It couldn’t have been more than five minutes. Maddy had walked off to catch his breath, lean his head against a tree, and try to calm his racing heart. He didn’t know what was worse, getting in an argument with Greyson about what he was, or kissing Greyson.

Well… The second option wasn’t wasn’t awful per se, but it shouldn’t have happened. Greyson was taking advantage of his situation. And it didn’t matter how soft his lips were or how he could still taste strawberries and spice on his tongue.

Ditching him was the worst thing he could have done, which is exactly what he did. Maddy’s head jerked when he saw Dee on her phone instead of Greyson. Dee looked up and ran over to meet him halfway with open arms. She hugged him tight and didn’t let him go for a long minute. He squeezed her just as tight, and tears rimmed his eyes once more.

“Oh, Maddy, baby, I’m so sorry!” She cried nuzzling into his chest.

“Where’s Greyson?” Maddy asked once they let go of each other. He scanned the area with a scowl, but it was evident the Stranger wasn’t there.

“Seriously?” Dee pushed her hands against his chest and looked up at him. “I risked getting Lyme Disease just so you could ask about where Greyson went? What were you even doing back there anyways?”

He swallowed a gulp.

“I had to pee…” He said not ready to open up. “And you know I love and appreciate you, but could you tell me if you saw him?”

Dee smiled at the praise, but her gaze turned curious.

“Of course I did. He was the one who told me you were this far into the woods.” She took a step back and looked around worried as if something might pop out of the bushes and eat her. “We haven’t been here in ages…”

Maddy hummed.

She hadn’t been here in ages, but he’d been going to these parts of the park almost every day he wasn’t working or at school. He liked leaning against the trees watching squirrels play and the breeze brush across his face. He hoped his argument with Greyson didn’t ruin this place for him.

How could he just leave unannounced? Who kisses someone with so much passion and emotion and then just leaves?

“Hello! Earth to Maddy!” Dee raised her brows. He wasn’t even aware she was talking this entire time. She continued and he pretended to know what she was talking about. “Clothes, we need to get you some new ones! That will definitely cheer you up.”

“With what money?” Maddy narrowed his gaze.

“Don’t worry, babes, I’ll spot you,” Dee’s eyes lit up at the prospect of going on a shopping spree.

“And who will spot you?” He asked bemused.

“Shut up,” She scowled and shoved him, before looping an arm around his bicep. “Now, let’s go to my place before we get bitten by ticks or something.”

Despite telling Greyson there was no one after him, he kept his eyes wide open as they walked toward her car. He tried to convince himself the goosebumps along his arms were from the cold and nothing more.

Dee pressed herself tighter against him. “I’m really sorry about your apartment.”

“It’s okay,” He let out a heavy sigh. “You’re here now and that’s what matters.”

Dee blasted the radio once they reached her car. When she wasn’t badly singing lyrics, she talked about anything and everything to keep Maddy’s mind busy, and he was usually grateful for it. But this time it was different. This time he couldn’t stop thinking about Greyson, the kiss, and the possibility someone could be after him.

When they walked into the house, he didn’t have to think twice about where the shower was. He was so eager to get out of his clothes that he started stripping before he even reached the top of the staircase.

Dee had a traditional house, behind every door there were big open spaces to fit either a kitchen, dining room, or sitting room. The front door led to the foyer and main living room, and a staircase to all the bedrooms. It always smelled like fresh baked goods. No one in her family was a baker- mostly because Dee’s parents were either too busy researching or teaching- but what they lacked in cooking skills they made up with an overwhelming amount of scented candles.

Since both her parents were genetic anthropologists and determined to find out how humans could emit magic, cultures from all over the world lined the walls of the house. From paintings to artifacts, Maddy was fascinated by the things Dee’s parents would bring home. Meanwhile, Dee was tired of competing with clay basins three hundred years older than her.

“Protein shake?” Dee asked with a smile when he finished showering, dressing in Dr. Tarkirk’s old clothes, and brushing the taste of strawberries out of his mouth. She lifted the drink in his direction.

“No thanks, I’d rather eat dirt.” He scrunched up his nose, recalling the amount of times her drinks made him throw up.

“Oh, well you’re in luck, I just added some before mixing it all together.” Dee started walking toward him with the drink in her hand. "I'm trying out a new recipe."

“Dee…” He said slowly, taking three large steps back. “If you force me to drink that, I’ll cut off all your hair in your sleep.”

She froze. Her gaze narrowed and she pouted before taking a sip of her concoction. “Your loss.”

“Looks like a win to me.” He grinned his threat a success. “Now hurry up and finish. I have Bio today and I don't want to miss Mulligan's lecture on species evolution.”

"Yeah, whatever nerd," She said grabbing her headphones off the table.

Maddy walked to his bio class with shoulders hunched and the weight of the this morning resting on them. He wasn't sure if he was lucky or not to see Bill sitting in his usual seat. His head perked up when their eyes locked and if he had a tail, it'd be wagging.

“Hey, Gramps," Bill said teasingly pointing out Maddy’s attire. He had to tuck in Dr. Tarkirk’s powder blue argyle sweater into a pair of black slacks to keep them from falling down. Bill’s face dropped when it seemed his joke missed the mark. "Sorry, I was only trying to lighten the mood.”

Maddy sucked in a slow and heavy breath. It only took one second looking at Bill’s worried face, that he knew, Bill knew. “Damn it, did Dee already tell the entire school or something?”

“No,” Bill said quickly and shook his head vigorously. “No, I think she just told me. She texted me, maybe about an hour ago saying you needed a place to crash.”

Maddy sighed in frustration. She must have asked him while he was in the shower. He really wished Dee didn’t do everything for him.

“Even if your apartment was fine, you’re always welcome to hang out at my place.” Bill gave him a soft smile, his eyes lighting up at the prospect.

“Thanks, Bill,” He did his best to match the expression, but in reality he couldn’t trust himself to be around any one else other than, Dee for an entire night.

His gut twisted, recalling where he woke up this morning. How had he dropped all his defenses around Greyson?

“I try,” Bill shrugged but didn’t stop the grin from growing on his face. “So, can I ask what happened, or is that a bit insensitive?”

“It’s fine,” He shook his head. He turned to face the professor, while a deep frown set on his face. “Although, I don’t know what else there is to say. My apartment was really old- that's what made it cheap. It was only a matter of time before the faulty wiring would break and burst into flames.”

“That sounds awful,” Bill whispered as the professor walked into the classroom. “What do you say we get out of here and grab some ice cream or something.”

“I don’t know, I can’t afford to miss any more classes,” Maddy said hesitantly.

“Your apartment just burned down,” Bill said with wide eyes. “I can guarantee your professors won’t mind you taking some time off to sort your shit out.”

“And how is getting ice cream sorting anything out?” He furrowed his brows and looked at Bill with disbelief.

“Because ice cream has magical healing properties.” Bill jerked his head toward the door. “Come on, let’s go.”

He rolled his eyes but threw his bag over his shoulder anyway. He earned a skeptical stare from the professor when he mumbled his apartment caught on fire and he needed to leave.

“Mr. Stone,” Maddy could hear Mr. Mulligan's voice from the hallway. “Your attempts to both flea my class have failed, please tell me, what unique talent do dolphins and bats share?”

“Uh… they’re both mammals?”

“Being a mammal is not a talent.” Mr. Mulligan corrected.

Maddy let out a frustrated breath as he stood outside the classroom and watched Bill get grilled.

Now what?