Selfless: Book Two (bxb) ✔️

Chapter Sixteen: Better Mood

Ace Villan

Last night was filled with too many emotions. Far too many. I couldn't even finish my train of thought—telling Cade that I had feelings for him. It was blatantly obvious at this point. It didn't scare me—not like when I closed my eyes and saw the trauma of Cameron lying unconscious.

Cade was still asleep, fast asleep, in my arms. He held onto me until I fell asleep. Then some time in the night, Cade started whimpering in his sleep. A nightmare. Now, he was still curled in mine. I'd never felt more comfortable showing my weaknesses than I did when I was with him.

And today, I was determined to take all the sadness out, and try and start healing before Cameron returned. We didn't know when that would be. But we had to be on a more level ground before he arrived. Which meant preparing even more for Christmas. I would do it—I wouldn't only do it for Cade but for all three triplets. They deserved it. They more than deserved it.

Cade shifted in my arms and I glanced at him—he didn't wake up. Not yet. I didn't want to move because if he woke up, he had to face the world, and I wanted him to hide from it a little longer. There was no need for him to be awake right now. I'd keep him here if I could. If it were legal. It wasn't. I checked.

But he started getting a little restless before his eyes ended up popping open and finding mine immediately. He drew back slightly as he adjusted. "Are you watching me sleep?"

Even his sleepy voice was adorable. How have I not noticed before? "Yes."

He started stretching any limb he could. "Why?"

"Because you were safe from this awful planet, and I wasn't going to ruin your sleep," I told him. "We don't have anything planned, so what is a couple of more minutes of sleep?"

"While you watch me sleep." He pointed out.

"Well, there wasn't anything else I could watch if I couldn't move."

He frowned before curling back into a sleepy ball. "Maybe escaping into the world of sleep isn't such a bad idea. Because I hate the world for hurting you, too."

I didn't know what to say to that. Instead, I hugged him as if I were a shield for him against this awful world. Because even in pain, he was always thinking of other people. Thinking of me.

Stupid emotions. Stupid tears. Stupid that I was still feeling like I could snap at the drop of a hat. Not out of anger, but sadness, maybe. Devastation. Fear. Fear seemed like the correct answer to what had me feeling this way.

"You confuse me," Cade mumbled. "Greatly."

"Welcome to the club. I confuse myself constantly."

Cade shifted under me, and I moved as I released him so he could sit up. He looked at me with worried green eyes. "Ace, you're scared. I can literally," He shook out his shoulders. "Feel it. But today is a new day, and I have to choose optimism. So, let's help get you out of this. Let's do something today. Let's get everyone and go do something today."

I fell on my back and stared at the ceiling. "Your attitude toward the day is very endearing."

"Ace." He whined. He actually fucking whined. "Please."

I slid my gaze over to those pleading eyes. "Fuck. I am so weak against you. It's like you have magical powers or some shit." I sighed as I sat up. "Fine. What would you like to do today?"

It hardly seemed real that everything happened twenty-four hours ago because he smiled. "Well, I still have my list, and I fully intend on taking Cameron out to do a lot of what's on it. But we won a dinner from the scavenger hunt, and maybe we can go on that train ride with everyone, then you and I can go to the dinner?"