Shanda rubbed my forehead.
“What happened?” I searched the dining room. No strange images of shadowy figures and lightning men fighting, just worried faces from Shanda, Kevin, and Will. Disappointment seeped down the back of my throat. Back to reality.
“I think you passed out.” Shanda peeled back the icy napkin from my forehead. “Any better?”
“Getting there.” I tried to force out a smile, but it hurt my head. A fleeting thought passed through my mind, like maybe what I just saw was all in my head. Yet I knew, deep down, it was real. It felt so real. I’d have to learn how to pace myself the next time I used my powers. Who wanted a fainting Seer?
Will flagged down Jeremy, another worry line creasing over the bridge of his nose. “Get her a milkshake, quick.”
Jeremy pulled the pen out from behind his ear. “What flavor?”
“It doesn’t matter, chocolate I guess. It’s an emergency.” He rubbed my hands between his, faster and faster.
Jeremy zigzagged among the maze of tables, like I’d started a fire or something. It would be almost laughable, if I had an ounce of energy to laugh.
“What are you doing?” The friction from Will’s hands warmed me, surging through my body, pushing back the fog.
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I don’t know, just trying to get your circulation going, I guess.”
Jeremy reappeared and plopped the shake in front of me.
Will ripped open the straw, dunking it in the cold liquid. “Sip this, slowly.”
The icy chocolate goo sluiced down my throat. It tasted good. Then a fleeting sadness hit me. I couldn’t stop picturing the fight—the real one, with the angel and the shadow. And I just wanted the golden-eyed angel to come back. My head throbbed again. “Did that really just happen?”
“What a jerk!” Shanda shouted as if she couldn’t contain it any longer. “I can’t believe he drove all the way here from Indiana. What a creep.”
“I’m sorry I asked him to join us.” Kevin slumped over the remnants of his burger.
“It’s not your fault. He would’ve sat down anyway. He thinks he owns the whole world.” Was my head the punching bag in that fight? It sure felt that way. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on Will’s shoulder.
Without saying a word, he reached over and stroked my hair.
“Mmm, that feels nice,” I murmured. “I’m just glad you guys had my back.”
Will lifted his hand from my head and picked up a French fry, dangling it in my face. “Maybe you should eat something.”
“If you insist.” I munched on the cold fry, as if simple carbs could magically imbue me with enough courage to say what I knew I had to say. “I’m sorry to put you in the middle of that. You deserve an explanation.”
“Don’t worry about it.” His hand returned to my hair. “That part’s up to you. It’s your story to tell, or not.”
“Thanks.” When I lifted my eyes to meet his, the look on his face wasn’t the normal sad mixture of pity and horror. A glimmer of understanding lurked in his eyes, like maybe he could relate.
“Please.” Kevin exhaled sharply. “I’ve got tons of exes at Montrose. At least none of them are psychotic, though.”
“Shut it.” Shanda punched his arm. Then her eyes widened like it just dawn on her. “Wait, how many academy girls have you dated?”
“A few.” Kevin fluffed up his surfer spikes, glancing anywhere but at Shanda. “But that was a long time ago.”
“So was Jake, or so I thought.” The words eked out in a low whisper, as if someone punched all the air out of me. The truth of what I’d seen swirled around with the straw in my shake. No way would these guys believe my angel-fighting a demon story. Even I didn’t know for sure if it was real. So I focused on the present reality. “I was so shocked at first to see Jake, then mad. Seething mad. When I’m that upset, I can barely speak, you know? I don’t know what I would’ve done if I was alone.”
With that, I shoved a few fries into my mouth and everyone went back to munching on their dinners. Maybe I could hold off on the breakup spiel as long as possible. Once was enough for one weekend.
“I should’ve said something sooner.” Will’s voice grew loud enough that Kevin and Shanda put down their sandwiches. “I saw your ex hanging around outside the student union earlier today.”
“On campus?” I almost choked on a fry. “I can’t believe him!” Nausea slapped me in the face like a giant wave. My hands shook and my heart fluttered again.
“How’d he even find us here? It’s not like this is anywhere near campus.” Shanda’s eyes widened. “He must’ve followed us. That crazy stalker.”
“Stop it. I don’t even want to think about it.” Images of the shadowy hand around my throat sent a chill through me. Will’s fingers brushed mine with a spark, like the angel when he appeared. In spite of the Jake trauma and the angel/shadow drama, I still felt electricity whenever Will touched me.
“Isn’t there something we can do about it?” Shanda turned her head toward Kevin who only shrugged.
“We should alert campus security,” Will switched to a matter-of-fact tone, “and your dorm mom. Other than that, there’s not much we can do, sorry to say.”
“What about a restraining order or something?” Shanda shredded her napkin into confetti.
“Not without any threat of violence.” Kevin clicked his tongue at her. “I heard it in my Criminal Justice class. Besides, that wouldn’t stop an attack, just put him in jail if he tried anything. It makes me sick.”
“It’s not that bad. He’s not violent or anything.” I shuddered at the mere idea of it. “Still, I’d feel better if we alerted campus security, like Will said.”
I wobbled my bottom lip at Shanda, praying she could read my mind.
She pushed back her chair
