Page 43 of This Blood That Binds Us

“Because The Family is dangerous. They’ll hurt you. They’ve killed people...people I know. So, if you know something, you need to tell me.”

“I know. There’s nothing. I’m just curious.”

I held my tongue. Any more talking and I was going to blow the secret. This conversation wouldn’t go unnoticed by Luke, or he’d definitely tell Zach about it when he got home.

They kept their secrets under lock and key. I would, too. I reminded myself of that every time I started to feel guilty. They had a lot on their plate. All I was doing was easing their burden and following up on a lead. That was it. They didn’t need to be involved.

After a few seconds of silence, I sat up and said, “Wanna watch me play Final Fantasy?”

Luke hated video games, but when we were kids, he’d watch me play. I wondered if I had blown my cover.

Finally, his shoulders dropped, and he chuckled. “Hell yeah.”

With labored breath, I ran along the busy roadside. My feet followed like a magnet. I checked my watch, squinting in the glare of the morning sun. I had been slowing down, and I needed to pick up the pace.

I pushed harder, staring straight ahead. My lungs pushed against my rib cage begging for air. Finally, I was going downhill. I jogged on and felt a rush of relief. My headphones drowned out the noise of passersby, and I kept pushing, leaning into the pain. All I had to do was make it to the end of my song.

A gentle tap on my shoulder stopped me in my tracks. I turned and ripped my headphones out of my ears. Nothing. Just the steady stream of cars on one side of me and a white wooden fence on the other. Thoroughly confused and extremely out of breath, I assumed I had imagined it.

I replaced my headphones and picked up my feet. They tried to find their rhythm again, but my body was slow and heavy. I reeled my head around to look to make sure no one was following.

Dizziness came over me, and I had barely stopped in time before tripping over my feet. I placed my hands on my hips and leaned down to try to catch my breath. Even though I was still, my eyes couldn’t focus on anything. I tried focusing on the cracks in the sidewalk before finally closing my eyes for a second to get a hold of myself.

“Hey, are you okay?”

A hand touched the middle of my back, and I shrugged it away.

I opened my eyes, and William was combing me over with worry. He looked like he had raided the campus merch store, with his BFU dark green shorts and baseball tee.

“Yeah, yeah. I just felt dizzy for a second.” I blinked a couple of times. The feeling from before was completely gone.

“Shouldn’t you be taking it easy?”

He was kidding, but I could hear a hint of conviction in his voice.

He reminded me of what the doctor had said. I should be taking it easy. My body was still under stress, and I hadn’t given it much time to adjust. I must have gone a little too far.

“Maybe I should walk you back to your dorm,” he said. His hair was wet, with beads of sweat, his face flushed.

“Oh, no, you don’t need to do that. I can walk by myself. I feel better...really. Were you out running, too?”

“Yeah, endurance helps with swimming. Here, you can have my water.”

He held out a flask of water that had been buckled to his hip, and I wondered if it was hygienic to drink a practical stranger’swater. I took the sip of water anyway and closed my eyes for a second to ground myself.

I thanked him, trying not to feel bad about another chance at getting my three-mile time back on track.

“Let me walk you up to the shops up there. I’m heading that way.” William motioned up ahead.

I nodded, and we started walking. Our campus was located a short distance from the main town square. I picked my running location for that exact reason. It was populated, usually bustling with bike riders and students walking between classes to get lunch at one of the outdoor patios or an ice cream sandwich from the parlor on the corner.

“Say...I missed you at the party after I came back from the kitchen. They told me you left.”

My heart sank. It had been more than two weeks, and I’d completely forgotten about leaving William in the kitchen at the frat house.

“Oh my god, I forgot. It wasn’t on purpose. It was a whole thing with this creepy guy, and I left early. I’m so sorry. I should have said something.”

It had been two weeks since the night of the party, and in those two weeks, I hadn’t seen William in my writing class once. I was starting to wonder if it was because of me.