Page 94 of Into The Darkness

“I promise you, Ember. I won’t harm him.” I nodded, grateful for his assurance.

“Just stay away from him until the sit-down happens, at least.” As he stepped into the hallway, he turned back, a contemplative look on his face.

“Remember that phrase that Mom used to say to you when you were scared of the dark?” I gave him a small sad smile.

“Into the darkness I’ll go, and into the light I’ll be.”

“You are the light for all of us, Ember.” He walked down the hallway, then I closed my door.

“I can do this,” I whispered as the tears pooled in my eyes, and I turned toward the forest. I could do this.

After a few hours of sulking in the apartment, Maddy came home.

“Oh! I didn’t realize you were still going to be in the same pajamas from earlier.”

Donut crumbs littered my chest as I stared up at her. “Yup.”

“Why is there someone standing at the door?” I jumped off the couch before she could even finish that statement and opened the door to see who it was. Ash sent someone to sit outside my apartment, but I secretly hoped it was him.

“Hey,” I said to the guy I didn’t recognize.

“Sucks, you gotta babysit me tonight and tomorrow.” The guy nodded, and I rolled my eyes as I went back into the apartment.

“Ash’s frat has this big bonfire every year, and sometimes it gets wild so . . .” I gestured to the guy outside before grabbing another donut. I hated her annoying face right now.

“I thought you guys broke up.” She dropped her bag in her room and sat on the chair in the corner of the living room.

“We did.” I shrugged. “It’s a safety thing.” I was used to being protected by my dad and Walsh and was so tired of fighting, this was a battle I didn’t want to bring up. I hated being watched all the time, but that was par for the course.

“It’s kinda your princess-stuck-in-a-castle moment, then.” I laughed because she was right. It definitely was. “Anyway, you wanna come out tomorrow?”

I again nodded over to the door. “Nope. Can’t leave.”

“Isn’t this around the same time that your roommate disappeared?” I asked.

“Yeah.” If I had to bet, it would be that her former roommate somehow got caught up in the conflict between Walsh and Ash last year.

Damn, this bonfire had that much power to wreak havoc, and it infuriated me even more. The whole situation seemed like a toxic game of one-upmanship among these guys, and it was sickening to think about all the innocent people caught in the crossfire, facing pain and death. It was all so fundamentally wrong.

“But I am sure since you have a bodyguard now and what not, it is safe for you. Come on . . . let’s just go out.” She begged.

“No. I really can’t. I wouldn’t mind if you stayed home with me, though. We could watch a movie?” I offered.

“Annoying. You are too depress-o for me.” She shrugged. “Kinda sucks you can’t even enjoy college.”

God, I was pissed now. My sadness suddenly felt like it was boiling over. Because she was wrong . . . so fucking wrong and had no clue.

“You know what, Maddy?” She glanced over her shoulder. “I disagree.”

I stood up.

“I actually had a great fucking year, and this place?” I gestured around us. “Isles? This isn’t the real fucking world.”

“And . . .?” She rolled her eyes at me.

“And sometimes when people are going through shit, especially stuff that is bigger than this fucking tiny ass town, it doesn’t hurt to try and meet them where they’re at. Have some fucking empathy or something.” I walked to my door.

“If you fucking need me, I’ll be in my fucking tower.” I slammed the door and threw myself on the bed.

---