Dissipate

“Sleep, Kenzie. We’ll talk tomorrow.” The muscles within my body relaxed at his vow. Right before I drifted under, Aiden’s wary tone brought me back. “But, Kenzie, we have to get you a cell phone. If you can’t afford it, I’ll pay for it. I need a way to reach you and know you’re safe.” He took an uneasy breath. “I nearly went out of my mind looking for you.”

A new sense of guilt settled over me, knowing the worry I’d caused. “I’ll get one tomorrow. I’m so sorry.”

Aiden hugged me even tighter. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.” A tender kiss graced the top of my head. “Thank you.”

“What am I going to tell Brooklyn?” She’d want some kind of explanation. I know I would.

Aiden rolled to his back and brought me to him. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he looked at the ceiling. “We’ll figure that out after we talk tomorrow. She’s not coming

back until tomorrow night.”

I was exhausted to the core.

“Sleep, sweetheart. I love you, Kenzie.”

“I love you, too.”

Sleep claimed me.

TOMORROW HAD COME. Beside me, Aiden slept peacefully, though his grip was solid around me. Dreams of my mom dying had plagued me through most of the night causing uneasy sleep. Aiden had been with me through it all—the tears, the terror, and the sadness.

I focused on Aiden’s relaxed features. Last night, he’d taken it well but there was still a wariness around us. With the ingrained rules of The Society, it was hard to open myself up emotionally—both physically and mentally. But, I was working on it.

Trying not to move, I ignored my body’s restlessness to let Aiden sleep and allow me some time to think about how I was going to tell him . . . everything.

The deep fear that Aiden would leave me with all the lies I had told him existed. Lying was something Aiden didn’t tolerate in his relationships. I kept telling myself that if we truly loved each other, it would be fine. We’d figure it out. With the serious nature of my previous life, hopefully he would understand why I couldn’t tell him before I knew how we felt about each other.

If he didn’t . . . I didn’t have an answer for that.

Barely shifting, Aiden’s eyes popped open as he looked me over. It was time.

Running his free hand through his hair, Aiden looked tired with the circles underneath his eyes. “Morning, sweetheart.”

“Morning.” I sounded hollow. I felt hollow. “Do you want to go down to the living room to talk? I’m ready if you are.”

There was no reason to prolong the inevitable. Nerves would eat at me if we waited. Getting it out of the way was the best way to go. At least I was calmer now from the hysterical mess I had been.

Clearing his throat, he responded, “I’d rather stay connected like this while we talk.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to leave when I tell you everything I’ve been hiding.” I hated how meek my traitorous voice sounded as the raw emotion emanated from me.

“That’s not happening.”

I hoped not.

Gathering my wits, as I got ready to purge myself. There was no easy way to start so I went with one of the first lies I had told. “I’m not from Montana. I’m from a place near Nevada, Missouri named The Society. My real name is Kenzie Brooks, but there, everyone knows me as Sarah. They believe in what’s called The Light and until August I’d never been outside the walls of the community where I lived.”

Waiting, I tested the waters to see his initial reaction. Aiden sat erect in the bed and stared at me, unbelieving and shocked.

“Are you serious right now, Kenzie? You’ve been lying to me this entire time?”

Not wanting to be laying down while Aiden wasn’t, I sat up too and grabbed his hand. He let me, but there was a cloud that now hung over us.

Solemnly, I nodded. “I am. I’m going to tell you everything. The entire truth.”

“AND THAT’S HOW I came to the conclusion that The Society is killing people for whatever reason.”

A headache bloomed behind my eyes. Emotional fatigue took over my muscles even though I hadn’t been out of bed yet this morning. At least the lies were out in the open.