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I swallow, my thumb hovering over the notification. I tap it, and my stomach knots when the message appears on the screen.

My breath catches in my throat as I read the words repeatedly, my heart pounding in my chest.

A response comes immediately as if they were waiting for that very question.

I quickly block the account, but then I go back to the messages, reading them over and over. Anxiety coils and writhes inside of me, growing worse every time I read the messages. Their threatening tone sets my teeth on edge, and fear makes me sick to my stomach. Thanks to my shaking hands, it takes a few attempts to lock my phone. I toss it aside and bury my faceagainst Connor’s chest as he sleeps in blissful ignorance, letting his scent comfort me. His arms tighten around me, holding me close even in his sleep. Surrounded by his strength, my sense of security slowly returns, and I eventually fall asleep.

Run. Run. Run.

I pant, the whispered chant continuing in my head. The voice is unfamiliar but familiar at the same time. My lungs burn as I fly through the forest. The impact of the forest floor beneath my feet sends jarring reverberations through my whole body.

A twig snaps behind me. It’s gaining on me. It’s going to get me.

Run. Run. Run.

The words are more urgent this time, getting louder.

I take the chance to look over my shoulder and immediately trip on a branch, hitting the ground hard.

Run! Run! Run, Summer!

The voice screams so loud that a sharp pain spears through my mind. I gulp down air, about to get to my feet, when something cold wraps around my ankle and yanks me back. I cling to the ground, my nails dragging through the mud and moss.

I struggle as I’m yanked back so hard my ankle snaps. Unbearable burning pain radiates up my leg and down into my foot. I try to scream, but there is no sound.

Suddenly, my ankle is released. The only sound is my loud, terrified breathing and the pounding of my heart. A loud snarl triggers terror deep in my primal brain, and the urge to run is nearly overwhelming. Despite my broken ankle, I get to my hands and knees and crawl. I’m wrenched from the ground by my hair and slammed into a tree. My mouth opens wide, gasping for air that won’t come. As I lay on the ground, unable to move, a face appears in front of me. It’s one that I’ve seen before. I saw it for the first time yesterday. A face so similar to my own.

The voice that comes from her mouth is anything but human. It sounds like scorched earth and brimstone. “Summer… they’re coming for you.” Her smile is cat-like, and dirt and maggots fall from her mouth as she starts laughing. She slams a dagger into my stomach and twists it.

I wake with a start, the phantom pain of the blade in my belly and my broken ankle slowly dwindling. My alarm is blaring, and I grab my phone and turn it off, noticing a school-wide notification about an assembly this morning. The memory of the dream and her lifeless eyes still plague me.

It’s not the first time I’ve dreamed of being chased, but it is the first time something other than Torin was chasing me. Gia’s face, her broken, lifeless face lingers in my mind. I exhale and shake my head.

Connor is still sleeping peacefully, and I nuzzle his cheek. “Big guy?”

He groans sleepily. “Yeah?”

“We have an assembly.”

Connor opens his eyes, and his gaze locks with mine, his eyes still holding the memories from the day before. “All right.”

“Shower with me?” I ask, needing to do anything I can to get back that glimmer of sunny joy that has been there since I met him.

He nods and climbs out of the bed, holding his hand out for me. I slide my hand into his and let him tug me to my feet before leading him through to the bathroom. I turn the shower on, setting it nice and warm for us, and then pull off his sweater and my panties before stepping in. Connor follows me in, and I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my naked body to his.

“Thank you,” Connor whispers, pressing his forehead to mine.

I place my hands on his chest and close my eyes, enjoying the safety of being in his arms. The remnants of the nightmare slip off me with the hot water.

I pull back, looking up at him. “Hi.”

“You put a rune on my neck,” he says, his voice thick with affection.

I nod. “I wanted you to sleep without nightmares.”

“You’re incredible.”

I smile up at him and then press a kiss to his shoulder before grabbing my bottle of shampoo. Connor ghosts his fingers down my side, tracing the curve of my hip and the dip of my waist as I wash his hair. “Your shampoo is very,” he pauses for a moment, “scented.”