Page 71 of Shadows Within

I clutch the strap of my bag— anything to try and ground myself.

“Stay still, sweetheart.”

The quiet voice flashes in my head, each word making my stomach curl. I know this feeling.

I frantically search my bag for sour gummies.I always have some in here.

“Scar?” Sophia looks back at me. She was talking to me, and I wasn’t even paying attention.

“Sorry, I, uh, I just need a minute.”

“Are you okay?” I avoid her gaze as I riffle through my bag. Tucked under my books, I spot the bright coloured candy wrapper.Thank God.

In the middle of the cross walk, I stop to pull out a handful and put a yellow gummy in my mouth. I catch up to Sophia and we walk to her car in silence.

I get in the passenger side and reach around to throw my bag in the back.

“What just happened?” She asks.

“I, uh. I guess I’ve been seeing things. Flash backs really. To… that night.” I struggle to get the words out.

She reaches across the gear shifter and grabs my arm.

“Scar, why didn’t you tell me?” She pauses for a minute. “What have you been seeing?”

“It started the other night. I don’t really know what triggered these memories. I just walked into my room, and the first one came. It was a lot, Soph.” I look out the front window. “I wasn’t just seeing that night, it felt like I was reliving it. Like I was paralyzed and couldn’t move.”

I glance at Sophia. Tears fill her eyes and match my own.

“You know you can always call me. I’m always here for you. Day or night, we’ve always said that.”

“I know.” I sigh. “It’s not that I didn’t want to call you, it’s just that Callum came… kind of when it was happening, and I didn’t really want to talk about it again after that.”

Her faint smile is encouraging.

“You know that we don’t have to talk about stuff if you don’t want to. You can just call me and say that you need me, and I’ll come over and sit with you. I just want to be there for you. You’re my best friend and I feel like I don’t really know what’s going on in your life lately.”

I nod. “Yeah. I feel the same. I’m sorry that I haven’t been around much since things have gotten more serious with Callum.” I feel like a shitty friend.

“How are things with him?”

“Good. He’s kind of amazing in a dark and mysterious way. I don’t know how to fully describe him. He’s such an intellect—like he doesn’t try to figure out what foods I like or what my favorite movies are, he just knows… although I’m pretty sure he’s hacked my Netflix account just to see what I watch.”

Sophia snorts. “Jesus, he sounds intense.”

“Yeah, he is. But it’s a connection I’ve never had before. With Chase…” I don’t have to say that it didn't feel right.

“Yeah, I know. You were a fucking mess after Chase but it’s because he tried to change so many amazing parts of you. Parts that make you, you.”

Her reassurance comforts me. It’s nice to hear that I wasn’t just making those parts up in my head.

“How’s the sex?” She wiggles her eyebrows and smirks.

I laugh before releasing a huge sigh.

“Holy shit, I always knew Mercer was packing.”

“Sophia!” I slap her arm.