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I considered introducing her to Collin. While she’d never met him in person, she knew enough about him from what little I’d told her to disapprove. Ignoring him seemed the best policy unless she asked. “We stuck around Chapel Hill yesterday, so I thought I’d just come over and see him. And of course you.”
“I wish I had more time to spend with you, but I’m on my way to a class. Will you be around for lunch?”
“No,” Collin said. “We need to get going.”
“Oh.” She frowned at Collin. “Well, I guess this will just be a quick hello and goodbye then.” She hugged me tight and whispered in my ear. “Be careful, Ellie. Think this through, and don’t let poor David get hurt.” She pulled back and cast a dark scowl at Collin before hurrying down the hall.
“I don’t think your stepmother likes me much.” He laughed. “I can usually charm the mothers. It’s the fathers who tend to hate me.”
“Wow, that’s a shocker,” I said sarcastically as I watched her round the corner. “She’s worried I’m going to hurt David by being with you.”
Collin’s smile fell. “Let’s go find Dr. Godfrey and then get on the road to Manteo. David told them the location was by the aquarium, so I’d like to scope it out and find a possible place to use as our supposed gate to hell.”
“Let’s make it next to the sound. Who knows, Big Nasty might show up to help me.”
“Good idea.”
We took the stairs up one flight, looking for Steven’s office. When we found it, the door was locked, and several students were waiting in the hall.
“Have you seen Professor Godfrey?” Collin asked.
A guy who looked like he should be in high school frowned. “No, but I had an appointment with him and he hasn’t shown up.”
A woman walked past the group, casting a glance at the closed door. “Dr. Godfrey won’t be in for the rest of the day. I just ran into him in the hallway. He was rushing out the door and he told me he was going home sick.”
Collin’s eyebrows shot up. “Come on. Let’s go.”
When we left the building and were walking across campus, Collin looked down at me. “Do you have a home address for him? He’s sure to have it unlisted to keep students from showing up at his house.”
I pulled my phone out of my purse. “I think I have his cell phone numberandhis address from when Myra first started visiting him here.” I pulled up my list of contacts. “Here it is. Myra was paranoid about leaving me alone, so she made sure I had lots of contact information for her.” I rattled off the street address.
“Good. We’ll head over there, but I suspect we might be too late. He’s scared and he’s running. When a herd animal is scared, it almost always runs to its herd for protection. If we can find him, we might be able to follow him to the Guardians.”
The embers of hope kindled, but I kept the feeling contained. There were a lot of what-ifs in following him to the Guardians, and even more what-ifs in him leading us to David. And along with the hope came disappointment. One more person had hurt me. I’d trusted Steven. He’d slept in my house, and he’d convinced Myra to move to Durham. Did he intend to hurt her? My head swam with questions and overwhelming heartache. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.
I turned to look at Collin, now unsure about everything. If I couldn’t trust Steven, who could I trust? I stopped on the sidewalk, and someone bumped into my back. I stumbled forward as Collin took several more steps before realizing I wasn’t with him.
He turned around, a quizzical look on his face. “Ellie?”
Would Collin betray me again too? I was far from certain that I could handle it if he did.
He closed the distance between us, searching my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Can I trust you?”
Confusion flickered in his eyes along with something else. Anger? Disappointment? He grabbed my right hand and cradled it between both of his, the mark on my palm tingling from the proximity to Collin’s.
I tried to pull away, but he held me in place.
“Collin, if you plan to betray me in any way tonight, whether it’s out of your control or not, just leave me here and I’ll find my own way back to Manteo.” My voice broke.
His face softened. “Ellie.”
Tears filled my eyes. “I’m letting you get close to me again, and if you go behind my back to help Okeus or someone else, I don’t think I can take it. It will destroy me. Soplease, Collin, I beg you, if that’s what you’re doing, just leave me here.”
He shook his head. “No. I promise you; I’m supporting you all the way in this thing. I won’t trick you or betray you.” He grabbed my shoulders and tipped his face down to mine. “I know the fact that Steven is part of this is screwing with your head. And if he had anything to do with your mother’s involvement—I know it’s making you doubt everything. I don’t blame you, but Iswearto you, Ellie, that I willneveragain do anything to intentionally hurt you.” His hand cupped my face, tilting it up to him. “I finally realize where my real priorities lie.”
A fire of lust spread through my body, and it took all my willpower not to stand on my tiptoes and kiss him. But if I was asking Collin not to betray me, I owed the same to David. I took a step back and Collin’s hands fell to his sides.
