The house was never truly silent at night. There was always the low hum of the refrigerator, the occasional creak of old floorboards, the distant snore from Tank’s room. But tonight the sounds felt amplified, every small noise carrying the weight of what Caleb and I were trying so desperately to hide.
I couldn’t sleep. Again.
My ribs throbbed in time with my heartbeat, the deep bruises from Kane’s hits turning an ugly shade of purple and green. But the real restlessness came from the memory of Caleb’s hands on me in the weight room, his mouth against my skin, the way he had held me through the night and then walked away like it destroyed him to do so.
I slipped out of bed just after 3 a.m., wearing only my thin silk sleep shorts and a loose tank top. The house was cool, the wooden floor
