Page 159 of Psycho

“What about you?”

“I’m not going to sleep yet. I’m too wired.”

I frowned. “What will you do?”

His hand came down, and he patted my head gently. I closed my eyes and nuzzled in closer to his warm palm.

I was about to drift off when his voice rang out once more.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Then he bent down, kissed my temple, and left the room.

My eyes sprang open in time to see him closing the door behind him.

What the hell?

I flung the blanket off my body and moved out.

I saw him in the kitchen, rummaging through the drawers, and pulled out a bottle of what looked like whiskey.

“What the hell?” I asked him.

He looked up at me, not surprised to see me standing there.

He poured himself a shot glass and down the liquid.

“Go back to bed, Lainey.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “No.”

His eyes flashed before he pushed the bottle away. “Do it.”

I shook my head. “No. I want to talk to you.”

“Tomorrow.”

“No. I want to talk to you now.”

He placed the glass down on the island, mimicking me and crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t like the wordno.”

“Tough. You’re also going to talk to me. You’re not going to fucking distance yourself from me for whatever reason you have in your head.”

“Baby,” he said, a clear warning in his voice. “Go. Back. To. Bed.”

I narrowed my eyes on him.

“Make. Me.”

His eyes flared, and he uncrossed his arms.

Slowly, he walked around the island and headed toward me.

A sliver of fear made its way inside me, but I forced myself to stand still.

I was the one who provoked him, wanting to get more of a reaction out of him than what he was showing me. The least I could do was stand my ground before he ruined me… I hoped.

I tilted my head back and met his eyes when he was no more than a few inches away from me, the heat from his body radiating from him like the sun.

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