Page 215 of A University of Betrayal

“No Mum, it doesn’t matter, it’s fine!” I huffed, suddenly feeling such intense anger inside me without knowing where it was coming from.

Mum also seemed to realize that something was wrong and put an arm on my shoulder.

The anger was getting more and more extreme and made it hard for me to really concentrate on the road, but we had to get home before this storm broke out completely and forced us to stop.

So I stepped on the gas, which caused my mother to get even more scared.

“Julian, I want you to pull over.Now. Please.”

“No,damn it!”I yelled at her unintentionally and noticed how she flinched in her seat, then even backed away.

“Your eyes...” she whispered, and the anger I was already feeling multiplied itself with the anger I was feeling toward myself.

Why was I yelling at her? What the hell was wrong with me? And why didn’t she realize that we needed to get home and I needed to focus on the stupid road?

More anger, my vision finally clouded. Suddenly, my neck cracked, and I arched my back, letting go of the steering wheel.

Mum shouted something unclear, but my thoughts and mind were already elsewhere. My body had taken on a life of its own and in the next moment the entire road blurred, the steering wheel slipped away from me as I tried to grab it and I felt a violent jolt pull me out of the car. Then my mother’s scream.

“Damn it, Julian!What’s wrong with you?!”

Chapter 39

Bayla

lovely (with Khalid)

Billie Eilish, Khalid

“Damn it, Julian! What’s wrong with you?” I shouted, overwhelmed.

I shook him like it was a matter of life and death until his eyes finally snapped open and he jerked up. He immediately started breathing as if he couldn’t get any air.

Helplessness overcame me.

“What’s wrong?” I continued panicked, trying to calm myself down as his breathing became even more frantic. “You’re worrying me.”

He was breathing and breathing, beads of sweat were running down his face, and his hair was the biggest mess ever. What worried me most was his naked wet torso. He had sweated so much that I feared he might be dehydrated.

Julian’s whole body was shaking, which made me want to put the blanket around his shoulders, but he turned away, squeezed his eyes shut, and leaned against my bed frame, which was part of our den.

“Julian, is there anything I can do?”

“No, damn it...” he whispered barely audibly, almost fragile. “There’s nothing you can do anymore.” His voice sounded so painful that it stung my own heart. “There’s nothingIcan do anymore...” Julian seemed to drift off. He seemed mentally absent, which made me stroke his blanket-wrapped arm. “She’s dead.”

I winced, but immediately calmed down as I realized what had just happened.

“Julian, you were dreaming,” I tried to say as calmly as possible, and he slowly lifted his head. His eyes were glowing yellow, which didn’t scare me this time. I could feel mine starting to glow as well.

“She’s dead, Bay.” His face contorted in pain. “She’s dead and there’s nothing I can do.” He got a little louder and I realized he was crying.

I hadn’t felt this overwhelmed in a long time.

“She’s fucking dead!”

Tears started running down his cheeks, and I did the next best thing and moved closer to him, sitting down cross-legged in front of him and pulling him close to me.

“You were dreaming.”

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