Page 95 of Restitution

Kade closes his eyes with a deep sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I don’t have time for this bullshit.”

The doctor clears his throat as he packs up his things. “I recommend plenty of rest. Relax for a few days. Don’t take partin any strenuous exercise.” He gives me a pointed look and goes back to Kade.

“I’m too busy to rest.”

Correction: he needs to continue torturing Archie in the freezer.

Aria sighs. “He’ll rest. Thank you, Doctor Shique.”

The man lowers his head in acknowledgement, and Aria walks him out of the manor as Kade scowls at the back of his head.

I turn to him, and his eyes soften a touch. “How do you feel?”

“Fine. I just need this fucking day over with.”

I chew my lip and sit back as Aria walks back into her office, rubbing her arm. “Why don’t you grab a shower and have an early night?”

Kade doesn’t respond – he just gets to his feet and storms out, but before he can vanish, I spot him blinking excessively again.

“We need to keep a close eye on him,” Aria says to me. “I think Kade is very unpredictable at the moment, and you might be the only person holding him together. Today must’ve been too much for him to handle.”

I don’t feel an ounce of embarrassment as I tell her, “He kissed me. The other day, seconds before he had a seizure, he kissed me. I think that triggered him. It was the first time in a year we’d been… like that.”

I don’t mention him fingering me in front of Chris. That was different.

“We don’t know if that was a trigger.”

I nod as I stand and smooth down my dress. “How are you? I know today has been hard.”

She raises her shoulders shyly. “I don’t really know how to answer that.”

“Yeah.” I give her a tight smile, and it drops as I step forward nervously. “I’m truly sorry about Jason. I know if I wasn’t there, he might not—”

Aria raises a hand to stop me. “No. Don’t do this again, Stacey. You’re not to blame. None of this is your fault. It’s that vile, horrible woman.”

I nod again. “Luciella’s asleep. Tylar went home to pack some clothes to stay here for a while.”

“She’ll love having all three of you together again. My best friend and I lived together. It was like having a sister.”

“Yeah,” I reply. “Gabriella.”

Her eyes brighten. “We buried her a few plots over from where Jason is now. I go every Friday and lay fresh flowers. I talk to her, you know? I tell her about my life and my kids, about what we’d be doing if she was still here. I asked her to look after Jason for us.”

Her best friend was murdered by Tobias’s best friend. He bludgeoned her skull with a hammer. Aria stabbed the killer to death then accidentally drove the blade into Ewan’s side.

Horrid.

I gulp. “I’m worried about Kade.”

“He’s been through a lot. We’re lucky we got him to a semi-sane state so quickly. Doctor Shique thinks he’s in denial too, but I think he’s just focused on getting his father back and taking his anger out on the man in my freezer.” She grimaces. “It smells terrible down there.”

Against my wishes, a smile breaks through. “He deserves everything that’s coming to him. At least we can’t hear his screams while we try to sleep.”

“I agree, which is why he’s still there. But I can assure you,Kade Mitchell will be on his hands and knees bleaching that entire freezer before I restock it.”

I grin at her, but it slips again. “If it helps at all with the seizures, I’ll stay away from Kade… romantically. I know there’s a chance I did trigger one, and I don’t want that to happen again. I’ll be there for him and be his friend.” The word friend sticks in my throat. “I can’t walk away from him.”

“Of course,” she replies, resting her hand on my shoulder. “You’ve both been through a lot. Let’s not forget what you had to endure. Go at a pace that suits you both if you can. He lost control of his body once, and he’ll feel like it’s happening again with these seizures. He loves you very much. I see it every time he looks at you.”