ran back inside, grabbed a black marker from the counter and shoved it in my pocket.
The sky was cloudy and dark with only the street lamps to light my way. The sound of footsteps on the pavement made me stop and scan the parking lot, but there was no one behind me. I put my hood up and headed toward Tyce's place. Tyce hadn't just entered his phone number when he put his information in my phone.
Several cars drove by me with loud music blaring and kids hanging out the windows. One car remained at the intersection, idling. Another car came up behind it and honked but the car in front didn't move. The car behind finally gave up and drove around the idling car. I crossed the street, cutting into an alley, picking up my pace. I shook my head and slowed down. My mind was way over stimulated.
Headlights lit up the darkness behind me as a car slowly crept down the alley. Someone shouted my name, but I didn't hang around to find out who was yelling at me. The moment I started to run, the driver floored the accelerator and the car came barreling down the alley toward me. The car neared and I scrambled over a fence, running through backyards and across several streets to get away from whoever was fucking trying to turn me into part of the pavement. By the time Tyce's building came into view, I was panting and more than a bit shook up.
I raced up the steps almost knocking over two people waiting for the door to open. It only took a few seconds for someone to buzz us in, but I couldn't help looking over my shoulder for that stupid car. As soon as the door opened, I slipped into the stairwell and leaned against the wall. There was no way I could write it off as mistaken identity. That car had been chasing after me, trying to run me down.
"This is fucked up," I muttered. I sat down on the stairs to try and calm down. Tyce didn't need to see me all freaked out, and I didn't want to explain to him what had happened.
The hall was empty and I stood in front of Tyce's door, wondering if I'd made the right decision or if he was going to think I was a raving lunatic. I finally knocked quietly, deciding that if no one answered the door in the next ten seconds, I was going back home. After eight seconds, the door swung open and a very disheveled, tired Tyce stood staring at me.
"Erik, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, I know it's late, but I needed," I mumbled and felt my cheeks heat. "Shit." This was beyond embarrassing. "Never mind, forget I was here."
"Erik," Tyce said. He wrapped his fingers around my wrist and dragged me into his apartment. "What's going on?"
He looked confused and concerned—and maybe a bit distressed. He probably thought I'd gone mental and right now, he was probably correct.
There was too much to take in and my brain felt like it was going to short circuit. Tyce was standing in front of me again. My world had been frozen until he came back, now everything was melting around me. Tyce, the boy I'd been in love with since I was sixteen years old was back in my life and I needed him so badly that if I didn't get him, I felt like I might die. It all sounded so fucking crazy and desperate that if I said the words out loud, Tyce would probably slam the door in my face and call my sister.
"Erik?" he said again and bit his lip.
"Don't let fear run your life," I muttered and launched into my confession. "You sent me a text and I tried to go to sleep but there was no way. My mind was going round and round, playing tricks on me. I just need to know, to make sure."
I really did sound a bit mental and definitely desperate. My hands were shaking and a painful heaviness settled in my chest.
"Make sure of what?"
"Uh," I stammered and scrubbed a hand through my hair. This wasn't the time to get freaked out. I clenched my jaw and reached into my jacket pocket, pulling out the marker. I reached for his hand, turned it over and drew a small x near the pulse point on his wrist. His eyes lit up and he shoved me against the
The sky was cloudy and dark with only the street lamps to light my way. The sound of footsteps on the pavement made me stop and scan the parking lot, but there was no one behind me. I put my hood up and headed toward Tyce's place. Tyce hadn't just entered his phone number when he put his information in my phone.
Several cars drove by me with loud music blaring and kids hanging out the windows. One car remained at the intersection, idling. Another car came up behind it and honked but the car in front didn't move. The car behind finally gave up and drove around the idling car. I crossed the street, cutting into an alley, picking up my pace. I shook my head and slowed down. My mind was way over stimulated.
Headlights lit up the darkness behind me as a car slowly crept down the alley. Someone shouted my name, but I didn't hang around to find out who was yelling at me. The moment I started to run, the driver floored the accelerator and the car came barreling down the alley toward me. The car neared and I scrambled over a fence, running through backyards and across several streets to get away from whoever was fucking trying to turn me into part of the pavement. By the time Tyce's building came into view, I was panting and more than a bit shook up.
I raced up the steps almost knocking over two people waiting for the door to open. It only took a few seconds for someone to buzz us in, but I couldn't help looking over my shoulder for that stupid car. As soon as the door opened, I slipped into the stairwell and leaned against the wall. There was no way I could write it off as mistaken identity. That car had been chasing after me, trying to run me down.
"This is fucked up," I muttered. I sat down on the stairs to try and calm down. Tyce didn't need to see me all freaked out, and I didn't want to explain to him what had happened.
The hall was empty and I stood in front of Tyce's door, wondering if I'd made the right decision or if he was going to think I was a raving lunatic. I finally knocked quietly, deciding that if no one answered the door in the next ten seconds, I was going back home. After eight seconds, the door swung open and a very disheveled, tired Tyce stood staring at me.
"Erik, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, I know it's late, but I needed," I mumbled and felt my cheeks heat. "Shit." This was beyond embarrassing. "Never mind, forget I was here."
"Erik," Tyce said. He wrapped his fingers around my wrist and dragged me into his apartment. "What's going on?"
He looked confused and concerned—and maybe a bit distressed. He probably thought I'd gone mental and right now, he was probably correct.
There was too much to take in and my brain felt like it was going to short circuit. Tyce was standing in front of me again. My world had been frozen until he came back, now everything was melting around me. Tyce, the boy I'd been in love with since I was sixteen years old was back in my life and I needed him so badly that if I didn't get him, I felt like I might die. It all sounded so fucking crazy and desperate that if I said the words out loud, Tyce would probably slam the door in my face and call my sister.
"Erik?" he said again and bit his lip.
"Don't let fear run your life," I muttered and launched into my confession. "You sent me a text and I tried to go to sleep but there was no way. My mind was going round and round, playing tricks on me. I just need to know, to make sure."
I really did sound a bit mental and definitely desperate. My hands were shaking and a painful heaviness settled in my chest.
"Make sure of what?"
"Uh," I stammered and scrubbed a hand through my hair. This wasn't the time to get freaked out. I clenched my jaw and reached into my jacket pocket, pulling out the marker. I reached for his hand, turned it over and drew a small x near the pulse point on his wrist. His eyes lit up and he shoved me against the
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