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I t’s hard for me to trust anyone but Jax and my sister. Hell, it’s hard for me to trust Jax, and he is pretty much the pinnacle of Good and Trustworthy Friend. So when Luke starts blowing up my cell with call over and over again at 4 am, I stare at it blearily .

I don’t want to think about him anymore, at least not for tonight; I don’t want to wonder if I can trust Luke and Mave, or if not trusting them will get another girl killed. I could really use some sleep .

Jax mumbles something and buries his head back in his ugly forest green pillow. Across the room, his roommate stirs impatiently .

What? I text Luke. It’s easier to manage a conversation with someone I don’t trust when I can take a minute to think before I respond .

He calls me again right away .

Of course he won’t do things my way. I reject the call, but after a second’s debate, I get up. Maybe he and Mave are in some new kind of trouble. I shove my feet into my sneakers as I open the door—there’s another groan from the bed as the light from the hall seeps into the dark dorm room—and then I’m out in the hallway, ready to call Luke back .

Except he stands outside Jax’s room, his hands in his pockets. His head is down, hunching his big shoulders forward slightly, which emphasizes the way his t-shirt clings to his narrow waist and hips. He looks up, his deep green eyes meeting mine .

I’m so surprised I take a step back into the metal doorframe, bumping into it painfully hard, which makes me wince. “What the fuck are you doing?” I ask him in a hiss .

“Sorry,” he says. “Mave is downstairs. We think we found another murder .”

The last word sends a shiver down my spine. I don’t want to be part of a world where you’re constantly thinking about murders .

“Now?” I ask .

“Not now,” Luke says. “In the past. The 1980s, actually .”

“All right. So what do you want to do ?”

“They just found the body,” Luke says .

“ Okay …”

“Which means there’s a box of evidence that might belong to our poltergeist .”

I stare at him, wondering if I’m not able to process where he’s going with this because of my sleep deprivation or if he’s really being as weird as I think he is. He stares back at me like I’m an idiot .

“Our poltergeist is Claudia. Right?” I ask .

“That’s one ghost.” The words seem to taste bitter in his mouth; his handsome lips pucker slightly as he admits, “But you might be right. There might be a second poltergeist. Mave wants to talk about it more .”

“Where is Mave ?”

“He’s getting supplies .”

“For what? An exorcism ?”

“Nah, we always have those in stock,” Luke says. “We were going to break into the police station. Want to come ?”

“No, I do not want to break into a police station.” The words come out stuffy and shocked. That reminds me of Professor Boyd, and I’m fully awake, thanks to the sudden edge of panic. “Luke, you shouldn’t be here. The police are looking for you. You can’t rob a police station. What if you get caught ?”

“If I get caught, it’s bad news whether they’re looking for me or not,” he says lightly. “But how do you know they’re looking for me ?”

“Professor Boyd and campus security were here earlier, trying to find you. You shouldn’t be here, what if they’re watching ?”

“You’re going to have to fill me in later,” he says, clearly pissed all over again. “Come with me. I can’t just leave you here .”

“Yeah, you can leave me here. I’m safe with Jax. I can’t go commit a crime , Luke. I’m not you .”

“What the fuck does that mean?” he demands. “Ash, come on. We have to go, right now .”

My spine is still pressed against the door, and I put my hand on the handle of Jax’s room. “I can’t go with you, Luke. I don’t know who you are. I can’t be mixed up in what you’re doing .”

His eyes meet mine, filled with frustration .

“I can’t go with you,” I tell him again. “Not in the middle of the night. Not when I don’t know who you are .”

“Ash!” He throws his hands up in the air, frustrated .

“I’m sorry,” I say, and I mean it .

“I want to protect you,” he says. “and I want to talk. And we can’t waste any more time here .”

“You’re right. Meet me tomorrow.” I swing the door back open. In a whisper, I say, “You have to get out of here. Just in case. Meet me in the morning, behind the Beanery. 8 am.” That’s pretty close to public, even though we’ll have some cover. It’s a good place to talk to the boy I can’t trust .

“How do I know it won’t be a trap?” Luke asks me .

I guess I’m the girl he can’t trust right back .

I shrug. “Beats me. You’re the hunter, figure it out .”

My heart pounds as I duck into Jax’s room again, leaving a furious Luke out in the hall. Before I can close the door behind me, I hear the sound of the fire door down the hall creaking open, and the quick pounding of Luke’s boots running down the hall towards the other exit .

I fall into Jax’s bed, bone-exhausted, but of course, I don’t sleep .