Page 179 of Unsuitable

I might have pulled the trigger that killed Damien, but Kas was the one who charged a guy with a gun in his hand.

He saved me. Twice now.

After the paramedic finished with me, Cece was brought into the kitchen, a female officer with her.

Cece looked ashen and shook up.

Our eyes met, and a silent conversation passed between us.

She’d lied, too.

I’d made her an accomplice.

I hated myself in that moment.

The female police officer told us that our apartment was now an official crime scene.

We couldn’t stay there. Not that I would have wanted to anyway.

She told us to pack clothes to last us a few days. That we wouldn’t be allowed back until the forensics were done.

Cece and I walked out of our kitchen and into the hall. Our apartment was swarming with police.

I felt her reach for my hand, and she squeezed it.

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.

She didn’t sound like she believed her own words. But I bit my lip and nodded my head.

Then, we silently walked to our bedrooms.

I didn’t want to take Kas’s shirt off. So, I buttoned it up properly and pulled on a pair of jeans. I quickly packed my bag and met Cece back out in the hallway.

Then, the nice policeman who had made me a cup of tea drove us to a hotel. He checked us in and then told us that they’d be in touch in the morning, as we would have to go into the station to give our official statements.

Up in our shared room, I lay in the bed with Cece lying beside me—both of us not even pretending to sleep, but neither of us wanting to speak.

I was still wearing Kas’s shirt. I couldn’t bring myself to take it off. Just having his scent around me was a comfort.

And I thought about Kas. He was all I thought about.

I couldn’t think about what I’d done…killing Damien. I knew I’d break if I did.

So, I pushed that away, and I thought about what Kas had done for me. He’d saved me. Put me before himself. He’d protected me.

No one had ever done anything like that for me before.

And he’d told me that he loved me.

He loves me.

I couldn’t stop the tears after that.

Cece rolled over in bed and wrapped her arms around me. I cried harder. Then, she started to cry, too.

We stayed there, crying together, holding each other, until we fell asleep.

When we woke in the morning, it was to the sound of a knock on the hotel door.