Within These Walls

Life After Dark: 10 (WTW Sequel)

"I know about him. How did it feel to see him again after so long?"

"I wouldn't know. As far as I remember, I saw him literally a few days ago."

"Right."

His silence encourages me to go on. At the back of my mind, I feel unsettled that I'm opening up to a complete stranger, but it feels so normal. "Are you my therapist or something?" I ask him half-teasingly.

Davey chuckles. "Well, I am a psych major. Or was. How did Marcus react when Gardiner took Saige? Knowing how protective he is of her, I can imagine he's pretty shaken."

The unexpected question jars me. So does his unsolicited opinion. Shaken is an apt word for Marcus's reaction. He's been acting all evening like someone turned his world upside down. Thinking of the way my ex-boyfriend is grieving his missing girlfriend gives me serious heartburn, so I answer flippantly, "Pretty much."

He seems to hesitate before saying, "I'm sorry. That was pretty callous of me. Especially, as far as you're aware, things are still good between you guys."

I can't help wondering what his angle is. It makes me feel guarded, the way he's circling the issue of my 'relationship' with Marcus. Like he's digging for information in an indirect and roundabout way. Which I guess he's entitled to, if he's really someone I'm currently with.

"Can I ask you something?" I say.

"Sure."

"Did you steal money from us?"

"Yes," he says, and I'm more surprised by his blunt and unapologetic tone than the answer itself. "Not from you specifically, but from your friends. They were going to kick me from the group and I needed the money for me and Carson. You confronted me about it. I'm going to give you the same answer now as I did then: I'm not sorry I did it. I'd do anything for my little brother, April. We both would."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Now it's his turn to be surprised.

"Yes. I believe you, and I'm not mad at you. Considering how easily we dropped three hundred bucks on lunch today, I think the money was better spent on you guys. Let me know if you need anything. I want to do what I can to make your lives easier."

"Thanks," he says, sounding like he's smiling. "It's good to know you're consistent."

"What do you mean?"

"You said pretty much the same thing the last time."

I digest that, oddly comforted by it. It has to mean I didn't change too much despite everything. "My roommate's going to be here soon, but I wanted to bring up one other thing. How much do you know about this Hermes guy?"

"Not much besides what I've already said. He's pretty elusive and usually speaks in riddles, but his tips are pretty solid. Why?"

"I got this phone today, but he called me literally two hours later on it." Davey is the only other person I contacted, but I texted him after my conversation with Hermes. "I didn't give him my number. There's no way he could've had it."

"I'm not surprised."

"You're not?"

He lets out a short laugh. "You could be stuck in a hole two hundred feet underground and Hermes would still find you. He probably has a satellite programmed to track you wherever you go. We stopped being surprised by his mysterious ways a long time ago."

I'm not sure how to take that, but the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway puts an abrupt end to our conversation. I say a quick goodbye, throw my phone under the pillow, and manage to crawl under my covers before Willow walks in.