Page 75 of Black Hollow: Awakening

Liam started to follow him, but Will, unable to stop himself, ran up to Liam and stopped him halfway.

“Could you… stay?” he asked shyly. He felt embarrassed, but he was genuinely scared. “It’s late anyway. I’d make up a bed for you and everything… It would be a little easier for me.”

“Sure,” Liam agreed without hesitation.

Will smiled gratefully.

“Just don’t tell him,” he asked in a whisper.

“Don’t worry. I’ll go out with him for a moment and be right back, okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Today, he had learned that he had support not only in Liam, but also in the usually unapproachable Blake.

He wasn’t alone.

January 10 | Friday

Will was heading to his next class when Norma appeared at his side.

“Hey, Paradox,” she said, grinning cheerfully. “How’s your day going?”

“Great. Thanks for keeping my trauma alive,” Will said sarcastically.

“You don’t look particularly traumatized,” Norma remarked, and she was actually right.

Will was sleeping with the lights on, sure, and reacting with a touch of hysteria to every suspicious noise, but someone had tried to kill him just a few days ago. He should have been afraid to leave the house, constantly looking over his shoulder, paranoidly analyzing everything that had happened, and generally falling apart, but he felt… good. Surprisingly good. Especially during the day and in the company of other people.

“Which is great, because I can take you on the next mission without any worries.”

“Mission…” Will repeated with amusement. He felt like he was joining the ranks of some secret agents.

He was about to say something else, but just then he spotted Oscar standing a few feet away, leaning his shoulder against the wall while talking to some guy.

Will instinctively slowed his pace, and when he was next to Oscar, he said cheerfully:

“Hey, Oscar.”

“Hey,” Norma chimed in.

Oscar turned a distracted gaze on them.

“Oh, hey,” was all he said before continuing his conversation.

Will felt an unpleasant pang in his chest.

“So… what’s the deal between you two?” Norma asked once they were a little farther away.

“What do you mean?” Will asked defensively.

Norma rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean.”

“It’s good.”

“Seriously? This is good? You were just telling me you were at the romantic-and-erotic-texts and wild-groping-on-the-couch stage, and now he greets you like you’re a distant acquaintance.”