All Chapters of Gifted Shadows: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Fletch and I had been back at dad’s for a couple days and I was already dying to leave again. I didn’t say anything to Fletch about Corey, or where I actually went that day. Erik came in today and that made it tolerable but he was incredibly snippy with mom. Fletch and I were talking about going back a week earlier, and the thought of a week alone with him sounded like heaven, and the distraction I needed. I couldn’t focus, I just pictured Corey at a computer, stealing all of my intellectual property. I thought about how he said I was one of six people; me, Noora, Dr. Karlsson and an older man in China were among the top math people in the world I knew of, who else was there? Was he just pulling a number out of his ass? Fuck… I just needed a week alone in a room with my boyfriend screwing my brains out, or I was going to lose it. That

Fletch and I were on our way to a fancy restaurant, and I was positively drooling. Fletch had gotten ready in his room so I wouldn’t see him. He was wearing black dress pants and a dark blue collared shirt. He had a fresh hair cut and shave and smelled like pure sex. I had on a somewhat cocktail dress that I had loved in a store but I never imagined I would have anywhere to actually wear it. I was totally going to rip that shirt off him when we got back. We got seated in a corner booth, which gave us a good bit of privacy. I was a little taken aback when Fletch slid in next to me instead of across from me, and something told he was not planning to behave. Well, neither was I because I wasn’t wearing panties! We ordered drinks and an appetizer to share. The very second the waiter’s back was to us, his hand went on my thigh. My dress was only

I had been back a couple of days and there was a definite shift in our relationship. Fletch was nervous, even though I tried to reassure him. Sure, Scott made me a great offer, even for part time the money was more than anything I could have expected. Not to mention free college, free housing, it seemed like a no brainer. But I would not leave Fletch. I really didn’t want to leave Chris either, and I really enjoyed some of the other math students. This was my home for now and I wasn’t ready for change. It got to be a week since I had been back and I got a call from Toby. He asked if there was anything else he could do to ease my mind and I told him that I would love to continue to take whatever they could give me, but I would not make a decision until the end of the summer, at the earliest. I wanted this summer with Fletch, he was staying again and taking a full semester.

“Rae … Rae …” I heard a man whisper. I shot up, ready to defend myself against whoever was there. My hand flew on it’s own at the figure beside me and a firm hand stopped it before making contact. “Well, it’s good you can at least somewhat try to defend yourself,” Javi said. I wasn’t wearing a bra so I snatched the covers up over myself. “Knocking is this crazy new thing people do, have you heard of it,” I fussed. “I don’t have to knock in my own house,” he said as a matter of fact. Huh? His house?? Shit, was this his bedroom?!

As if all the shit I had going on wasn’t enough, I still had finals in two weeks. I had a huge paper to finish and I had no drive. There really wasn’t even anyone I could talk to about this, I couldn’t let anyone know about the potential danger. Corey got in my head and I was now paranoid. Every little noise, every shadow that followed me when I was out of my room. Fletch was being very distant, and blamed it on all the stress he was under, he had even been sleeping in his room some nights, which really hurt. One night I was so lonely for him, I went down to his room to see him, but there were a lot of guys in his room playing video games and being rowdy, so I just left. I had just finished my last final, and I was feeling pretty good about it. I wandered back to my room, ready for a nap and fou