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L ater that night, Jax and I walk back to the dorm. Neither of us is drunk. Jax doesn’t like the taste of beer, so we split the six pack and called it a night. A group of rushing frat boys run past us, wearing suits and ties; a scent of beer and BO and dry cleaning solvent from the suits wafts past us. I look for Luke among them, but they’re already gone .

Jax shakes his head. Despite the outdoors club and marching band, Jax is not a joiner. He does his own thing. When it happens to line up with what other people like–playing instruments while marching around for no reason, or leaving a nice dorm room to sleep in the cold–he hangs out with them. I haven’t tried out for cross country or joined any clubs, despite wandering around the student organization fair the first week of college, but I have a funny feeling I could be more of a joiner than he is. I didn’t belong in the Far. I don’t belong with my sister and her guys. I don’t understand the world of the mediums and the hunters. I’ve gone a lot of time without belonging anywhere .

I glance over at Jax, his cheeks ruddy in the cold midnight air, and think maybe he feels like where I belong , like home, and that thought is scary .

Can’t I just keep this simple? For once ?

“Tonight was fun,” I tell him .

“For me too,” he says .

“You’re my favorite person to drink with,” I say. “Would your dad approve ?”

“He would,” he says. “We’re the best kind of drinking buddies. Someone you can trust no matter what .”

I nod, glad for that. Our hands bump against each other’s, hard enough to be unpleasant and surprising .

Jax’s next step takes him further away, to the outside of the brick path that winds through campus. “You’d think we’d had more to drink .”

Maybe next time .

My cell phone rings, and I grab it out of my back pocket. Since Jax is here, there are only two people who would be calling me this late: Ellis or Luke .

“Who’s that?” Jax asks. I’d like to ignore the call, instead of completely demolishing this moment that was supposed to be brave, that was supposed to be the first kiss, but instead is turning out to be nothing. But I can’t. Everything with Kappa Omega and the missing girls is so time- sensitive .

“Hey,” I answer the phone .

Luke says, his voice hushed and quick, “Meet me in the parking lot behind the frat house. At the back. Can you be there in ten minutes ?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there .”

Luke hangs up on me. He might have good reason, but he also doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who says goodbye .

“Who is that?” Jax asks, a slight frown between his thick brown eyebrows .

“Luke. He’s a hunter, a friend of Nora’s. I’m helping him out with a case .”

Jax’s hurt is palpable in the air between us. “Why didn’t you tell me about him ?”

“ Him ?”

“The case,” Jax corrects, his voice irritated .

I don’t have time to talk about this. “I’ll fill you in later, I promise. I’m going to Kappa Omega. If I never come back, then tell Ellis to look for a Luke Chamberlain .”

“Why Ellis? Why not me ?”

“I can’t talk right now,” I tell him. “Jax. It’ll be okay. I’ll text you when I get home so you know everything is okay, all right ?”

“All right,” he says sullenly, but when I turn around and take off running–thank God I wore Chucks to the party–he calls behind me, “Why don’t I come with you ?”

I slide to a stop, turn. “You can’t. But thank you.” I’m glad he cares so much .

“Landon,” he says, but I have to go. I throw a wave over my shoulder as I turn and run .

“Ash,” he says, more softly .

My Chucks slap the wet pavement as I race toward the frat house. It makes it easier to pretend I didn’t hear .