Page 123 of Carry On

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Okay.

LINCOLN: How’s the headache?

Yeah. I slept a little. Feel a little better.

I lied. If anything, the headache was worse. He probably knew it too. That was just Lincoln. He knew things. He could see right through me in ways no one else could.

LINCOLN: And everything else? Are you doing okay?

Yeah. It’s nothing, Linc. Don’t worry.

LINCOLN: That’s like telling me not to breathe, Nash.

I’m fine. I promise.

LINCOLN: Okay.

I dropped the phone on the cushion next to me and leaned back. I wasn’t fine. Not by a long shot. Thick emotion constricted in my chest, and hot tears rolled free.

I was so fucking tired.

More waiting.

More pain.

No answers.

No reprieve.

I couldn’t keep doing this.

You know what to do,the voice said, loud and overbearing.

I did know. There was only one way guaranteed to make it all stop.

CHAPTER 80

LINCOLN

Explainthistomeagain.”

“We’re going to sit in a room—”

“In an abandoned building.”

“It’s not that abandoned—”

“It’s an abandoned psych hospital, baby,” Nash interrupted once more. We walked down the sidewalk in a remote area of town, fingers laced together. It was dark and quiet. Most of the buildings around us were long since abandoned. I could only imagine the shit that went on inside them.

Actually, I didn’t want to imagine. The whole area had my skin crawling. While realistically, I knew we were fine, the unknown of it all had me on edge, even with Nash at my side. I was outside my comfort zone in the name of a unique date idea.

“We don’t have to do this,” I said. I’d found the event online—a candlelit string quartet concert inside an old building. It wasn’t a typical date idea, but that had been the point. Unfortunately, I was beginning to doubt that, especially as his reaction to the idea built.

“Hey.” Nash stopped and stepped in front of me. “Don’t do that.”

“I’m just saying—” His lips touched mine, shutting me up in a way I certainly didn’t mind.

“I like the idea, baby,” he whispered and kissed me once more. “And maybe after, I’ll drag you into one of the padded rooms.”

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