Page 70 of Hide and Keep

I look up. “And…what?”

She rolls her eyes. “Were you any good?”

“Yeah. I was.” Really good. But one bad call and my entire wrestling career went up in flames. I’ve been sifting through the ashes ever since.

“Are you any good at cheerleading?”

I’m about to take a bite when she repeats my answer, just much quieter.

“Yeah. I was.”

My hand freezes partway to my mouth.

“You have another performance for this season, right? The Flower Fest?”

“Right. One more.” She covers her widening mouth with the back of her hand. “I’m gonna head upstairs to bed.”

“I’ll walk you up.” I stand before my plate’s even clean.

“I’m not going anywhere, Major. I really am tired. You can stay and finish your meal. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll walk you up,” I repeat. The best chicken in the world couldn’t stop me.

When we reach her door, she pulls out a key to unlock a different knob than the one that was there this morning.

“Where’d that one come from?”

Ever looks from the key to me. “Edwin didn’t tell you? He went ahead and had a lock installed after all.”

“No, he didn’t.” I don’t like that he didn’t. I don’t like that he went behind my back either. I said I’d do it. If I hadn’t been so busy earlier, I would’ve.

“Well, goodnight.”

Once again, she barely cracks the door before sliding through.

I stop her from closing it though, my palm flat on the thick wood.

“Just so you know, I removed the sensor off one of my windows, too.”

Do I believe she’s tired? Fuck yeah. We both slept like shit last night. But that doesn’t mean I believe she won’t try sneaking out.

“You planning on going somewhere tonight, Major?” While her tone is light, her expression is murderous.

“Only if you are,” I promise, then head next door.

I go straight to the window I took the sensor off and open it a few inches. It smells musty in here anyway. I noticed it when I got back from shopping, too. Probably from no one staying in it. Arthur told me it used to be Ever’s nanny’s room but that nobody’s been in it since Ever’s eighteenth birthday. That was a year and a half ago.

Butting the side of the armchair up against the corner of the window, I fall into it, the last couple days catching up to me. I hope to fuck she’s as tired as she says. Even if she’s not, I’ll be right here, watching for her. From this angle, I can’t see her window, but I can see if someone tries scaling the wall below it. I’ll be out mine and after her before she can reach the ground.

Ever Munreaux’s days of sneaking out are officially over.

Something is moving. Something is close. Something…isn’t right.

My eyes pop open.

Open? They were closed?

Shit! I must’ve dozed off.

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