Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
Iwake to sunlight streaming through our dorm room window and the sound of Tia humming while she gets ready for class. For a moment, I feel completely normal—just another college student waking up on another ordinary day.
Then I remember everything that happened last night—the incredible kisses with Chase, the reveal about his brother—and bang. Just like that, the illusion of normalcy shatters.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Tia says, glancing over from where she’s applying mascara at her desk mirror. “Any weird dreams?”
“No dreams,” I say. “Which is good.”
“Riley and I passed Chase on our way back last night,” she says, her voice more than a little sing-song. “He didn’t see us, but he definitely had a spring in his step. Anything interesting happen while I wasn’t chaperoning? Hmm?”
I feel my cheeks heat, and she starts to laugh.
“I knew it,” she says, dropping her mascara and bouncing over to plonk herself down on my bed. “Smoochies or more?”
“Tia!”
“Roommate Code,” she says. “It’s sacrosanct. You have to tell me everything.”
I pretend to grumble, but the truth is I want to share.
I’ve never had a bestie. Well, not since third grade.
My mother had been far too moody to do the carpool thing or the hosting friends thing.
By the time I was ten, I was too afraid she’d wake up screaming from a nap to invite anyone over.
And by the time I was fourteen, I was too tired for friends because worrying about my mom kept me awake all night.
Once I was dumped into boarding school, the nightmares that had started after Mom’s death were paying me nightly visits, and I was too tired to be civil to anyone. And by the time the bitterness ended, no one wanted to be friends with the crazy girl who woke up screaming.
All of which means that even though I’ve been tossed headfirst into some freakish dream world, this is the first time in my life I’ve ever felt like a truly normal girl.
How weird is that?
I frown, considering. What if I feel normal because of the dream realms, and it’s not about Tia at all? What if Chase’s world really is my world?
I shudder, afraid that I’ve hit upon the truth. And at the same time, not afraid at all.
“Earth to Cora!”
I jump. “Sorry, sorry.”
“Mind wandering?” Tia asks with a lilt in her voice. “And so I ask again—kisses or more?”
“Kisses,” I say, watching her smile widen. “Very, very, very good kisses.”
She claps her hands with the enthusiasm of a toddler presented with cake. “I’m so glad. I swear, I couldn’t even see separate auras last night—the tension between you two was that thick.”
I cock my head. “You see auras?”
She waves my words away. “Girl, please. You two? Anyone could see your auras.”
I grin. “I believe it.” I bite my lower lip, debating, then come down on the side of friend-sharing. “We talked too. He told me some pretty heavy family stuff. Complicated stuff.”
Tia frowns. “Yeah? Like what?”
“It’s not my story to tell. Let’s just say there’s definitely more to Chase than I realized.”
“Ah.” Tia nods. “The mysterious hot guy has mysterious hot guy baggage.”
“Something like that,” I say, sliding out of bed and gathering my bathroom stuff. “How was your coffee date with Riley?”
“You are not allowed to change the subject.”
“I didn’t know I had.”
She cocks her head. “Hello? I need at least some details before we flip focus. Are we talking earth-moving kiss or just a nice little peck?”
Heat floods my cheeks. “It was…intense.”
“Good intense or ‘what have I done’ intense?”
“Good intense,” I say, touching my lips with my fingertips. “Definitely good intense.”
“Excellent. I approve of this development.”
“Me too.” True enough, but what I don’t say is that it also scares me. Because Chase is…well, I’m not entirely sure what Chase is. But I do know that anything between us will be complicated.
Right now, though? Tia’s right. Right now, I’m all about the seriously amazing kissing.
“So, what’s the plan for today? More dreamwalking lessons? Or are you going to devote the day to making out with the mysterious supernatural warrior?”
“Careful. Or I’ll tease you about your new girlfriend. Speaking of making out…?”
She pushes herself up to lean against the headboard. “Sadly, no smoochies. I’m honestly not sure where we’re headed. We’re in the Friend Zone, but I’m hoping we move on to the Friends with Benefits zone. Or—better—the Wowza zone.”
“And you don’t have a clue?”
Her cheeks go red. “Not yet.”
“I’m sorry.”
She waves the words away. “She’s a great friend. I’m not complaining. Just riding the Maybe Train. Okay,” she says, pushing herself off the bed and standing. “Talking about lusty fun is all good and well, but can we talk about last night? I mean, that was a little freaky, right?”
My insides go cold, and I have to force my smile. “Definitely freaky,” I say, then bite my lower lip. “Are you weirded out? I mean, you seemed fine walking home, but I get that this stuff is a lot. So if you’re—”
“Girl, please! Of course, I’m weirded out. But not by you. And no way am I running screaming for the door.”
“Good,” I say, only then realizing how afraid I was that the Weirdness That Is Me was going to push away my first real friend.
“I should probably go shower if I plan to hit a class today,” I say, relieved enough now to worry about the time. “And don’t you have class right now?”
“Yeah, yeah. In a sec.” She comes to sit on my bed, then takes one of my hands.
“No bullshit. Are you okay with all this? I mean, really okay? Because if you need to take a step back, figure things out, or whatever, then I’ll tell Chase and Mr. Griffin that you need some time to process all of this. ”
“No,” I blurt. “It’s good. I’m good. Well, scared out of my mind, but in a good sort of way. I feel, I dunno. Like I finally have a place. A purpose.” I grimace. “Does that sound too woo? For that matter, does it make any sense at all?”
“One, I’m all about the woo. And two, hell, yeah, it does. Total sense.”
“Good,” I say, relief warming my insides. “And thanks.”
“For what? For offering to tell them to back off?” She waves her words away, then says, “Sweetie, I get a little thrill telling guys to back off.”
I laugh. “Even so. The thanks are for everything. Believing me. Supporting me. Not running away screaming when things got weird.”
She grabs my hand and squeezes. “This is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me.
Probably even the weirdest, although the damn magical girdle is a close second.
Besides,” she adds, grabbing my other hand, “someone needs to keep you grounded while you’re off learning to be a supernatural badass.
We’re good,” she says firmly. “At least on my end, we are.”
“Mine, too,” I say. “I think I’m a little in love with you.”
She sighs dramatically. “If only you liked girls. And didn’t have the scent of Chase’s kisses all over you.”
“That’s okay. You’d just toss me aside for Riley.”
She grins and waggles her eyebrows. “Hell, yeah, I would. Like in a heartbeat. But, you know, no offense.”
I’m still laughing as she leaves for class.
I sit on the bed a bit longer, savoring the feeling of being rested for the first time in ages.
But I can’t stay here forever. I have my own classes to attend, not to mention a job.
At least, I assume I’m still working at The Griffin’s Nest, and not just training during working hours.
I hope so. I want to hold onto a normal life as long as I can. Because things are going to change. I know that. But I’m not willing to give up college and life and everything I love in this life.
Not without a fight, anyway.
I shower, dress, and head to Abnormal Psych, wondering if Professor Valdez would find my current situation fascinating or terrifying. Probably both.
The lecture is about sleep disorders and their psychological impacts, a topic I find ironic. And when Professor Valdez mentions night terrors, I slink down into my seat as she glances in my direction, probably wondering if I’m a bomb about to explode.
After class, I walk to TThe Griffin’s Nest for my shift, trying to process the strange duality of my life.
On the surface, everything looks the same—students hurrying to classes, professors discussing academic theories, normal people living normal lives.
But underneath, there’s a hidden world of supernatural threats. And it’s leaking over into this one.
“How are you feeling today?” Mr. Griffin asks as I make myself a latte.
“Better than I expected,” I admit. “But still a little freaked out.”
“I’d worry if you weren’t,” he says, then points to the coffee. “My favorite new employee would make me one too.”
“That’s why she’s your favorite,” I say, passing him the latte I’d just finished making and starting another one for myself.
I’m enjoying my first sip when my phone buzzes with a text from Chase: How are you feeling? Any aftereffects from last night?
I type back: Only the good kind. Then I backspace to erase it. I wish I were a girl who could flirt like that, but I’m not. Instead, I type, Good. Slept better than I have in weeks. Still on for tonight?
Same time, same place. We’ll try going a little deeper tonight.
I text back a thumbs-up.
BTW, last night was perfect.
I close my eyes, press my phone to my chest, and take a moment to savor the message. Then I text him back— Yeah. It really was.
I wait, but there’s no reply. That’s okay. Last night meant something to both of us, and I spend the day on a high, the hours passing quickly between my lusty thoughts and the busy store.
Around three, my heart skips a beat when Chase comes in. For a moment, I go all girly and just gawk at the gorgeousness that is him, sighing over the memory of last night’s kisses.
Then I get a look at his face and want to pull him close for a warm, protective hug because something’s off. He looks tired. Strained. Like he hasn’t slept.
Then I remember that he probably didn’t leave me last night to sleep. He left to hunt.