“Who did this to you?” I ask as I brush damp hair from their brow. “Who hurt you?”
Their haunted gaze searches my face before they reply, “I did.”
I look after them, confused, as they untangle themself from the sheets and climb out of bed. “What does that mean?”
“I should go,” is their only response.
“But—”
They cut me off, their tone curt. “I’ll see you later today. We can find somewhere new to paint.”
“Okay,” I relent, realizing that I’ll likely get nowhere if I keep pushing.
While they put on their coat, I try my best to ignore the nagging feeling that I’m missing something. But then Phantom pauses in the doorway, glancing back at me. The stony hardness in their gaze has melted into something much softer. “I want to show you my home.”
The butterflies in my stomach go wild as I see my happiness mirrored in Phantom’s eyes, sending every uncertain thought scattering on an imaginary wind.
27More
My breaths come in fast and shallow as I lean against the cold, smooth exterior of the dorm, waiting for Phantom.Why am I so nervous?We’ve hung out plenty of times now and I’ve always been excited, but never nervous like this. What’s changed? They’re just showing me where they live. No big deal.
A tense, measured breath emerges from my lips in a cloud.
That’s a lie. It’s a huge deal. Thebiggest.
That’s why my heart has been tripping along in my chest all damn day. Because I know what this visit really means, beneath the surface. Phantom’s a private person. They value their space and protect their heart fiercely. But today, they’re letting me in. I’m honored, and also horribly worried I’ll somehow mess it up. I want them to trust me. I want them to trust more people in their life than just me. I want—no, Ineedfor this to go well.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Phantom’s voice drifts into my mind, disbanding my internal monologue. I lift my face and find Phantom a few feet away standing over their bike, dressed in navy chinos, a cream sweater, and a puffy coat with a navy bandana restraining their unruly waves like a terribly adorable, trendy sailor. I can’t help but grin at the sight of them.
“For you, I’ll give them away for free,” I joke as I walk toward them.
Their dual-toned eyes flash with amusement. “Oh, goodie.”
I snort a laugh as I climb onto the foot pegs attached to the bike’s rear wheel. Instinctively, I lean my chest against their back, eagerly breathing in the refreshing minty scent of them, just like the first time I rode with them. Only this time, I don’t put any space between us as Phantom takes off. I stay close, savoring the warmth bleeding through their coat. My breathing slows, the rhythm even and steady, as if before this moment I’d never had an anxious thought in my life.
“So, whatwereyou thinking about?” Phantom asks as they tilt their face toward me. The soft cotton of their mask brushes against my cheek.
My face heats, but instead of running from the sensation, I lean into it and decide to tell the truth. “You.”
Phantom straightens beneath my touch as we bike beyond campus and toward Main Street. The cold breeze chills my face in an instant. But then Phantom chuckles. “All good things, I hope.”
“Always,” I murmur, barely loud enough for my own ears to hear. But Phantom relaxes a moment later, and I know they heard me. I let my head fall against their neck, but it’s not enough. I needmore.
I memorize our route as we bike through town: a right on Greenbriar after Main Street, then a left on Richman, followed by another sharp right onto a long, winding road near the forest’s edge. After a minute or so, a tall brick building emerges on our left. My head swivels around as we approach it. There are no other buildings, no parks, or even sidewalks. Just this solitary, run-down building.
Phantom stops before a large, rusty metal door and I hop off. They lean their bike against the brick wall and open the doorwith a squeak, gesturing with a tilt of their head for me to enter. In the overcast light, I notice a fine sheen of sweat glistening on their brow.
How difficult is this for them? Should I give them an out?
“Phantom,” I begin, shuffling anxiously on my feet as my gaze drops to the cracked pavement. Tufts of dying grass infiltrate the fissures. “We don’t have to do this. I—I mean, we can do something else, if you wanted.”
For several beats, Phantom doesn’t speak, but then their hand wraps around mine, and they gently tug me forward.
Inside the door we walk through a large, empty room that looks like an office lobby. The randomly indented carpet on the floor is dusty and stained, and the space smells of mold and paint fumes. I tighten my hold on Phantom’s hand as we pass by an elevator with an ‘out of order’ sign taped to it.
My stomach clenches uneasily as we drift through another doorway and come upon a stairwell. Phantom climbs the steps, dragging me along behind them. My breathing returns to an uneven tempo as I contemplate what kind of home situation a person would have to have endured to end up living in an abandoned building like this.
Phantom peels off the staircase on the second floor, finally dropping my hand. We walk down a short hallway and stop before another metal door.
