Page 72 of Psycho

LAINEY

I wokeup to something digging into the side of my stomach. Something small and light.

Even before I opened my eyes, I knew I was alone in bed, though I was sure that wasn’t the case for most of the night.

The place where he had slept pressed close to me was still warm, which told me he hadn’t left the bed all that long ago.

I shifted a little and felt the sharp edge of something press in even more against me. I opened my eyes, squinting a little from the bright sunlight.

It took a moment for my vision to clear, but when it did, I wasn’t sure I was really seeing what was there.

I frowned as I took in the small black box wrapped in green ribbons. I sat up on the bed, slowly reaching for the box, as if afraid it might bite me.

What the hell is this?

Micah walked in then, and I quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact with him.

Why was he so comfortable walking around without a shirt all the damn time?

It was too early for this much skin to be on display, and I hated how my heart halted at the sight of him before picking up speed dramatically, to the point where it almost hurt.

As usual, he didn’t say anything.

“What’s this?” I asked.

He didn’t say anything for a moment, his eyes giving nothing away. I resisted the urge to squirm on the bed and show him just how uncomfortable he made me.

“Yours.”

“Mine?”

He nodded. “Yes, yours.”

It took me a moment to catch on to what he was saying. “You got me a present?”

“I thought it would be something you’d like.”

“Why? An apology for locking me up here while you went out last night doing what andwhoyou wanted?”

He raised one eyebrow at that, and I blushed, looking down at the sheets. I hadn’t meant for it to come out like that, but I had thought about it last night, driving myself crazy before I finally forced myself to go to bed.

Micah stepped closer to me, pressing his hands down on the mattress and leaning down until only a tiny space separated his face from mine. A little closer, and our lips would touch.

I shivered slightly, remembering the gentle way his lips had skimmed over mine last night.

“Cold?” he asked, his hot breath fanning over my face.

I shook my head. I was flushed all over. The last thing I was feeling was cold.

“I went to the bar,” he said.

My eyes widened a little at that before they narrowed on him. He smiled. Even his smile looked off. As if his face wasn’t used to contorting that way, or perhaps it was the expressionless look that remained in his cold silver eyes, even while his lips were curved up.

I let out another shudder, this time for a completely different reason.

“Are you jealous?” he asked me.

I glared at him. “No.Whoor what you do is none of my business.”

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