway, heart already racing.

He walks right past me. Doesn’t look. Doesn’t speak. Just sets his bag down, goes straight into the bathroom, and shuts the door behind him.

That soft click might as well be a gunshot. I just stand there, hollow, like I broke something I don’t know how to fix. And this time, I don’t even know if sorry will be enough.

When he comes out he still won’t look me in the eye. Just walks right past me and heads toward the bed.

“Can we talk?”

“That depends, are you still gonna bitch about Bella?” he snaps. “Because if so, I don’t want to fucking hear it, Cade. Not after tonight. Not after what I just saw.”

“I wasn’t going to bitch about Bella. Can you at least tell me what happened?”

Lex turns. “Oh, nowyou care about what goes on during her missions?”

“That’s not fair,” I say, the words catching in my throat. “I said I needed time, not that I don’t care about her.”

Lex exhales through his nose, jaw clenched. “Then take your time, Cade,” he says, voice low and steady. “But I’m not. I’m not giving up on the fact that the three of us together could be something great. I’m not giving up on her. I’m not pushing her out.”

He takes a step closer, eyes burning.

“She’s had enough grief to last a hundred lifetimes. I saw her darkness, Cade. It was beautiful.She’s not a monster. She’s a goddamn masterpiece.The way she saved those kids tonight?”

I freeze, speechless.

“Yes, it’s dark. Yes, it’s violent. But so is life, Cade. And Bella? She shines through the darkness. Lives for it, in the best way possible.”

His voice drops, rough and raw. “And I hope one day, Cade,” he swallows hard, just once. “I hope one day you wake the fuck up and realize it too.”

“Will you please tell me?” I ask, quieter now. “Tell me what happened tonight?”

He shakes his head. “No,” he says. “No, Cade. I won’t.”

The words land like a slap.

He walks to the bed and pulls back the covers. “I’m not gonna tell you what happened,” he mutters, tossing his phone on the nightstand. “Because you need to fucking see it. With your own two eyes.”

And then, just like that, he climbs into bed, turns his back to me and goes to sleep. Leaving me standing there in the dark.

Alone.

♥♥♥

I wake up to silence. No weight beside me. No rustle of sheets.Just cold air and the soft hum of the city outside. I sit up slowly, rubbing the back of my neck, still sore in that way you feel after a night you can’t stop replaying.

The apartment feels too still. He’s gone. His duffel’s gone. So is his hoodie from the back of the chair. On the dresser, there’s a folded piece of paper. I cross the room barefoot and pick it up.

Gone to train at The Pit.

I’ll call you later.

—Lex