TATE
“YOU’RE BACK,” I muttered, not bothering to look up.
The door clicked shut behind him, same way it had the last time, but this time… the air felt tighter. Off.
“Stay the f**k away from me,” I added, dragging my sleeve across my mouth and shifting back on the bed. “Unless you’re here to get me out, don’t bother pretending you give a shit.”
Eli didn’t answer.
His footsteps padded across the floor, slower than usual, less cocky, more… deliberate. I looked up.
He stood a few feet away, lips parted, sweat shining at his temple. His pupils were blown, too wide for the light and he kept licking his bottom lip like it was dry, like he couldn’t stop tasting something only he could feel.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
He smiled, but it wasn’t the usual grin. It was lazy. Glazed. Fer
