Within the Shadows (Complete, Savage Series #1)

Chapter Ten

Silence fills the other side of the phone, and then Jordan makes a small sigh. “I guess that’s to be expected, I just wish things could be different.”

“Me too.” I murmur, and he groans into the phone.

“This kind of sucks.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I… think it’s best if we don’t talk for a little while. And maybe if you didn’t come to my classroom so much.”

“Okay… Jordan?”

“Yeah?”

“I still care about you.” He laughs sadly into the phone. “I know you do. Listen, I’m going to go, so… I’ll see you Monday in class.”

“Okay.” I hang up, leaning my head against the headboard. I check the time, 4:52, and sigh at the slow movement of the day. I just want the year to end.

A few moments later, I decide to go and find Danny, who’s in his own room, for once, having left a little bit earlier. I find the main hallway, near the large wooden doors, and follow Elie down a narrow hallway across from mine which opens up to a few different doors. “His room is right there.” She points to the third door down and leaves me be, letting me figure out what to do next.

Here we go, Aurora.

I open the door, then curse at myself for not knocking. I look around his room, which has the same red walls and white carpet, but the design is different. I look to the left, noticing his closet in the corner with two bookcases past it along the wall. Moving up, his bathroom is in the far left corner, with a dresser to the right of it. He’s got a red desk with white utensils in the far right corner, right next to a window along the right wall. In the corner to my left is his bed and in the middle of the room are red chairs, a couch pointing in a diagonal direction when viewed from the door, and a coffee table. And lying on the couch, throwing a checkered hacky sack up in the air, is Danuvius.

He looks up, green eyes hiding something from me. “Aurora, I didn’t hear you enter.” He says nonchalantly, but the stress in his voice and mess of his brown hair tell me otherwise.

“Do you need help getting your things?”

“No.”

“A ride?”

“No, I don’t need a ride.” I pause, shutting the door behind me and sitting in the comfortable red chair closest to the couch, watching him sit up and pull down his shirt a little, putting the hacky sack down.

“Then what is it?” He asks, but he won’t meet my eyes.

“Look at me.”

He continue with his eyes downcast.

“Danuvius.” Hearing me say his full name catches his attention and he looks up, eyes watering just a little bit, enough for me to notice. He quickly clears his eyes of the tears and asks, “Why are you here?”

“To tell you I’m staying.” Silence fills the air, but only for a split second.

“You broke up with Jordan?”

“I can’t leave this world, Danuvius. I just can’t. It means to much to me.”

“So… what’re you going to do at school?”

“Not sure. I’ll attempt to act normal in first, but for lunch… I don’t know, I’ll sit outside or something.”

“Can you pull it off? Will he be angry with you?”