Double Back - Mistwater Chronicles #1

Chapter Thirty-Three

hey y'all! i did it haha. this chapter is maybe two pages shorter than the last one but hope you enjoy anyways. i had a snow day today and it was a very productive one, and the end result was this chapter. hoep you like xx

xoxo,

Morgan

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The next morning, Amber is sipping coffee as I get out of the shower. I've agreed to spend the day with Adrian, mostly because Amber doesn't want me here by myself for seven hours, as she has to go to work. Adrian's car is sitting outside the house around eight forty-five, as he has also offered to both bring Amber to work and take her home. It kills two birds with one stone, as he can pick both Amber and I up and drop the two of us home in the same trip.

Once Amber disappears into the modern design of her beloved Fini Designs, I hop into the front seat and Adrian turns to me.

“So, Teresa,” he begins awkwardly. I swallow, and then turn to face him.

“Adrian,” I say, thankful my voice doesn't squeak or something else embarrassing. “Where to?”

“I actually have to go to the pack house for business,” he says, sounding like he'd rather do anything else. “And Amber would freak out if she knew you were there with Zack, but I also don't want to leave you alone. Not that you're dangerous when left alone, but Amber would also freak out if she knew I did that.”

“And you don't want a freaked out Amber, and neither do I,” I say, and then sigh. “Um. You know what? You can drop me at the hospital, actually. I owe Tatiana a visit anyways.”

“You want to stay there all day?” Adrian asks, blue eyes widening in skepticism.

“Not all day,” I say defensively. “Maybe for an hour or two. Then you can come get me and I can hang out with someone else. Maybe Lindsay if she's around.”

“How about I just bring you to the pack house after you're done with Tatiana? I can make sure Zack isn't around for sure,” he compromises. “And then we can go see this apparently very nice house that he had built.”

“Sure,” I say meekly, and he starts driving to drop me to hang out with one of the crazier people I know.

●●●●●

“So you finally come to visit me,” Tatiana says, sounding amused. We're sitting in the “visitor area,” where you can play card games and relax in comfortable love seats and armchairs while you talk with your loved ones. Tatiana and I are currently playing a game of Spit, and I am beating her spectacularly.

“It's only been like, a day,” I say, rolling my eyes as I shuffle my card deck in my hands. Tatiana was happy to see me, and she even hugged me when I saw her. “How's it been going here?”

She shrugs, laying out her cards in the appropriate spaces. “Same old, same old. Got new meds the other day.”

“I need to get some new meds I think, but I have to try something first,” I tell her. “They're making me have really, uh, scary nightmares.”

“Nightmares?” This seems to peak her interest. “Who know the big, bad Luna was scared of anything?”

I give her a playful warning glare. She's the only person who isn't scared that I'll snap in two if she says what she's really thinking, which I strongly appreciate – even if her bluntness dangerously borders the line of honest and rude. “I keep having nightmares of my sister. Either that or I dream about Zack killing me and my dream children.”