“No, not tonight. I need some time…to think,” Dylan said softly, his eyes averted. “I should probably get you back there before someone realizes you’ve flown the coup,” he said with a forced smile, but it never reached his eyes.

–

The last three weeks went by in a flash. Dr. Turner was thrilled with my newfound willingness to cooperate and had since removed me from my cocktail of medication. I was down to just one happy pill a day, and it really did help. I no longer sat in my room brooding over Edward. He was gone and wasn’t coming back. Why on earth should he? He was this god-like being and I was so…not. It never made any sense; the world had simply righted itself and I needed to get on with my life as though I’d never heard mention of the Cullen name.

Dylan was making that easier and easier every day. Where before we might have spent a couple of hours together at night just talking about mindless drivel or playing cards, now he spent nearly the whole night with me. I was dead tired each morning, but it was worth it having some good company to keep the nightmares at bay.

I still didn’t know a damn thing about his vampire master, orwhatever he was to Dylan. Dylan seemed adamant about not discussing that aspect. He always got a stormy look in his eyes when I brought it up. Not because he was mad at me, but because he was defying his master by not truthfully reporting back to him about my knowledge of the vampire world.

My mom burst into the room all sunshine and smiles. Florida really did agree with her. “I’m here to spring you!” she exclaimed with uncontained glee, her smile so wide I could count her teeth.

“’Bout time.”

“Phil’s been so busy getting your room ready. I told him to quit fussing, that you’d like it no matter how it was decorated, but he just won’t listen.”

I nodded as I packed up my small bag with my few outfits and the journal which I was contemplating burning lest it somehow end up in the wrong hands.