Chapter Ten

The harrowing sound of metal on metal jolts me from my sleep. I sit up with a start, comforted instantly by Lucas’s embrace.

“I was wondering if you’d startle again,” he says, cradling me against his chest. “What is it about the automatic blinds that does that to you?”

I inhale, hearing the echoing of the see-through door opening. My heart speeds up, knowing what’s coming next. I hate leaving this room almost as much as I hate being in it.

“It’s something from my childhood,” I blurt. “Something associated with a bad memory.”

He runs his fingers through my hair. “Repressing these memories is doing you no favor, Callie.”

He’s right, but dammit, I’ve worked hard to store these memories away and never let them rise to the surface again.

“Your father and brother were cruel to you because you were different, but there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”

“A lot more.”

Lucas lays us back down, bringing me onto his chest. He turned on the heated blanket before he got into bed, and the warmth