To Dance With Wolves ▪Liam Dunbar▪

| 20. Just for Tonight

I sat on the foot of Liam's bed while he and Mason lay sprawled out on the floor below me, shooting everything that jumped out in front of them on the television screen. I was amazed that the game had kept them so entertained for long. The sun had long since set, and I once I could no longer watch the light slowly fade away, I kept myself from boredom by watching the two idiots play.

The game ended with Liam snagging yet another landslide victory, and Mason threw his hand up in the air. "When did you get so good? Have you been practicing? Or did you just suddenly get superhuman reflexes?"

I choked on the water I was drinking and Liam laughed nervously.

"Practicing," he said while I recovered from my fit of coughs.

"Well I should be studying, and I think I'm Emily's ride home, so we better go."

I hopped off the bed and started heading for the door when Liam spoke up, almost panicked. "Come on, I'm sure you have time for one more game."

"You said that four games ago, Liam." I said from my spot by the door, "Are you ok?"

Liam closed his eyes and hung his head, sighing. Something was definitely wrong. I thought back to our conversation earlier, and I figured I wouldn't be leaving with Mason.

"You're right, you should go. I should probably study too."

Mason looked at me with the same worried look I knew was plastered on my face. I shook my head and motioned for him to follow me out the door.

"See you at school," Liam muttered dejectedly as we left the room.

"What's up with him Em?" Mason asked once he thought we were out of earshot.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna stay a little longer, I can call my aunt to pick me up."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, and then watched him run down the stairs and out the front door to the car that was waiting for him.

I rubbed my temple as I spun around and made my way back to the boy I cared about so deeply I could practically feel it in my bones.

"Liam?"

He looked up from the floor, "I thought you were leaving with Mason?"

I shook my head and knelt beside him, "I'm not leaving until you're ok."

"Then you should already be gone."

I couldn't pretend that didn't sting, but I didn't move.

"I'm fine, Emily."

I resisted the urge to slap his stupid face, "A newborn baby could tell that you're lying. Don't feed me that crap. This is about earlier isn't it."

He almost looked like he was going to keep fighting me, but then his shoulders sagged and he leaned against me. My mouth dropped open, but for the moment I didn't know what else to say. I wrapped my arms around him and just waited for him to speak.

"I see it every time I close my eyes." His voice cracked and my heart broke.

"The thing that attacked you at the hospital?"

He nodded and I tightened my arms around him.

"Sometimes I think I see them during the day too."

"You know it's not real right?" I asked as gently as I could.

"I know that, but it feels like it is."

"What do you do to make it stop?"

"Nothing, I can't stop it," he said miserably.