Page 187 of Mud

It was the ultimate proof, I thought to myself, that Taland was not whoever Hill and the IDD were looking for. It was the ultimate proof that we hadn’t left each other’s side for a single second since the night began, and Hill knew it by now. That’s why the phone I’d hidden in the small pocket of my purse was silent—no calls, no texts, no nothing.

Taland was not who they thought he was.

He was just Taland. And he wasmine.

Those three hours were easily the best hours of my life.

Then everything changed.

“I have to get away from the party for a little bit, sweetness.”

My heart fell instantly as if my body knew.

We’d just sat down at our table after dancing to ten songs in a row, and we needed to catch our breath and drink some water, before we returned to our friends again.

Even so, my smile didn’t falter.

“Where are we going?” I asked because obviously he was talking about getting away from the crowd so we could have a little time together.Alone.

Taland flinched. “Actually, I need to get away on my own. It’s just for a little bit. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.” He stood up, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, and leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. “Miss me.”

That’s all he said—miss me—and then holding his jacket over his shoulder, he walked out of the party.

All by himself, without me.

Left me all alone.

The music, the laughter, the lights and the people dancing around me faded away into nothing. I grabbed my purse, left my shoes by the chair, and I followed him outside like I was walking on clouds. Like I wasn’t really there, living that moment. Like it was only a dream, a bad dream, and soon I was going to wake up.

I didn’t.

I saw the shape of him, and I followed him slowly, soundlessly, walking on the tips of my numb toes, all the way outside.

Taland hid in the shadows, looking about him as he went, and I did the same, hiding behind the walls, my eyes never leaving him.

Taland disappeared inside the first tower seconds later.

Stop, stop—STOP!

I squeezed my eyes shut where I was hiding behind a tree.

Goddess, this waswrong. What the hell was I doing, following him like this? What would I tell him if he caught me?!

He probably needed to do something on his own. He needed his privacy—and I was going to give it to him, damn it. It wasTaland—I had no right to follow him around like this!

But then I opened my eyes.

More shadows moved about the backyard of the school, and the phone in my purse vibrated with a new call at the same time.

Surreal.

Nothing but a figment of my imagination, this whole thing. The thoughts in my head didn’t make sense, like they were developing in slow motion. Even when I moved, took the phone out and brought it to my ear, and even when I said,‘hello’—none of it felt real.

“Are you with him?” David Hill said to me on the phone.

Yes,I thought.

“No,” I said.

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