as he drove, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. I wondered if he would disappear too. I didn't know if that was a worse fate than his vardoger destroying his soul.
Chapter Seven
The drive to Rochester was excruciating. We kept in constant contact with Grant throughout the drive, and I was getting frantic with each hour that Sarah wasn't found. Her phone was still turned off and she was nowhere to be seen, her car still sitting in the driveway. We didn't explain to Grant why we were so worried because it would be a ludicrous conversation to have over the phone, but we didn't need to provide any added incentive for Grant to grow concerned. He sensed our anxiety and it seemed to fuel his own. I was beginning to realize how much he cared for Sarah.
We only stopped once to fill up on gas and buy stale sandwiches. Neither of us were hungry, but we forced ourselves to eat. It was late afternoon by the time we reached Maxwell, and it was bizarre seeing students loitering about, leading normal lives and having no idea that they might be on the brink of being overtaken by a vardoger. It was so ludicrous that I wanted to laugh, although humor was the last thing I was feeling.
Grant burst out of his apartment the second we pulled up into the driveway. He looked frazzled, anxiety making his features look drawn. "What the hell is going on? Why won't you tell me what's happening?"
Simon took a deep breath, motioning towards the stairs. "Let's go upstairs first. You're going to need to sit down for this."
I shot him a look as we went up to my apartment. I wasn't sure how much I wanted to tell Grant. I was pretty sure Grant would try to commit us to an insane asylum if we tried to explain the existence of vardogers.
My apartment looked exactly the same as it did when I left, but it was no comfort. I knew that the lack of a struggle didn't mean Sarah hadn't been abducted. Or worse.
Grant wheeled around the moment we stepped inside. "Okay, spill."
Simon glanced at me and I took a deep breath. I figured I had nothing to lose. "I think you should sit down, Grant. We should all sit down."
Grant looked like he was about to argue, but Simon pushed him towards the couch and made him sit.
"Fine, I'm sitting. Now is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?"
I opened my mouth to speak, when the front door opened. I gasped when I saw Sarah walk in, looking completely fine. I revised my assessment. She didn't look hurt but she looked far from fine, her face pale and drawn. Her mouth dropped open when she saw me, but before I had a chance to say anything, she flung herself towards me, hugging me so tightly that it was hard to breathe.
"Caitlin!" she sobbed. "I thought you were dead! I thought I'd never see you again!" She pulled back, her relief rapidly replaced with anger. "Where the hell have you been?" she shrieked. "I've been worried sick!"
"Sarah," I said, taking my first full breath since she hadn't answered her phone. "I could ask you the same thing. Where have you been?"
"What do you mean?" Sarah looked confused and I was surprised when Grant shot up from the couch, grabbing her by the shoulders.
"I've been looking for you all damned day! Where were you?! Why is your phone turned off?"
Sarah blanched at Grant's fierce rebuke. "What's going on? I'm not the one who’s been missing! I was walking around, checking all the places that I thought Caitlin could have gone. The battery on my phone died."
Grant slumped in relief, letting go of Sarah. He turned to Simon and me accusingly. "You're the ones that made me all crazy, convincing me that something had happened to Sarah! What's going on?"
I took a deep breath and Simon nodded at me, letting me know that I should tell them everything. I suggested that we all sit, and Grant and Sarah settled on the couch. I noticed how closely Grant was sitting next to Sarah but I didn't comment, although I saw her glance at him questioningly, also seeming surprised by how close
Chapter Seven
The drive to Rochester was excruciating. We kept in constant contact with Grant throughout the drive, and I was getting frantic with each hour that Sarah wasn't found. Her phone was still turned off and she was nowhere to be seen, her car still sitting in the driveway. We didn't explain to Grant why we were so worried because it would be a ludicrous conversation to have over the phone, but we didn't need to provide any added incentive for Grant to grow concerned. He sensed our anxiety and it seemed to fuel his own. I was beginning to realize how much he cared for Sarah.
We only stopped once to fill up on gas and buy stale sandwiches. Neither of us were hungry, but we forced ourselves to eat. It was late afternoon by the time we reached Maxwell, and it was bizarre seeing students loitering about, leading normal lives and having no idea that they might be on the brink of being overtaken by a vardoger. It was so ludicrous that I wanted to laugh, although humor was the last thing I was feeling.
Grant burst out of his apartment the second we pulled up into the driveway. He looked frazzled, anxiety making his features look drawn. "What the hell is going on? Why won't you tell me what's happening?"
Simon took a deep breath, motioning towards the stairs. "Let's go upstairs first. You're going to need to sit down for this."
I shot him a look as we went up to my apartment. I wasn't sure how much I wanted to tell Grant. I was pretty sure Grant would try to commit us to an insane asylum if we tried to explain the existence of vardogers.
My apartment looked exactly the same as it did when I left, but it was no comfort. I knew that the lack of a struggle didn't mean Sarah hadn't been abducted. Or worse.
Grant wheeled around the moment we stepped inside. "Okay, spill."
Simon glanced at me and I took a deep breath. I figured I had nothing to lose. "I think you should sit down, Grant. We should all sit down."
Grant looked like he was about to argue, but Simon pushed him towards the couch and made him sit.
"Fine, I'm sitting. Now is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?"
I opened my mouth to speak, when the front door opened. I gasped when I saw Sarah walk in, looking completely fine. I revised my assessment. She didn't look hurt but she looked far from fine, her face pale and drawn. Her mouth dropped open when she saw me, but before I had a chance to say anything, she flung herself towards me, hugging me so tightly that it was hard to breathe.
"Caitlin!" she sobbed. "I thought you were dead! I thought I'd never see you again!" She pulled back, her relief rapidly replaced with anger. "Where the hell have you been?" she shrieked. "I've been worried sick!"
"Sarah," I said, taking my first full breath since she hadn't answered her phone. "I could ask you the same thing. Where have you been?"
"What do you mean?" Sarah looked confused and I was surprised when Grant shot up from the couch, grabbing her by the shoulders.
"I've been looking for you all damned day! Where were you?! Why is your phone turned off?"
Sarah blanched at Grant's fierce rebuke. "What's going on? I'm not the one who’s been missing! I was walking around, checking all the places that I thought Caitlin could have gone. The battery on my phone died."
Grant slumped in relief, letting go of Sarah. He turned to Simon and me accusingly. "You're the ones that made me all crazy, convincing me that something had happened to Sarah! What's going on?"
I took a deep breath and Simon nodded at me, letting me know that I should tell them everything. I suggested that we all sit, and Grant and Sarah settled on the couch. I noticed how closely Grant was sitting next to Sarah but I didn't comment, although I saw her glance at him questioningly, also seeming surprised by how close
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