Ceaseless (Existence Trilogy #3)(3)

“She wants to carry it herself, Dank. Give her the damn box and let’s go. We got stuff to do.” The Emo girl who was now sitting on his motorcycle called out.

Something that I was pretty sure was anger flashed in his eyes. He didn’t even glance back in her direction. “Ignore her,” he told me as he nodded his head toward the doors of the dorm. “Lead the way.”

I didn’t want the wild, slightly-scary girl who lived in my dorm to hate me, but Miranda was nudging my arm like an idiot. She wanted me to let Dank Walker carry my box of shoes and he was obviously determined to help me.

“Okay fine, I’ll just go get another box. Miranda, you show him where the room is.” Miranda beamed at me and nodded her appreciation.

The amused look vanished and Dank Walker seemed annoyed. Fine. Good. He shouldn’t be hitting on another girl while he has one on the back of his bike. I wasn’t stupid. I knew guys in rock bands were players. That was not my thing.

Miranda began bubbling over with words and more words as she started walking toward the dorm trying very hard to hold Dank’s attention. She could handle him. I had no doubt. Heading back to the Land Rover, I tried to block out their voices and focus on the boxes I needed to unload.

Chapter Two

Dank

Three days ago I’d held her in my arms as she fell asleep telling me about all the things she’d packed. I had teased her about packing too much and not being able to fit it all in her dorm room. She had promised me she would wear those pick high heels on our first official college date. Everything had been perfect. Pagan had loved me.

Now, she didn’t even know me.

“Here it is,” Miranda announced as she opened the dorm room that I knew connected to Gee’s room. I’d made sure of that. I also knew this room was the biggest one available. I wanted Pagan to have the best. I wanted every experience she had to be perfect. She’d been through so much with me already. This was supposed to be the beginning of our happily-ever-after.

“Oh wow. It’s huge! I wonder if this is the right one? We’re just freshman.” The excitement in Miranda’s voice as she spun around and took in her surroundings reminded me that Miranda had forgotten it all too. My existence in the human world over the past year had been altered. Pagan wouldn’t remember. They’d taken that from her. Every memory—gone.

“You can put that box down over there on that side of the room. Pagan will want to be further from the bathroom. It takes me longer to get ready and she can sleep later in the mornings.” Miranda was right. Pagan wouldn’t spend much time getting ready in the mornings. It also reminded me that I wouldn’t be here to hold her and kiss the sleepy look on her face. I placed the box beside her closet. Agony at the separation was slicing through me. Then there was the fear. What if Pagan didn’t choose me? What if I never held her again? What if she never looked at me again with love in her eyes? Could I exist without that?

No. I couldn’t.

“We’re gonna be late,” Gee grumbled from the doorway. It was past time we headed out to collect souls. It was just so hard to leave her now that I had her close again. Being unable to touch her or allow her to see me was torture.

“Oh, do you have practice?” Miranda asked batting her eyelashes my way. I’d forgotten she was a Cold Soul fan. I’d been Pagan’s boyfriend to her for a while now. The fact she was a fan had faded away. This was going to be annoying.

“No he has a gig.” Gee explained in an amused drawl.

“Wow, where? Is it sold out? I’d love to go. I’ve never seen you perform live.”

Yeah, she had. Several times. But that was also forgotten. Before I could come up with a suitable reply Gee interrupted me.

“Pagan is outside talking to a boy. One with a Cajun-talking Daddy, if you know what I mean.”

Shit.

I stalked past Miranda and shoved Gee aside as I made my way down to the parking lot in the closest thing to human speed as I could manage. But because I knew Leif was near Pagan and she didn’t know who he was or what he had done, I felt justified a slightly more efficient mode of travel.

I didn’t want to scare Pagan by appearing out of thin air. So I came up behind her. Leif felt my presence because his entire body tensed.

“Can I help you carry your things inside?’ Leif asked Pagain, looking over her shoulder in an attempt to find me.

I started to take a step forward when Gee grabbed my arm and pulled me back with a hard tug. “Stop it. Remember, he isn’t her type. Calm down. Let her handle this. You’re going to f**k everything up if you act like some crazed guy with an infatuation. This is not the guy she fell in love with. She fell in love with dark mysterious Dank Walker. She fell in love with Death. Be that guy. Stop being this broken, pitiful, obsessed stalker dude. That won’t get her back. And believe it or not, I want Pagan back too.”

She was right. I clenched my fists tightly and waited.

“No thanks. I’ve got this. It was nice to meet you.” Pagan informed him in a slightly annoyed tone that eased my anxiety. Gee was right. Leif wasn’t Pagan’s type. He never had been. I knew the boy wasn’t stupid enough to try to take her again. His father wouldn’t allow it. He was testing the waters to see if she really had forgotten.

“See? She’s got this. Now let’s go. You act mysterious and sexy. Go get your ass on that motorcycle and drive away without a word.”