to start. It's my turn to stare at my fingers. "Have we met before?"
His brow slowly lifts. "Yeah. In Seth's class."
"Seth?" Such an informal way to talk about the professor.
He seems to notice his error right away. He straightens up, and his eyes get this wild look to them. "Professor Mitchell, I mean. I've spoken to you in his class."
"Yeah… about that…"
Lucien doesn't wait for me to continue. He leans closer. Since I'm just that kind of girl, I do the same. "I have a question for you first. Today in class… with… Gabriel. Have you ever seen him before? Maybe out of the corner of your eye or in your dreams perhaps?"
I scoff at him because he's being ridiculous and incredibly right. Well, sorta. "I've seen Gabriel… around. I mean, I think. I've never talked to him. Never dreamed of him. Not my type." Nervous laughter erupts from my throat, and I pray with everything I have for Lucien to not ask what my type is. Right now, my type is him.
His cheeks tinge pink again. "Good to know."
Good to know? What does that mean? Butterflies start to swarm in my belly, and I try to shush them. This is Lucien. He doesn't know I'm crazy yet. Just wait.
"Look." He places his hand on mine. The warmth feels so good. I relax and all my worries seem to just go away. I really like this guy, except for the creepy stalker vibes. Not my thing. Still, he makes me feel good. "I know this is difficult, but know that I believe you. If you tell me anything about that, or about Hart, I can help you."
I stare and fight every part of my brain that screams not to tell him a damn thing. "How do you know his name is Hart?"
"Here you go, sweetie." The waitress sits down a cup and pours my coffee. I smile at her, and she walks away. Again, totally ignoring Lucien.
I take a swig of my liquid awesomeness and set it back down. I'm fairly sure Lucien hasn't moved a muscle. He's staring at me. Trying to figure me out, I guess. I think it's time to change the subject. "You know, it's pretty rude for that waitress not to take your order. She acts like…"
One look from Lucien, one little tilt of the head and flare of the nose, and I'm done with the night. I'm. Done.
"She can't see you, can she?" Makes total and complete sense in the way that it doesn't.
He looks away, and I know. Ugh. I don't want to know.
"You're in my head. Like Hart. I'm seeing…" I push the coffee back and fight the urge to run away. Where would I go? You can't outrun what's inside you. "I'm insane, right? Of course, I'd be the person who asks the imaginary people camping in her brain if she's insane. If you answer me, does it make me any less crazy?" I grab my bag and start to stand. I can't take any more of this. Maybe I'll just find myself a nice tall bridge to jump from. That'll shut everybody up. Hart, Lucien, and those dead girls. That would make them leave me alone, right? It isn't like I haven't thought about it before.
Lucien grabs my hand and holds on tightly. "You aren't crazy. Not in the least, Gracen. What's happening to you… well, you have to trust me that I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I was too late, but I'll fix it. I promise I'll fix it."
The pretty waitress is looking at me now from behind the counter. To her it's just me standing there with my arm all sprawled out in midair, nothing holding me down. Has she thought I was talking to myself this entire time? I'm sure she has. I'm sure…
I hate my life.
"Other people see you at school," I mumble, trying my best to be a ventriloquist and not have my lips move. Maybe that way Nosey Nelly the Waitress will find something else to gawk at. "Professor Mitchell…"
Lucien nods, his hand still clasping my arm. "I can be seen when I want to be seen. I'm not like Hart. I don't have to possess a body. Kind of a perk of not being him."
Possess… a body… Hart has been possessing a body?
"Me? Hart has been possessing me?" My legs feel like Jell-O, and I fall into the booth. I can't say I ever thought he'd possess
His brow slowly lifts. "Yeah. In Seth's class."
"Seth?" Such an informal way to talk about the professor.
He seems to notice his error right away. He straightens up, and his eyes get this wild look to them. "Professor Mitchell, I mean. I've spoken to you in his class."
"Yeah… about that…"
Lucien doesn't wait for me to continue. He leans closer. Since I'm just that kind of girl, I do the same. "I have a question for you first. Today in class… with… Gabriel. Have you ever seen him before? Maybe out of the corner of your eye or in your dreams perhaps?"
I scoff at him because he's being ridiculous and incredibly right. Well, sorta. "I've seen Gabriel… around. I mean, I think. I've never talked to him. Never dreamed of him. Not my type." Nervous laughter erupts from my throat, and I pray with everything I have for Lucien to not ask what my type is. Right now, my type is him.
His cheeks tinge pink again. "Good to know."
Good to know? What does that mean? Butterflies start to swarm in my belly, and I try to shush them. This is Lucien. He doesn't know I'm crazy yet. Just wait.
"Look." He places his hand on mine. The warmth feels so good. I relax and all my worries seem to just go away. I really like this guy, except for the creepy stalker vibes. Not my thing. Still, he makes me feel good. "I know this is difficult, but know that I believe you. If you tell me anything about that, or about Hart, I can help you."
I stare and fight every part of my brain that screams not to tell him a damn thing. "How do you know his name is Hart?"
"Here you go, sweetie." The waitress sits down a cup and pours my coffee. I smile at her, and she walks away. Again, totally ignoring Lucien.
I take a swig of my liquid awesomeness and set it back down. I'm fairly sure Lucien hasn't moved a muscle. He's staring at me. Trying to figure me out, I guess. I think it's time to change the subject. "You know, it's pretty rude for that waitress not to take your order. She acts like…"
One look from Lucien, one little tilt of the head and flare of the nose, and I'm done with the night. I'm. Done.
"She can't see you, can she?" Makes total and complete sense in the way that it doesn't.
He looks away, and I know. Ugh. I don't want to know.
"You're in my head. Like Hart. I'm seeing…" I push the coffee back and fight the urge to run away. Where would I go? You can't outrun what's inside you. "I'm insane, right? Of course, I'd be the person who asks the imaginary people camping in her brain if she's insane. If you answer me, does it make me any less crazy?" I grab my bag and start to stand. I can't take any more of this. Maybe I'll just find myself a nice tall bridge to jump from. That'll shut everybody up. Hart, Lucien, and those dead girls. That would make them leave me alone, right? It isn't like I haven't thought about it before.
Lucien grabs my hand and holds on tightly. "You aren't crazy. Not in the least, Gracen. What's happening to you… well, you have to trust me that I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I was too late, but I'll fix it. I promise I'll fix it."
The pretty waitress is looking at me now from behind the counter. To her it's just me standing there with my arm all sprawled out in midair, nothing holding me down. Has she thought I was talking to myself this entire time? I'm sure she has. I'm sure…
I hate my life.
"Other people see you at school," I mumble, trying my best to be a ventriloquist and not have my lips move. Maybe that way Nosey Nelly the Waitress will find something else to gawk at. "Professor Mitchell…"
Lucien nods, his hand still clasping my arm. "I can be seen when I want to be seen. I'm not like Hart. I don't have to possess a body. Kind of a perk of not being him."
Possess… a body… Hart has been possessing a body?
"Me? Hart has been possessing me?" My legs feel like Jell-O, and I fall into the booth. I can't say I ever thought he'd possess
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