“Honestly, Norah. What the hell was that all about? If you changed your mind or something, you could have at least said something to them instead of dragging me out of there like that.”
“One of those monsters was in the building.”
Her eyes widened, and a heavy sigh escaped through her parted lips. And then she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. “Not this again.”
“I know you think I’m imagining things, but I saw it, Bree. It chased me down the hall.”
“I love you, Norah. You know that right?” She dropped her hands onto my shoulders and squeezed. “But think about when this happened. Right before doing something that was making you so nervous that your entire face went white. I should have known not to push you into a stressful situation, not when you’re going through…whatever this is. I thought you’d be able to handle it. And I’m sorry I didn’t realize how tough it would be for you.”
Frowning, I stepped back. “You don’t believe me.”
“No, I believe that you’re seeing it,” she said in a sad voice.
“But you don’t believe it’s real.”
She winced and glanced to the side as if the fire hydrant was suddenly the most interesting thing she’d ever seen. Her gaze was locked on it, and her jaw rippled as she clenched her teeth. Tears sprung into my eyes.
“Bree,” I said. “Please. You have to believe me.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, Norah. I don’t believe it’s real. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but you need to hear it. I love you, and I want to support you, but I don’t know how to do that when you’re making up monsters in your head.”
I flinched and stepped back. “If you told me this was happening to you, I would believe you.”
She flicked her gaze back to my face. “Would you? Or would you think that maybe it was time I booked another appointment with my psychiatrist.”
That hurt. More than I expected it to. With tears filling my eyes, I sucked in a sharp breath and said, “You know what? Maybe it’s better if I don’t stay with you after all. I’ll go pack up my stuff and stay in an Air BnB until I can find a sublet I can afford.”
I couldn’t afford a sublet, especially not after I’d run out of that theatre. But I also couldn’t stay with Bree. She didn’t believe me. She thought I was crazy. How could I stay with her when she thought I was losing my mind?
She jerked back, almost like I’d slapped her, and then her voice turned to ice. “If that’s what you want, Norah, then I won’t try to stop you.”
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll go back now and pack my things. I’ll be gone within an hour.”
“Right.” She sniffed. “Well, I’m hungry, and there’s a pizza place on the corner. I’ll go grab something to eat. That way, I’ll be out of your hair while you get your things.”
This was awful. I hated fighting with Bree, especially when it felt like we were splitting up for good. My heart hurt worse than any physical wound I’d ever had. But it felt as though we’d climbed onto a runaway train, and neither one of us could get off. I wanted to stop this. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hear her say that this was all some kind of horrible joke. But that would be a lie.
Bree turned and strode away, her feet aimed away from me. With a sigh, I followed suit, letting my body take me in the opposite direction. It was hard to see the sidewalk through my tears.
And then a scream ripped through the night, freezing my feet in place. My blood roared in my ears, and I knew what I would see even before I turned. Down the street, Bree stood in the shadow of a towering wolf-like creature. Her eyes were wild with fear, and her fists shook by her sides. The creature loomed over her, fangs flashing against the bright street-lamps that illuminated the empty street.
“Bree!” I choked out the word and began to stumble toward her.
She flicked her eyes my way, her face as white as a sheet. The sorrow and fear I saw in them would haunt me to my grave.
The creature raised its sharp claws in the air, and my feet moved faster.
“NO!” I shouted, but it was too late. There was nothing I