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My heart swelled with love for a man I didn’t know.
It didn’t take Ollie long. When he was done, he glanced at us, seeming to give us a quick smile before turning back towards the swamp. His tail flicked before he disappeared back into the water, his white form gliding through it as he swam away.
A second later, Callie yanked on my hand, whispering ferociously. "I told you to stay hidden, now you know why.”
My boot was stuck in the mud, it fell off as she pulled me towards the house. “Callie, you have to tell me. What did he do to you?”
“Just shut up and let’s get out of here. We gotta go."
I saw a final glimpse of the man before the darkness swallowed him. He was staring right at me, a wild and fierce look on his face.
He didn’t return to the house, like I wanted. He’d appeared, then disappeared like a ghost.
Maybe the swamp was holding its breath for him.
CHAPTER 2
Summer
My boxes were packed, even though I still had a few months left of school.
Watching fog roll in over the lake, blanketing the grounds in a hazy dreamscape, I shivered and clutched my blanket tighter.
It had been a long year.
A long seven years, honestly, and I was ready to return to the south, where my home, and my heart, lied.
This place, Crestmont Prep, with its cold, stone buildings, never felt like home to me. The massive walls towered like an imposing fortress, encircled by meticulously manicured lawns. Within, the atmosphere was rigid, formal, and the furnishings uncomfortably stiff.
“Summer, it’s almost time for lights out.”
Not turning from my distorted reflection in the window, I nodded curtly at Evelynn, the DM in charge of my dorms. It was annoying when she bossed me around, even though she was two years younger—Callie’s age.
We were supposed to have lights out at eleven, but tonight, I wasn't in the mood for following rules.
“I saw what they posted. Jessica and her friends,” she said after a long silence.
I didn’t respond, because I didn’t want to talk about it. It was nothing new.
She walked into the room, taking in the boxes stacked along the back wall. The now bare walls. “Why are you all packed up?
“I’m not,” I said, knowing I sounded cold and bitter. “I just like boxes.”
She frowned. “Jessica said you fucked the whole rugby team.” There was a sneer to her tone.
Gripping the pen in my hand tight, I forced a smile and finally turned towards her. “It’s kinda cute that they think I care what they say,” I lied. “They’re just desperate sheep looking for attention. Why do you give it to them?”
“I don’t,” she tried to deny. “But if it’s true, you should be reported.”
“Do you really think I screwed the whole team?” I asked.
There was another long silence, and, finally, she turned to leave, “Lights out in two minutes. If I see it on, I’m writing you up.”
“Byeeee,” was my only response. My fake smile disappeared with her, and the bitter taste of my lie lingered. I hated Jessica and her entourage.
Swiveling back to the window, I stared at my distorted reflection--blonde-white hair, sharp cheekbones and nose. Bleak blue eyes that faded into the darkness beyond.
I hated waiting.
