Page 151 of Piece Us Together

I’m trying to process the sharp awakening when I feel the mattress dipping beneath a moving body. I turn my head on my pillow, confused for a moment. Then it registers that the left side of my body is cold because Maison is sitting on the edge of the mattress, his hand long gone.

I watch his back, wondering what’s wrong. He puts his phone to his ear and stands up, heading toward the hall as he asks, “Is it time?”

Someone says something. A male, I think. Low and rumbling. Maison’s shoulders draw up, his muscles tense. He flexes his hand that’s not holding the phone. Open. Close. Open. Close. I want to take it, to tell him it’s okay, to tell him to breathe.

I let him disappear down the hall, trying to tell myself it’s none of my business.

But he’s mine now. They both are.

I slip away from Nolan, holding my breath when he stirs with a grumble and a furrowed brow. He relaxes again though, notmoving when I pull a blanket over him. My lips are starting to curl into a tired smile at the sight of him all sleepy and adorable. Then I hear Maison make a sound that’s somewhere between a frustrated growl and a sob. I nearly stumble in my haste to get to him, following the sound down the hall to the stairs. He’s hunched over on the top step with his fingers tangled in his hair and his head bowed, elbows resting on his knees.

Oh, sweetheart.

He looks up when he hears me approach, the dim stairwell light illuminating his red-rimmed blue eyes. His hands have dropped into his lap. They’re trembling.

“What happened?”

“Just—” He swallows, his eyes falling away from me as he prepares to lie. Or at least hide something.Him and his secrets.“I have to go somewhere. For work.”

I frown. “When?”

“Soon. I—a few minutes. I’ll have to wake Nolan first.” He bows his head again, whispering, “Fuck.”

I fold myself down beside him, resting my hand on the nape of his neck. He flinches at the touch but pushes into it right after, not giving me a chance to pull away. I notice the first of his many scars begins just where my thumb rests. It’s one of the subtler lines, the skin smooth and only slightly tinged white-pink. I think it’s from a whip. I think most of them are.

I hate that they could be from a whip.

I hate that I know what marks from a whip—mywhip—look like, even if mine never scar.

I hate that I know deep in my gut that he didn’t ask for any of it.

“I thought maybe you woke up because of another nightmare,” I admit. “Before I realized the phone was ringing.”

“Funny. I was—before I woke. Having a nightmare, I mean.” He laughs, but it’s low and harsh. Angry. Defeated. “Woke into a waking nightmare. Isn’t that great?”

“No. It really isn’t.” I move my thumb against his skin, stroking the scar there. “Talk to me, Maison. What’s going on?”

“Don’t,” he warns. Or maybe begs. “Please.”

I try not to let that hurt, keeping my focus on what I might be able to do to at least help. “Nolan said the nightmares are worse when you’re struggling.”

“Yeah? Guess maybe that’s true. I don’t know. I—I have them most nights. The kind of day before doesn’t usually matter, honestly.”

“Do you want to tell me about them?”

“No. No, I really don’t.”

“It might help if—”

“Stop.” He shrugs my hand off his shoulder, turning to glare at me. I know him too well, though. I see the fear in that glare. Terror, really. “I told you, I don’t want to tell you about that. About any of this. Just—back off.”

I duck my head, hating myself for not being able to respect his boundaries. Hating myself even more for wanting to keep pushing. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good at not having control, if you haven’t noticed. Not knowing what haunts you…that makes me feel very out of control. But that’s not on you. I’m the one who has to figure out how to let it go. I’m sorry.”

“I’ve got it handled, Hunter.” He forces a smile. I hate it. I can’t even look at it. “Hey, I’ve got this, okay? It’s not something you have to worry about. Either of you. It’s not on your plate.”

“Maison, anything to do with either of you is on my plate.”

“Your job as a dom?” he asks with an almost cruel amusement in his voice.

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