Page 91 of The Sweetest Revenge

He sucked in a heavy breath as his gaze shifted in the direction the truck disappeared and shrugged. "I don't know."

"But if it wasn't, we are safer on the road than sitting here waiting for a ride."

I nodded, putting my hand in his. "Okay." He tugged me up, and I grimaced as pain shot through my arm.

"You're hurt."

"It's nothing." My voice stayed steady. "Just bruised."

His jaw worked, gaze fixed on my shoulder like he was seeing a different injury, a different day. "Zaiden." The name fell softly between us.

"Kacie," he breathed. My chest ached. This triggered something for him. Something bringing back Kacie's death. His breathing increased, and for the first time since I'd been back, I saw that Zaiden was human. He was hurting like the rest of us.

"Zaiden." My voice came softer than intended as I reached for his face. His skin felt cold beneath my fingers as I forced him to look at me. "I'm fine."

My gaze dropped. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand, the same hand that had threatened me with zip ties less than an hour ago, and pressed it flat against my chest. Beneath his palm, my heart hammered out the steady proof: alive, alive, alive.

His breathing synchronized with mine. Gradually, his pulse slowed beneath my fingertips, his eyes clearing as they lifted to meet mine.

"I'm okay," I whispered.

His throat bobbed on a hard swallow, and he nodded as he slowly came back from where he'd been.

"We are both okay, Zaiden."

"I'm okay." He said more as a question than a statement.

I nodded, and he pulled his hand away, twisting to get his bike.

He guided the bike back onto the asphalt. Thankfully, this was a back road that was usually pretty slow unless there was an accident on the main roads. I swiped my helmet off the ground and followed him to the road. He kicked the stand down, holding the bike up.

Strolling up, I stopped behind him. "Do you—" He spun around, his hand gripping my face, and his mouth slammed against mine, swallowing my words. After the initial shock wore off, my eyes closed as I melted into him. His hand dove into my hair, gripping tightly as he tugged my head back, giving him better access to my mouth.

This was what he needed, and maybe I did too.

He pulled out of the kiss, his ragged breath fanning across my face as his forehead dropped to mine. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm not. I'm just a little sore." He nodded. "Let's get out of here."

CHAPTER42

ZAIDEN

My breathing finally started to steady as I stepped into the library with Ariella's small hand in mine. The purple-blue mark on her left cheek was already darkening beneath the fluorescent glare near the entrance.

The heavy wooden door swung shut behind us with a soft click, sealing out the chaotic world beyond. Students hunched over laptops or sprawled in armchairs, their faces illuminated by blue screen light. Whispered conversations and the occasional page turn punctuated the stillness.

We spotted Mila, Journey, and Sterling sitting at a square table tucked in the back of the library, surrounded by towering shelves of medical references no one had ever touched. It was the perfect place for secrets.

A student passed too close to our table, and Sterling fell silent mid-sentence. His easy smile remained fixed until the footsteps faded.

His gaze lifted to us as his smile vanished. He shoved out of his chair, the legs screeching against the floor. "Woah, what the fuck happened?" His voice, though hushed, carried enough force to make a nearby student glance our way.

Mila and Journey's eyes followed Sterling's line of sight, having a similar reaction.

"We're okay," Ariella said, stopping at the table. She flashed me a look.

My mouth went dry. "We were run off the road this morning."

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