Chapter Seven

Part of me wanted him to follow me, despite my request. The other part was glad he didn’t. I quickly took cover in my room, and on my bed. What was I supposed to think? Nick could be lying. So far he hadn’t proven himself trustworthy. None of these things started happening until right before he came. Could that be a sign? Could he be the one who was trying to kill me? The boy may have been my first love, but I only saw what he wanted me to see. I never saw anything else. Besides, how else would he have known about that hex in the shower? Why else would he be so disappointed that nothing happened when he picked up the letter? But then again, why would Nick want to kill me? I hadn’t done anything to him.

I sighed, laying my face straight into the pillow. Maybe I should just stop thinking about it. The more I think about it, the more conclusions I draw, and the crazier it sounds. What I didn’t get, though, is why would ‘K’, or so the letter was signed by, not just try to kill me already? What chance would I have against them, if my education in Charms wasn’t even completed?  I moaned. Just thinking about it scared me half to death. So, instead, I slept. Drifting into the same dream of Nick’s pained face screaming before I drifted away.

I woke up to Felicity’s voice whispering my name and her hands shaking me awake. “Juliette, wake up.” I rolled over to look at her. “What?” I asked. It was 8 PM. I had been sleeping since lunch time. I must have seriously been tired. “Do you know where Nick went?” She asked.

“What? He should be outside… I know… he was. I told him not to follow me back to my room until he knew I was inside, and not to come in. He’s supposed to make sure he’s near me at all times.” Did the idiot seriously just bail on me again? I jumped out of bed, actually feeling a pain in my chest like my heart was breaking again. If this was his way to prove to me that he was trustworthy, he wasn’t doing a very good job. I flung the door open to reveal Nick’s absence.

“What the heck?” I complained out loud. “That jerk. I swear… he’s full of bullcrap. Full of it, Ci.” Felicity looked at me. “I’m sure there’s a good explanation, Juls. There has to be. I don’t think he would just leave.”

“Why? He’s done it before.” I accused.

“Because, I could sense his protection over you.” She told me.

Of course, her powers were the cause of her hope that he wouldn’t leave.

                “He’s such a compulsive liar, Ci. Don’t you see that? One minute, he wants me, then the next minute, he walks away from me. Why else do you think I hate relationships?”

                Felicity stood quiet. I took a deep, aggravated breath in, and sat on the floor in the hallway. “Go back inside, Ci. I’m going to see if he comes back.”

                “I don’t think it’s safe, Juls.”

                “I’ll be fine. I can just go invisible.” I assured her.

                She nodded and walked back inside shutting the door behind her. I sighed. I had been holding back the tears all the while. I made myself invisible to the world as I felt a wet droplet flow down my cheek. I was looking forward to trying to give us another shot. I would never admit it, but he held a place in my life. A place that no one else could fill. I never loved after him, because there wasn’t anyone like him. I grew afraid, because there was only one him. I didn’t understand how one minute, he could say he loved me and would never give up, and then the next he could just walk away. Just like last time, though, he walked away with a piece of me. That piece of me would never be replaced.

Maybe I was overreacting. He could have gone just to go do something really quick, and didn’t bother telling me in my sleeping state. So, with that, I stopped worrying. I stopped and in my invisible state, I made myself comfortable on the floor of the hallway, waiting to hear his footsteps coming back to me, hoping I’d never have to hear them leave again.

¨¨¨¨

                “She was here last night.” I heard Felicity’s voice come from beside me. I woke up, still in my invisible state and saw Nick standing in the door way, his hand on his forehead as if he was trying to hold in his frustration. I would have come out of hiding, but I really wanted to see what his reaction is to not being able to find me.

                “Why would she just go alone when someone is after her?” Nick asked.

                “She was waiting for you.” Felicity answered.

                “Why was she waiting for me? She had – “ Felicity cut him off.

                “She thought you left again.”

                At that Nick put his head back, and looked up toward the ceiling. “God, I have to find her, Felicity.” At that, I laid my head back down on the floor, as if I was never awake, and pretended my best to look like I was just waking up while in the process of coming out of my camouflaged state. I didn’t need them to know that I had been listening in.

“Found her.” Felicity called out, smiling as she said so. Nick turned towards me and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh thank god.” He said.

“What are you all worked up about? Ci, I told you I’d be invisible.”

Felicity and Nick looked at each other.

“Well, see…” Felicity started.

“We couldn’t sense you anywhere. As your Guarder, I’m supposed to be able to tell where you are at all times, but… I couldn’t sense you anywhere.” Nick explained.

“And I sense your emotions when you’re around, and when I didn’t feel them out here, I got worried.” Felicity finished.

I gave them a quizzical look. Why could they all of the sudden not sense me? This wasn’t making any sense. I hadn’t died, had I? Of course not, they could still hear me and see me… but could they touch me? I stood up and placed my hand on Nick’s face. He jumped a little, and I removed it.

“Sorry. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t a ghost.” I admitted, sheepishly. Test passed. “Then if I’m not dead, how can you guys not sense me?”

Nick looked at me.

“Well, uh, see, we’re kind of thinking that K did it…”

“Is that possible?”
“Apparently.”

I was growing irritated. I wasn’t afraid of this person anymore. I was just annoyed. Why wouldn’t they just try to kill me already? Why did they have to torture me before? I sighed and just walked back in the room.

“Well, glad you came back, Nick. You know, I was surprised you did.”

Nick exhaled and followed me in. “Juliette, why do you do this?”

“Why? Because how the hell am I supposed to trust you now?”

“I’m here, am I not? I’m right freaking here.” His hands were tensed up, and he looked like he was frustrated.

“I can see that.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, with slight irritation.

“I’ll be outside.” He said, before walking out and shutting the door.