Blend

13:00 | i'm sorry

I SEE her standing outside Canyon Springs the moment I push through the double doors, all tortured and full of woe. She tenses the moment she sees me.

My gaze hardens even though I'm relieved to see her. I won't have to track her down anymore and I've also been a little worried about her being alone in the world—the curse of a damn heart.

"I'm sorry," she blurts before I can make it down the steps. "You have every right to hate my fucking guts. If you wish to never see me again, I'll go."

I sigh, keeping a healthy distance between us. "Why did you do it, Peewee? I thought we were friends and friends don't do shit like that."

"I know." She looks down.

"You seized complete control of me. Do you know how messed up that is?"

"Yes."

"Then what the fuck, sis?"

Peewee lifts her face and it's only then that I notice the dark edges of her eyes, almost as if she took eyeliner to them. She also isn't as luminescent as she once was. Is she darkening like the bad ones? Is she becoming dark matter?

"I underestimated how the vigil would affect me," she says quietly. "I don't know, Dev. I saw him, Anakin, and I just—I just saw red. I became a bull with no sense."

I scoff. "What I don't understand is why you chose to possess me and not Anakin?"

"You started to walk away, leaving me. And I just lost my shit." She shakes her head, her glassy eyes sad. "You have no idea how terrifying it is to have zero control over anything. Before...I made things happen, Dev. I ran every noise on campus. I was on my way to the fucking White House. Do you know how hard I worked to earn that internship and grad school scholarship?"

I nod, shrugging.

"I don't know," she continues. "Maybe I just needed one ounce of control back by catching my own killer, even if it meant you'd hate me."

I draw in a breath, letting her reasoning settle. I'm quiet for a long time—we both are—before I decide to accept her apology. "How did you find me?"

"Your dad."

"My dad?"

"Yeah," Peewee says. "I went to your place and overheard him explain to your mom where you went."

"Oh. I see."

"I had to stick around for a bit but eventually the topic came up. I've been here for about fifteen minutes, waiting. I didn't want to intrude so I forced myself to stay outside."

I readjust my purse. "That was considerate."

"Yeah, even the dead can learn from their mistakes." Peewee laughs until she realizes I'm not laughing with her. "So, how is your aunt?"

"A lot better than I ever realized," I reply, sending a look of disbelief to the front entrance. "Anyway, she helped me understand some things and I think I know how I can help you remember the events of that night."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but it'll require going back to the crime scene."

"Oh." Peewee tucks hair behind her ear.

"You cool with that?"

"I think so."

My phone buzzes with a message from Ace. 

It feels like my stomach swallows my heart in one swift gulp. That was way too close. Time for Ace is running out. How much longer before they return with a warrant to search the whole apartment complex?

I set my attention back on Peewee. As much as I'd like to help her digest what I'm asking her to do, time is of the essence more than ever.

"Let's head to Nate's," I say before either one of us changes our minds.