Chapter 6 · She Locks the Office

"Mama."

The word cracks out of the monitor on the nightstand and we both go still like someone hit pause on the whole world. My hand's still on the door, key half turned. Cade's hand is still on my waist, thumb hooked into the waistband of my jeans like he owns real estate there.

Neither of us breathes.

"That's just sleep talk," I say, and my voice comes out wrong, too fast, too hopeful. "She does that. She talks in her sleep."

Cade doesn't move his hand. "You sure?"

"I'm not sure of anything with you in my house." I pull the key back out of the lock and cross to the monitor, and the second I step out from under his hands I feel it — cold air where his heat was, my whole back missing something it had two seconds ago. On the little screen Maya's a blob under a blanket, one foot kicked free, mouth moving around nothing. Not awake. Not crying. Just talking to the dark like she does.

I exhale.