already told my story to two curious roommates twice. I had a feeling Professor Blake would balk at me telling Kelsey and Paris about the inner workings of the Academy. Funnily enough, I felt no guilt about my actions.
“I have no idea what it meant. Why do you think I’m telling the two of you?” Deep down inside, I knew it wasn’t Kelsey and Paris’ fault. I was still … agitated.
“Why didn’t you ask him?” Kelsey asked.
“You mean, why didn’t I step out from the bushes and say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry I was eavesdropping, but what did you mean by that?’”
“Pretty much.”
“It didn’t seem like a good idea at the time,” I said. “Mark was there. And Will.”
“So, why don’t you go and ask him now?” Paris asked. “You could go alone. It’s not like he would turn you away.”
No. He wouldn’t turn me away. I wasn’t sure I could deal with seeing him on a one-on-one basis, though. “I don’t know … .”
“Is it because you really don’t want to see him?” Paris asked.
“Or is it because you really do want to see him?” Kelsey added.
“It’s because I don’t want to deal with it,” I said. “I’m not ready. I can’t … I just can’t.”
Paris held her hands up. “Okay. Then you have to find a different way to find out.”
“What would you suggest?”
“Will.”
I stilled. “Will? He’s the one who wants to kill me,” I said. “Why would I ever want to be alone with him?”
“I’m not saying to approach the situation through Will,” Paris said. “I’m saying to approach it through his significant other.”
Ugh. I’d rather be killed by Will than deal with … her. “I am not asking Brittany for anything.”
“You don’t have to,” Paris said, getting to her feet. “I’ll stop in and visit her.”
“What? Right now?”
“It’s better to get ahead of this than behind it,” Paris said. “I can use the excuse that I’m out for a walk and I think I’m being followed.”
“You seem to be forgetting that, on this campus, you very well may be followed,” I pointed out. “And killed.”
“I’ll go with her,” Kelsey said. “I’ll drop her off a block away and wait in the car.”
“I don’t know,” I hedged.
“It will be perfectly fine as long as she doesn’t see you,” Paris said, patting me on the shoulder. “She still likes me.”
“But you picked living with me over living with her,” I said.
“That made it easier for her to move into the sorority house,” Paris replied. “She was secretly happy about it.”
“If you say so.”
SITTING docile on the couch waiting for others to complete a mission was a new feeling for me. I didn’t like it. After pacing across the small living room about a hundred times, I gave up and walked outside.
October nights in mid-Michigan are a mixed bag. Some drop into the forties, while others remain in the sixties. Tonight was on the warmer end, but winter would be coming soon.
I had no idea where I was going when I set off. I had no destination, just a busy mind. I was walking for almost an hour when I felt someone watching me. I paused, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and listened closer. I hadn’t heard anyone. Not yet, at least. I knew he was there. He has a certain presence .
“Rafael? I know you’re there.”
“You’re getting better,” he said, stepping out from behind a tree about twenty yards behind me. He was dressed in his usual outfit, black from head to toe, and his face was drawn and grim.
“I can sense you specifically,” I said.
“That’s either good news or bad news,” Rafael said. “I would feel better if you could sense others around you, too. I’m flattered you’re so in tune with me.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “You’ve followed me so many times I just have a feeling whenever you’re around. I think another woman with a stalker would develop the same power.”
Rafael arched an eyebrow. “So, now I’m a stalker?”
“You have
“I have no idea what it meant. Why do you think I’m telling the two of you?” Deep down inside, I knew it wasn’t Kelsey and Paris’ fault. I was still … agitated.
“Why didn’t you ask him?” Kelsey asked.
“You mean, why didn’t I step out from the bushes and say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry I was eavesdropping, but what did you mean by that?’”
“Pretty much.”
“It didn’t seem like a good idea at the time,” I said. “Mark was there. And Will.”
“So, why don’t you go and ask him now?” Paris asked. “You could go alone. It’s not like he would turn you away.”
No. He wouldn’t turn me away. I wasn’t sure I could deal with seeing him on a one-on-one basis, though. “I don’t know … .”
“Is it because you really don’t want to see him?” Paris asked.
“Or is it because you really do want to see him?” Kelsey added.
“It’s because I don’t want to deal with it,” I said. “I’m not ready. I can’t … I just can’t.”
Paris held her hands up. “Okay. Then you have to find a different way to find out.”
“What would you suggest?”
“Will.”
I stilled. “Will? He’s the one who wants to kill me,” I said. “Why would I ever want to be alone with him?”
“I’m not saying to approach the situation through Will,” Paris said. “I’m saying to approach it through his significant other.”
Ugh. I’d rather be killed by Will than deal with … her. “I am not asking Brittany for anything.”
“You don’t have to,” Paris said, getting to her feet. “I’ll stop in and visit her.”
“What? Right now?”
“It’s better to get ahead of this than behind it,” Paris said. “I can use the excuse that I’m out for a walk and I think I’m being followed.”
“You seem to be forgetting that, on this campus, you very well may be followed,” I pointed out. “And killed.”
“I’ll go with her,” Kelsey said. “I’ll drop her off a block away and wait in the car.”
“I don’t know,” I hedged.
“It will be perfectly fine as long as she doesn’t see you,” Paris said, patting me on the shoulder. “She still likes me.”
“But you picked living with me over living with her,” I said.
“That made it easier for her to move into the sorority house,” Paris replied. “She was secretly happy about it.”
“If you say so.”
SITTING docile on the couch waiting for others to complete a mission was a new feeling for me. I didn’t like it. After pacing across the small living room about a hundred times, I gave up and walked outside.
October nights in mid-Michigan are a mixed bag. Some drop into the forties, while others remain in the sixties. Tonight was on the warmer end, but winter would be coming soon.
I had no idea where I was going when I set off. I had no destination, just a busy mind. I was walking for almost an hour when I felt someone watching me. I paused, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and listened closer. I hadn’t heard anyone. Not yet, at least. I knew he was there. He has a certain presence .
“Rafael? I know you’re there.”
“You’re getting better,” he said, stepping out from behind a tree about twenty yards behind me. He was dressed in his usual outfit, black from head to toe, and his face was drawn and grim.
“I can sense you specifically,” I said.
“That’s either good news or bad news,” Rafael said. “I would feel better if you could sense others around you, too. I’m flattered you’re so in tune with me.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “You’ve followed me so many times I just have a feeling whenever you’re around. I think another woman with a stalker would develop the same power.”
Rafael arched an eyebrow. “So, now I’m a stalker?”
“You have
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