only been a dream. The police questioned us briefly, asking us what had been stolen. With the room torn to shreds, it was hard to tell.
Not sure if it might be related, I told them about how Brent and I had been followed the night before—although I left out the fact that it had been after curfew. I also brought up DJ and the envelope of pictures, but aside from that, I had nothing else to offer. The detectives asked Mrs. Hewett to call Brent and have him bring over the photos. When asked if I knew anyone who would have a reason to hurt me, I couldn’t think of a single person.
Brent showed up a few minutes later, and just seeing him warmed the cold inside me. He gave me a worried look and handed the detective the envelope of pictures. He moved to sit down beside me but a detective pulled him aside and asked to speak with him. Brent kept glancing my way while the man jotted a few things down in a notebook.
When they finished, Brent turned toward me, but Mrs. Hewett stopped him with her words. “Thank you, Brent. You may return to your room now.” Though polite, it was clearly an order.
“I was going to make sure Yara was okay.”
“As you can see, she’s fine. I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”
Brent nodded and turned to go, but I thought I saw a slight smile play across his face. I was about to protest, but before I could get a single word out, Brent projected. I joined him and ran across the room into his arms. Over Brent’s shoulder, Mrs. Hewett stood frozen. Even though time had paused, it still felt weird to be snuggling with my boyfriend in front of her. He hugged me tight before pulling back, his brown eyes searching my hazel ones. “How are you really doing?”
“I’m doing okay. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaked. We were followed, I saw DJ, my room got trashed.”
Brent’s arms tensed around me. “Wait? Hold up. You saw DJ?”
I wrinkled my forehead. “Yeah. Didn’t I tell you?”
“No.” Brent’s jaw clenched. “When did you see him?”
“At the Alumni House.”
“I don’t like this.” Brent shoved his fingers through his hair. “None of it makes sense to me. What do they want?”
“I don’t know. They took some pages from my Waker journal.”
Brent’s bottom teeth chewed on his upper lip. “I feel weak and blind when it comes to that ghost stuff. I don’t feel like I’m strong enough to protect you.”
I raised my hand to his cheek and let my fingers caress his face. “I’ve been learning to protect myself from ghosts. And you did protect me from Sophia.”
“I know. And if I hadn’t been there, you would have been okay.” I wasn’t so sure about that but decided it might not be the best time to contradict him. Brent let his eyelids slide closed. “But ghosts aren’t the problem this time.”
I shivered. “That’s the part that scares me.”
“Please be careful.” He tucked my head under his chin, his breath tickling my scalp. “No unnecessary risks.”
“I promise. The same goes for you.”
“Agreed.”
Being in his arms brought me a feeling of peace and safety I couldn’t find anywhere else in the world. I’m not sure how long we stayed like that but I held him close until I felt brave again, until the unease in my chest loosened. When we were both ready we separated and went back to our bodies. Brent gave me a wink before turning and leaving.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” I called after him.
I felt so much better than I had before projecting; I was almost surprised to see the detectives still on the chairs across from me, poised to keep asking me questions.
Velasco, the female detective, was younger than her partner, with dark hair and friendly brown eyes that didn’t seem to miss anything. “The burglary may have nothing to do with the pictures or being followed, but,” she glanced at her notes, “for the time being we’re going to assume they’re related.”
Roberts, her partner, looked
Not sure if it might be related, I told them about how Brent and I had been followed the night before—although I left out the fact that it had been after curfew. I also brought up DJ and the envelope of pictures, but aside from that, I had nothing else to offer. The detectives asked Mrs. Hewett to call Brent and have him bring over the photos. When asked if I knew anyone who would have a reason to hurt me, I couldn’t think of a single person.
Brent showed up a few minutes later, and just seeing him warmed the cold inside me. He gave me a worried look and handed the detective the envelope of pictures. He moved to sit down beside me but a detective pulled him aside and asked to speak with him. Brent kept glancing my way while the man jotted a few things down in a notebook.
When they finished, Brent turned toward me, but Mrs. Hewett stopped him with her words. “Thank you, Brent. You may return to your room now.” Though polite, it was clearly an order.
“I was going to make sure Yara was okay.”
“As you can see, she’s fine. I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”
Brent nodded and turned to go, but I thought I saw a slight smile play across his face. I was about to protest, but before I could get a single word out, Brent projected. I joined him and ran across the room into his arms. Over Brent’s shoulder, Mrs. Hewett stood frozen. Even though time had paused, it still felt weird to be snuggling with my boyfriend in front of her. He hugged me tight before pulling back, his brown eyes searching my hazel ones. “How are you really doing?”
“I’m doing okay. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaked. We were followed, I saw DJ, my room got trashed.”
Brent’s arms tensed around me. “Wait? Hold up. You saw DJ?”
I wrinkled my forehead. “Yeah. Didn’t I tell you?”
“No.” Brent’s jaw clenched. “When did you see him?”
“At the Alumni House.”
“I don’t like this.” Brent shoved his fingers through his hair. “None of it makes sense to me. What do they want?”
“I don’t know. They took some pages from my Waker journal.”
Brent’s bottom teeth chewed on his upper lip. “I feel weak and blind when it comes to that ghost stuff. I don’t feel like I’m strong enough to protect you.”
I raised my hand to his cheek and let my fingers caress his face. “I’ve been learning to protect myself from ghosts. And you did protect me from Sophia.”
“I know. And if I hadn’t been there, you would have been okay.” I wasn’t so sure about that but decided it might not be the best time to contradict him. Brent let his eyelids slide closed. “But ghosts aren’t the problem this time.”
I shivered. “That’s the part that scares me.”
“Please be careful.” He tucked my head under his chin, his breath tickling my scalp. “No unnecessary risks.”
“I promise. The same goes for you.”
“Agreed.”
Being in his arms brought me a feeling of peace and safety I couldn’t find anywhere else in the world. I’m not sure how long we stayed like that but I held him close until I felt brave again, until the unease in my chest loosened. When we were both ready we separated and went back to our bodies. Brent gave me a wink before turning and leaving.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” I called after him.
I felt so much better than I had before projecting; I was almost surprised to see the detectives still on the chairs across from me, poised to keep asking me questions.
Velasco, the female detective, was younger than her partner, with dark hair and friendly brown eyes that didn’t seem to miss anything. “The burglary may have nothing to do with the pictures or being followed, but,” she glanced at her notes, “for the time being we’re going to assume they’re related.”
Roberts, her partner, looked
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