Part 26: Someone

I turned and smiled.

I had a beautiful dream.

Or, wait...

There was an alien but vaguely familiar scent in my room, and it was worse on the sheets. Ash was really here. But...

If Ash was in my room last night, then where was he?

I jumped off my bed and rushed to the door. Could it be that he was down in the kitchen preparing breakfast for me?

Could novel scenes really...

"Adey?"

I was barely three steps out of my room when I blinked. "You?"

"Were you expecting someone?" Devyn brought his face down to my face when I tried looking past him down the stairs even if I knew the kitchen was not visible from that angle.

"Is someone else here?"

Devyn's eyebrows furrowed. "Someone else?" Then his blue eyes darkened. "Someone was here last night, isn't it?"

"Yeah I..." I stopped myself. What was I doing? I didn't even have an idea of how Ash had gotten inside in the first place. Probably Devyn would go to the cops and report a break in offense or worse, add some tighter security techniques and stop any other chance I had of having Ash in my bed again.

I shook my head. I was going crazy. Definitely crazy. I might have accepted him as my boyfriend but that didn't mean I should have him in my bed.

"No I just..." I closed my eyes and ran my tongue over my dry lips. His taste was still on them, and I could perceive his perfume on my skin even as I stood in the presence of my brother whose perfume had the strongest fragrance I had ever known. "Don't mind it. I had a bad dream that... someone broke in?"

"Someone?" he lifted a questioning brow, tilting his head to the side, suggesting he knew there was more to it than meet the eye.

"Yeah. People actually. Black clothes, face masks and you were tied up in a chair down in the kitchen with a gag over your mouth and some blood tickling down the side of your..."

"Adey," My brother covered my mouth with his hand and I looked up at him in surprise. He smiled. "I get you. Stop reading those novels." He flicked my forehead before turning away. "I'm going out. Don't be late for school."

I smiled as I watched him walk down the stairs. He was such a love.

But honestly, how on earth had Ash entered and left our home?

*************************************************

'Morning babe,'

I smiled to myself and typed back. "Yeah?"

'How did you sleep?'

"Almost perfectly well if you wouldn't have snuck out."

'Next time I'll stay in until your brother caches us in bed.'

I smiled widely and buried my face in my hands when Dawn turned to me.

"The class just started, who's sexting you now?" She asked.

"Aw, come on." I rolled my eyes at her. "I don't do sexting."

"You're literally squirming in your seat."

I adjusted the short skirt I was wearing. "Don't get naughty thoughts, Dawn. Those are bad manners; you might pass them on to me."

My phone vibrated again and Dawn said, "That person is impatient. Is it Javier?"

I snorted. "Someone better." And checked the text.

'Are you with another guy?' Ash had texted. 'Or what's taking you long to text back?'

I sighed and replied. "I'm in class."

'When are you knocking off? Come to me.'

"I'll think about it. Text later."

I put away my phone. I had just broken up with Javier, was I ready to visit another guy's room?

"Pay attention to the class, or I'll tell whoever that little boy is to back off." Dawn nudged me and I nodded with a little smile.

Clearly, she didn't know Ash. He was in no way a boy, save little. Boys were attractive and little things were cute. My Ash was a full-grown man animal, too grotesque to be attractive but desirable, and too huge to be cute but virile.

*************************************************

"Hey,"

"You're back early today." Dave observed.

"I skipped class. Too boring for me." I told him as he served me a drink. "Thanks."

"Are you okay?" He gave me the look that said, 'You can say yes if you want, I'll understand.'

"Why? Am I not supposed to be okay?" I frowned at him. "Are you still talking about that old goat I was going out with?"

"No, you're clearly okay." Dave nodded with a smile. Something in his eyes was telling me he was hiding something.

Before I could ask further, his shift partner Richard joined us.

"Hey Adey,"

"Hi," I smiled back.

"You look quite happy for someone who's boyfriend is all over the news." Richard announced.

"Boyfriend?" I asked him.

He winked. "Found out last night that Dave isn't your boyfriend. I didn't know you had an eye for high prizes. My apologies ma'am." He made a playful bow and walked away.

I turned to Dave. "News?"

Dave sighed and shook his head. "He's such a blabber head. Don't pay attention to..." he started but I was already on my phone searching through the News Feed.

I felt my heart slow down and slowly slide down to my stomach. My shoulders were suddenly heavy and my chest too little for my lungs.

I lifted my eyes but instead of Dave, I saw the headline I had encountered on News Feeds of the four platforms I had browsed through.

"What's this?" I asked.