Marcus spent plenty of nights comforting me when I was a kid. Seems things haven’t changed much.

“I thought so, too. Guess it wasn’t done with me though.”

A sigh drifts from his end of the line. “You need to stop putting all this pressure on yourself. This exchange won’t go like the last ones. And, if it does, we’ll get through it.”

“Yeah, okay. I’m okay.” The words sound false to my own ears, but I let the lie go. Marcus should be sleeping, not reassuring me that a dream isn’t real when I already know that. “I’m gonna let you get back to bed. Sorry I woke you.”

“It’s going to be fine. I’m doing okay. Stop worrying. I love you, sis.”

“Love you, too, bro.”

“Night.”

“Night.”

After he hangs up, I shut down my own phone. Luckily, in my loft, my clothes are all an arm’s length away, so it’s no trouble to shuck off my damp shirt and grab a clean one. The dry fabric does a great deal to help distance me from my former terror.

I snuggle back into my mattress, pulling my blankets up to my chin. “Just a dream.”

The claim might work better if it were true. Why my brain chooses to morph the events of that night from my childhood is a question for a therapist.

BEN

I should be heading to my car, not to Huntsman Hall. But my feet said a big screw you to that, and now, I’m walking in the opposite direction. Straight toward the girl I haven’t been able to get out of my head.

I shouldn’t be doing this.

It hasn’t even been a week since we met at Dr. Williams’s office.

I haven’t texted Holly to see if she wants to hang out.

She doesn’t know that I know she’s in this class.

I’ve made it to the front of the building when the full weight of my weirdness registers.

What is wrong with me? When did I turn into a stalker?

I turn to head back the way I came and make it two steps before someone shouts my name. I’m caught, betrayed by my own.

“Benny! Look who I found!”

There’s no question in my mind who’s going to be next to my overly helpful friend when I shift to meet his grinning face. There, walking at his side, is Holly Foster, organ donor and unhealthy crush of mine. Luckily, she doesn’t appear creeped out by my sudden appearance. Instead, she wears a small smile as her eyes travel between Jasper and me, like she’s trying to figure us out.

“Aren’t you glad I told you to meet me here? I was totally right. I have class with your Holly.” Jasper gives a dramatic flourish of his hands, as if he were a magician introducing his assistant.

“I didn’t call you my Holly.”

I need to get new friends.

She just chuckles and shakes her head, making her soft brown hair swish against her cheeks.