Chapter 47

GWEN

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"This might sound weird, but I think he's telling the truth."

I spin to face Umber, hardly believing my ears. "What?"

"Look. His eyes... Gwen, he looks at you like you're his next breath. It's scary. How can someone want a person that much?"

"You forget he's a liar. It's all he's good at. Pretending."

I turn, about to go, when her voice stops me. "What if he's right? What then?"

My stomach knots. Not wanting to answer that, I continue down to the basement. Perks of staying in a house of five thousand acres means you have privacy. No one could hear a roar within several miles.

When I open the door to the dark room, I see Malcolm's hunched figure. His neck is slumped and the heavy rise and fall of his chest tells me he's sleeping. I draw level with him, ransacking his pockets.

I know the moment he wakes. I'm aware also of him bending forward to sniff my hair surreptitiously. When I find his phone I s