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With those parting words, he slammed the door into our stunned faces.

* * *

It wasas we were walking back to the car, sun scathing down on us, that I felt the eyes on the back of my neck.

There was no logical reason for me to feel like somebody was watching me, yet my entire body clenched in terror. My breathing became stilted, and the whole world seemed to tilt on its axis.

Someone, somewhere, was watching me. Of that, I was almost sure of.

“Are you okay?” Tam asked softly. He glanced wearily over my shoulder as if he was looking for the unseen threat.

I scoffed at how ridiculous I was behaving. Between the message at the previous house and the old man’s words, I was becoming paranoid. I knew there was no one watching me, I knew that, but my heart still hammered inside my chest like a sledgehammer.

“Yeah,” I answered Tam with a smile that I hoped looked genuine. “Just tired.”

“We’ve been walking for a while,” Tam said in understanding. I flashed him a small smile in appreciation.

“Yeah.”

We loaded up the van, me sitting in between Declan and Tamson. Tommy refused to release Mof to me, so the cat was bundled in his arms a row behind me. I heard the cat’s purr of contentment.

The boys immediately began joking with one another, talking about plans for the journey, and wondering if we should get a hotel for the night. I listened half-heartedly, but I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that someone was outside the van.

Watching me.

Always watching me.

* * *

Declan

There were only five cars on the backroads the first twenty or so miles. I counted.

What else was there to do?

Sure, the others around me were partaking in conversation, but, with their faces turned away from me, I had trouble reading their lips. I tried not to let it bother me.

Normally, I didn’t allow my deafness to hinder my ability to live life. It was a burden, yes, but one that I was easily able to jump over. I had dealt with it for years.

So why did it suddenly make me feel as if I was less than a man?

The answer came to me quickly when the sleeping beauty beside me put her head on my shoulder. She muttered something indistinct before twisting slightly in her seat, eyelashes casting shadows on her perfect cheekbones. My arm automatically came out to hold her to me, and I couldn’t help but notice how good she felt in my arms. How right. It was almost as if she was made to be here with me.

That wasn’t necessarily a surprise. Even when I was younger, I knew we were soulmates. I just didn’t expect the feelings to return so suddenly and so staggeringly after all of those years apart. I didn’t blame her for what had happened. I had never blamed her, even after years of distancing myself from her. Those years had been torture, but I had been under the impression that she wanted nothing to do with me. I knew that I was wrong for believing the lie so quickly - when had Addie ever left me any reason to doubt her? - but her hurtful words echoed throughout my head, continuous stabs to the heart.

Sarge parked the van in front of a motel.

It appeared as if I had missed out on the plan. No surprise.

Seeing my befuddled look, Sarge quickly signed, “We’re going to stop for the night.”

I nodded, though I didn’t agree. I wanted to get to Atlanta as soon as possible.

Addie had her reasons for going, and I had mine.

Though I couldn’t admit my reasons to anyone. Not yet.

Sarge brought Asher, who was sitting in the passenger seat, inside to reserve us rooms. After about thirty minutes, they returned with matching perplexed expressions.

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