Phantom swallows hard, backing away a step.
“Ever since you met this—Phantom, was it? God, that’s weird. Ever since you’ve met them, you haven’t been acting like yourself. You’ve been drawing away from your family, and your new friends. They’re so worried about you, Maeve. Iris and Emmy. Even those pretentious art guys. I went by your dorm and talked to them before I came here.”
I don’t look at Noah as he speaks. I only look at Phantom.
Echo.
She’s feeding off of Noah’s negative energy, whispering lies in Phantom’s ear. I can see it in the haunted expression on their face.I have to stop her.
I rush to Phantom, shouldering past Noah. “Don’t listen to her. Don’t listen to Noah. He’s lying. I’ve never been happier. I’ll explain everything to my family and my friends, and it’ll be fine. We’re okay.” I pull their forehead down to meet mine. “We’re better than fine.”
Phantom’s shaking beneath my grip, their eyes stretched wide in fear.
No no no no no. Not right now.
I turn Phantom’s face toward our painting. “That’s the truth, Phantom. That. Right there. Us.”
When Phantom’s gaze returns to me it’s more relaxed, until they look beyond my shoulder and their face contorts into a look of horror. I whirl around, terrified of what I’ll find.
It’s Noah. Holding a photograph of me he must’ve picked up off of the floor. From this distance, it looks something like a surveillance photo. From before I’d even met Phantom. From before I’d even come to Lizbeth. From back home, months and months ago.
When Noah’s eyes rise to us, they’re full of a rage I’ve never seen in them before.
“This photo was taken last semester, when she was still at home,” Noah growls accusingly, looking between us. “You were stalking her, weren’t you? And now this is some Stockholm syndrome bullshit.”
“Shut your mouth, Noah,” I cry. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Then how do you explain this?” he asks, bending to pick up a fistful of other photographs just like the first. “And this?” he continues, gesturing to the destroyed studio. “And them?” he finally finishes, pointing at Phantom.
I step between them, as if I could physically block Phantom from Noah’s words, but I can’t. Just like I can’t deny how it must look through Noah’s eyes. I’m sure it does look crazy. Because it is crazy. And we can’t deny anything Noah’s accusing Phantom of right now. Those photos prove that Phantomdidstalk me before I came to Lizbeth. And mere days ago, they took my phone away from me and held me here against my will. My feelings for them can’t absolve Phantom of those actions.
My heart races as the gravity of our situation suddenly comes crashing down around me.
As evenly as I can, I say, “Noah, I need you to go.”
He smacks the photographs down on the table. “Fat fucking chance. I’m not going anywhere without you.”
“Then just wait outside,” I implore him. “I’ll be right out and then we can call my parents and go see my friends.”
“I’m not leaving you with this maniac,” he says harshly, throwing a scathing look over my shoulder. I turn to find Phantom whispering to Echo under their breath, the heels of their palms pressed firmly against their eyelids. But, of course, to Noah it looks like they’re talking to themself, because, well, I guess in a way they are. It definitely doesn’t look good.
My voice is colder than it’s ever been. “Noah, I swear to God, if you don’t leave right this second. I’ll never forgive you.”
“You can hate me for eternity, Maeve,” he scoffs. “You’ve already left me. I’m not here to win you back. I’m here to protect you from them.”
“I don’t need protection,” I scream before walking back to Phantom. I wrap them in my arms and gently drag them to the floor. I rock them back and forth, humming the happy melody of the song we danced to so joyously just an hour ago.
I’m kissing the crown of Phantom’s head when Noah grabs me by the arm and hauls me up. “Let me go,” I yell, flailing my arms. They get too close to Phantom’s face. I see the moment the trauma response is triggered. They’ve been slapped and punched too many times in their life to let it happen again.
Phantom’s arm whips out in retaliation. The sting the palm of their hand leaves behind on my cheek makes my eyes water instantly. And instantly, I forgive them.
Struggling against Noah’s grasp, I try to get to Phantom as they call, “I’m so sorry, Maeve.” But Noah is strong. His arms are clamped around me like a vice.
“They’re fucking hurting you, Maeve,” Noah roars in my ear. “They just slapped you! Why are you trying to get back to them?”
“You don’t understand,” I try to explain through a cascade of tears. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Just... Let. Me. Go!”
But even as the words leave my lips, I watch Phantom’s resolve flicker out like a snuffed candle. They’re giving up.
