Chapter 15

"You were really sleepwalking that whole way?!" Alex exclaimed.

We were sitting at the island in Alex's kitchen. I had just finished telling him what had happened last night, making sure to leave out the "major details" as Paige said to do.

"Ya. I guess the stuff from yesterday was really bothering me..."

I'm not really lying, so it's ok, right?

He put his face in his palm.

"Do I even want to know about the window?"

Oh.... that.

"Oh! I, uh, think I might have run into it while I was sleepwalking..."

He straightened. "Jesus, Ren! Are you ok?"

Wait. Was I ok? I had forgotten about that until this moment. I looked at both arms before bringing my hands to my head. Nothing. Not one bit of pain.

"Ya, I'm fine....." I replied. But how?

Alex shook his head, his mind already moving on to his next train of thought.

"Then what were Paige and Liam doing out there last night? Weren't they supposed to be murderers or something?"

He put extra emphasis on Liam. Alex had never really liked Liam, but his dislike got worse our freshman year. To this day he still hasn't told me why.

"I told you already. They didn't kill anyone. Paige's dog ran away and Liam was helping her look for him. They just happened to run into the... they ran into it too."

"It sounds pretty suspicious to me. Besides, you can't really know for sure whether they actually did kill someone or not. How are you so sure?"

Shit. I didn't expect that question. How can I answer that? It's not like I can tell him that Paige and Liam are actually freakin shapesifters!

"I just do."

Wow me. Great job you did there.

Not.

Alex didn't seem to believe me either. I let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, Alex. You don't have to believe me."

"And I don't," he interrupted. I gave him a look.

"But I know what I'm doing so you don't have to worry about it. Trust me."

"That's a lot to ask of me."

"What?"

"How can I not worry? I don't know what I would do if you were to end up murdered in the back alley of a Chinese restaurant! I--"

"Shhhh," I whispered harshly, "your parents and Michael are still sleeping."

He stopped. "Sorry, It's just... this situation is..."

Alex released a long breath before turning his back to me and leaning over the sink.

"I'm sorry Ren. It's just... the murders and your sleepwalking and your mom and Liam and--"

"Paige's dog?" I offered.

He gave a quick laugh.

"Ya, and Paige's dog too."

He fell silent again. I climbed off the stool and walked around the island to stand behind Alex. I reached my arms around his waist, placing my cheek on his muscled back. He shifted and I felt him pat his hand over mine a few times.

"What do you think this is all about?"

I moved my face so that my forehead was now touching his back.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "But I wish I knew."

*******

We left the kitchen shortly after, Alex saying that it would be best if we focused on other things for the time being. Alex was cleaning up his makeshift bed when I snuck into his bathroom for a quick shower. The feeling of the water streaming down my face was so refreshing, that I could have stayed in there forever; letting the water wash away all the problems that have arisen in the past day.

Unfortunately, it ended all too soon. Turning off the water, I stood under the showerhead, water dripping off my body. With a sigh, I stepped out and onto the plush bath mat, my feet leaving impressions every step I took.

Wrapping a dry towel around my body, I moved towards the door, only to catch my reflection in the mirror above the sink.

My dark black hair hung in wet, curly tangles; the dark color contrasting against my warm olive skin.

I shook my head and wrapped the towel tighter around my body. Stealing a quick glance at my strange golden eyes, I slipped through the door and back into Alex's room.

I looked around for my clothing before realizing that I didn't have any here. Not even a pair of underwear, save for the ones I was wearing earlier. But I wasn't going to put those on again, nor did I want to go commando...

I looked at Alex, who was just finishing folding a blanket. "Hey."

"What's up?" he said without looking up.

"I need to borrow some clothes."

He paused and shook his head.

"Yah, that makes sense. Sure no problem."

I followed him over to his closet as he began to pull some things out. He hands me a pair of sweatpants and a dark blue tee.

"Um," I began, feeling my face start to heat up a bit. "I need some underwear too."

He chuckled at my expression. "Ya, you probably need those too, don't you."

He pulled open a drawer and started to rifle through. "Sorry," he said holding out a pair of boxers. "This is all I have at the moment."

"No, it's perfect. Thanks," I told him, taking the boxers from his outstretched hand.

I tossed the shirt and pants onto the bed and pulled the boxers on under the towel. Next went on a shirt and finally the pants. Once I had finished dressing, I draped the damp towel over my arm.

"As comfortable as your clothes are, I won't last long without a bra."

Alex nodded. "We can stop by your place real quick if you want."

I nodded my head. I know that Liam said not to go out, but my house is just across the street. Everything should be fine. It would give me a chance to grab a few other things too.

*******

We walked across the street to my red and white painted house. I jumped up the front steps onto the porch, pulled out my key, and reached for the doorknob. To my surprise, it was unlocked.

"That's weird," Alex said, voicing my concerns aloud.

I continued to push open the door. Only to stop dead in my tracks.