Page 86 of When Darkness Calls

Liz, Issac, and I sit in the plaza, burgers and fries littering the table.

Aside from the very apparent awkwardness with Issac’s presence across from me, and Liz’s blatant ignorance of it, for once, things are going well.

I got caught up on all my homework earlier. It’s actually below seventy-five degrees today. My eyeliner went on like a fucking dream this morning. And…

I finally had a conversation with him. He spoke low on the phone, with a roughness to each word as they tumbled through the line. It didn’t sound very natural, like he was forcing it. But I suppose, if he’s trying to hide behind a mask, he might be hiding his voice too. I don’t mind though.

The low timber of his voice had me melting into a mess of giggles and blushes on my bed. I felt ridiculous. Like a cheesy schoolgirl stereotype on the phone with her crush, kicking her feet, and swooning.

Then, when we started talking about those things…

I want to do it again. I want to do more than just talking.

There is still the unknown, beneath all the things. I don’t know what he looks like, his real name, or what he is capable of, and yet, it makes me excited. Despite these things, he hasn’t tried to hurt me. Something drastically new in the long line of experiences I have had with men.

He said he wanted to be there for me, and he has. Every single time I thought there was an end in sight, he came storming in.

Cade is gone tonight. I’ve noticed I tend to see Shadow when he leaves. I hope he will be there.

“You did it again,” Liz deadpans.

“Huh?” I blink, looking at her. She chuckles, shaking her head.

“Tell me you were thinking about Grayson’s abs again.”

“What? No!”

“Liar,” she snorts.

Issac glances between us, a crease forming on his forehead. “Grayson?”

“Yup. He was at her house the other night walking around, half naked, looking all kinds of hot and bothered. Right, D?” She smirks.

“I thought Grayson wasn’t talking to you.” Issac looks at me pointedly.

“He…is? Kind of now? I don’t know. It’s weird.” I wave him off and turn to Liz. “And he was not ‘hot and bothered’ you fucking weirdo. He was sweaty. If you didn’t notice, Cay was too, and it dripped all over my floor.” I gag and Liz shrugs, her cheeks pink.

“What was the far off look for then, Deeds?” She takes a long slurp from her drink.

I plant my head in my hand, looking around campus. The leaves are yellow, floating gently through the warm breeze. It’s October next week.

“My…photography project.” Huffing, I scoot a fry around the burger wrapper. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Really? You haven’t thought of something yet?” Issac chews slowly.

“Not really.”

“That’s unlike you. You’re usually the first person with an idea for stuff like this. I’m doing mine on humanity.”

“Humanity?” I ask skeptically, side-eyeing him. “How are you doing that?”

“Lots of trips to town and people watching,” he chuckles.

Liz begins balling up her wrappers and trash. “I don’t know why you’re stressing, babe. Your best ideas come from you just acting, not thinking. Maybe you could start there?”

She stands, and Issac follows, they both wave, walking hand in hand to their next class.

I stare off, eyes to the sky as it kisses the mountain tops.