“But recently,” he said, his eyes resting on mine, “sleep has become easy. Quiet. All that noise in my head… I barely hear it.” I waited, breath catching. “That’s because of you. Do you understand?” I nodded. Swallowed. “But I woke up just now, and you weren’t there, Nina. And I convinced myself that someone had taken you. Even as I was runnin’ down those stairs, I imagined you were tied up in some hole, and a man held a blade to your throat and threatened to hurt you if you didn’t name every one of my secrets. And that… that is a thought to keep me awake all night long.” His stare was molten;
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