Page 3

Myhands tremble on the hood asIcircle around to the driver’s door, butAdrianintercepts me.

“Iwill take you home,” he reiterates gruffly with arms cinched around me.

“Steph, wait, please!”Zakshouts.

Thesight ofZakrunning toward us makes me spin around inAdrian’sarms to bury my face in his chest.Thephantom ofZak’steeth buried in my neck still tears at my skin.Thesound of him greedily gulping my blood echoes in my ears.

Mybody violently shakes.Aterrified cry escapes, muffled byAdrian’smuscle.

“Zak, don’t you fucking go near her,”Robbiegrunts.

Bodiestussle.

Adrianjerks, like he’s motioning as he holds my head against him. “Z, you’ve done enough!”

“Steph,Ilove you,”Zakhollers.Hisvoice cracks. “I’mso fucking sorry.”

“Takeher home!”

Adriangently coaxes me to part from him, just far enough so we can peer at one another in the dark rainy night. “Let’sgo, okay?”

Sniffling, shivering,Inod. “O-okay.”

Hemurmurs affirmatively, butIcan’t make out the words over the rain and trying so hard to not look atZakas his brother escorts me to the passenger side of the car.Ican make outShannon’sfigure in the periphery, but he doesn’t say a word.

“Steph,I’mright behind you,”Robbiecalls.

HeandShannongripZak’sarms as he drops to his knees.Hishead hangs, dark hair hiding his face as his shoulders shake.

Whitenoise blares through the car, and the brightness of the entertainment center on the dashboard catches my attention.

Myeyes widen at the time.

It’sbeen hours since the band meeting.

Chapter3

“Phantom”

–Johari

Rainpeltsthe car in the darkness of the driveway at home, washing the caked-on dust and dirt from the hood.Thescent of mud overpowers the cab, whereAdrianandIsit as still as statues.

“Howlong…”Itrail off, not wanting to know.Iswallow hard. “Howlong wasIdown?”

Ittakes a moment before he moves, raking fingers through his soaking wet hair. “Alot longer than you shoulda been.”

Thesquelch of wet clothes makes that too apparent.

“Why…”Itrail off in a whisper, unsure of whatI’masking.

Alone streak of lighting streaks through the sky.Thunderrolls a second later.

Heswipes the keys from the ignition and runs into the rain, quick to come to my door and usher me to the porch.Keysjingle in his hand, the tinyclinks andclanks sounding like trembling bells.

Heall but shoves me into the house before quietly shutting and locking the door behind us and flipping the porch light off.Thesecond he spins around, his arms surround me, clutching me as tightly as he possibly can.

Heshudders, his breath shaking in my ear.Adrian’sfingers are prune-like as they rub across the skin of my lower back.