Page 10 of Hide From Me

Oh no. I don’t want to cry. I can’t. But I feel a burning sensation in my chest, and my throat constricts.

“Go get a tattoo,” I whisper, and Jack smiles broadly, bumping his head against mine before stepping back.

“You think Kage will do one on my ass while Vivian pierces my dick?”

I gasp and cover my face. “I’m pretending I didn’t hear that!” I shout, rushing outside.

Once I’m out, I slow my pace. I really dislike the night—it always feels like something is lurking. With my keys in hand, I gather my bearings and rush to my car, locking the doors and starting the ignition. Rain patters on the windshield. I’m not depressed, despite what others may think; I just enjoy gloomy weather. I only wish it didn’t make the shadows feel heavier.

What a contradiction, right?To like dark things but hate the dark.

I pull out my phone and the piece of paper. “I must be insane,” I mutter as I open my messages and begin a new one. What do I even say?“Hey, wanna hook up?”

Nope.

But…

I bite my lip, my heart pounding, and do the one thing I never thought I would.

I send the bloody message.

Hey there, monster.

Three

Moe

10-21–2025

Seaborn Base

Heythere, sunshine.

I don’t care if it makes me seem desperate or unhinged—I’ve been pacing my quarters for over an hour, waiting for her to message me. She’s lucky she texted when she did. Another five minutes and I’d have smashed my phone or shown up at her job—or worse, tracked her down.

Of course, I don’t wantcasual. But if that’s the word she needs right now, fine. I’ll take it. I’ll be patient. I’ll give her space—to fall in love with me.

Yeah, that sounds cocky. I don’t care. It’s inevitable.

I drag a hand through my hair, glance at my phone again—still nothing—and groan as my door creaks open.

“You busy?”

Still nothing.

I ignore Sam as I stride to my desk and pull out my chair. My fingers fly across the keyboard, bringing up Raylen’s tracker on my monitors. A red dot blinks on screen. Good—she’s driving. I wouldn’t want her texting anyway.

She suddenly stops. My stomach knots, but I recognize the location—just open fields and half-dead sidewalks. Sketchy. Is her car brokendown?

“What’s got your arse so flustered?” Sam steps inside without closing the door. Uninvited. Again.

“Uh, well—” I clear my throat as I transfer her location data to a SIM card. I need to monitor her from my phone too. This isn’t about control—it’s safety. She's alone. She’s vulnerable.

That’s all this is.

Right?

I pause, hand tight in my hair.God, am I losing it?