Page 35 of Stay Scared

“You always confused pattern recognition with insight.”

“That sounds like Owen.”

“I’ve known Owen for less than an hour.”

“He’s known you longer.”

Jealousy sharpens the sentence.

“You invited him into this.”

“I agreed to work with him.”

“You let him watch me.”

“I didn’t know every detail.”

“But you used what he brought you.”

His bare hand closes around the glass. “I wanted something that could actually get through to you.”

“Then you should have tried honesty before building my old apartment.”

“I tried being honest.”

“You tried persistence until I ran out of room.”

The skull turns toward me.

“You erased two years.”

“I lived them.”

“You talk about us like I was something you survived.”

“I did escape.”

Cade stands, and the booth feels smaller immediately.

“So that’s what I am to you? The thing you got away from?”

“I think the skull mask and reconstructed breakup hallway are hurting your defense.”

“You chose my section.”

“I chose answers.”

“You chose me first.”

“Do not make that into more than it is.”

He plants one hand on the table and leans closer. “You wanted to know if I still knew you.”

“I wanted to know why you helped build this.”

“Same answer.”

The certainty strips the last of the humor out of me, and I stand.