“No, no, you stay in a good mood. I’ll kiss you like that all the time.”
He laughed, and I smiled at the sound. My Chay was back. The moody, distant guy was gone—hopefully for good.
***
That afternoon, Chay was waiting for me when I left gym. “Can I drive you?”
“Sure.”
“Wanna milkshake? My treat.” He grinned.
“You mean your uncle’s treat.” I laughed. “Besides, I can’t. I have to get home for my doctor’s appointment.”
“Okay. I’ll settle for taking you home.”
We walked to his car—he carried my books—holding hands. He opened the door for me, and I climbed into the car, breathing in his scent. I knew I was right where I was supposed to be. But just when I started to get comfortable… it began.
He reached over and threaded our fingers together. That was when the first image flashed before my eyes.
Chay. Muriel. Laughing.
I let go of his hand and rubbed mine against my jeans to dry the sweat before Chay noticed. He laid his hand on my knee, and the second image flitted through my consciousness.
Chay. Muriel—a look of unease.
I angled my body toward him, curling my feet under me on the seat. He raised his hand to the back of my neck, running his fingers through my hair.
Knife protruding from my stomach. Bloody hands. Chay’s hands.
I choked at the image. He looked at me, the car swerving into the other lane. The drivers of the other cars honked and a few fingers flew. Chay grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, jerking the car back into the lane.
“Whoa! My life just flashed before my eyes,” he said, his voice shaking.
Yeah, you have no idea.
16
It’s Over
I was lying in bed. My eyes were heavy, and I was just drifting to sleep when my phone chimed. I snatched it from my bedside table and pushed the button to read the text.
Chay: So? What did the doctor say?
Me: Gave me the all clear. Everything has healed, stitches are out, and I’m good to go.
Chay: Good to hear.
Me: How are you feeling?
Chay: Better.
Me: Gotta go. See you tomorrow?
Chay: Yeah. Good night, Milayna. I love you. Don’t forget that.
Me: Good night. I love you, too.
I started to add for him not to forget it and try to kill me, but I decided that would ruin the moment.
***
I’m at school, leaning against a blue locker with chipping paint. I’m alone except for Muriel and Chay, who are talking at the end of the hall. They’re standing in front of the lighted trophy case. To the right is the gym. To the left, behind Muriel, is a brick wall.
Chay says something to Muriel. She shakes her head. He becomes more insistent. She puts her hands up, as if to push him away.
Chay grabs her hands and jerks them down. He’s yelling. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but I can tell by his body language that he’s mad. Muriel has tears streaming down her cheeks.
The demi-demons walk out of the shadows. They stand around Chay.
I brace myself to run, to help Chay and Muriel fight them, but something stops me. They aren’t fighting. They’ve surrounded Chay, clapping him on the back, laughing and talking. About what, I can’t hear.
Muriel cries. Her shoulders rock with the force of her sobs. A demi-demon’s hand snakes out and slaps her across the face before yelling something at her. I begin to run toward her. She looks at me, her mouth forming a perfect circle when she screams, “No.”
I skid to a stop, my sneakers squeaking loudly against the gleaming, tiled floor. My feet slip out from under me, and I place my hand on the floor to steady myself. I stand and see the demi-demons advancing toward me. Chay in the lead.
He’s saying something to me. The sneer on his face, the look of complete loathing, scares me… and I turn to run.
Jerking awake, I held back a scream. I rolled up and sat on the side of the bed. Blowing a lock of sweaty hair out of my face, I looked around the darkened room before slipping off the bed.
In my bathroom, I turned on the tap and grabbed the glass sitting next to the sink. Filling it, I guzzled the cool water, and then filled it again and downed a second cup, trying to wash away the remnants of my nightmare.
Walking back into my bedroom, I looked at the clock next to the bed. The large, green, glowing numbers read four o’clock. I had to be up in two hours.
Who am I kidding? I’ll never be able to go back to sleep.
I stalked over and switched off my alarm before slipping quietly into the hallway and making my way downstairs. Flipping on the light in the kitchen, I grabbed a pint of ice cream out of the freezer. I sat on the couch that overlooked the street, scooping a large spoonful of cookies ‘n’ cream into my mouth.
He was standing there. I knew he would be.
I ate my ice cream and watched him. Every once in a while, I’d see a fat hobgoblin dart past the window, their red skin like a beacon against the white, snow-covered ground. He didn’t move, however. He stood like a statue in the shadows. He’d been there every night for the past week.