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Chapter Fifteen<br />
<strong>The</strong> next morning, I was so sore I could barely walk around.<br />
I called Jake to ask if he could cover my shift at work. He agreed<br />
only if I promised to take his Friday night shift. At that point I<br />
sincerely did not care about work, so I took the deal and situated<br />
myself on the couch.<br />
My tired mind was so bogged down I didn’t hear a word that<br />
came from the TV. Eventually, Gunner came home from his friend’s<br />
house and settled down by my feet with Trouble. I found myself<br />
watching him, wondering if he would have some kind of an answer<br />
to my questions. He wasn’t as much of a kid as he looked like, after<br />
all. And he was something of an expert when it came to the<br />
paranormal. Maybe there were other reported cases of people being<br />
injured and coming out all disoriented.<br />
Or maybe I shouldn’t burden my little brother with these<br />
kinds of things. <strong>The</strong> kid had enough to worry about. You’re a big<br />
girl, Chelsea. You can handle this. He’s going to get help. He might<br />
be all better in a few weeks.<br />
Two days later, Tucker called me. I didn’t pick it up, but<br />
when I went back to listen to the voicemail, my heart made quite an<br />
attack on the defenses I’d been busy building. He told me he’d made<br />
an appointment to see a doctor and make sure nothing was wrong<br />
with his head, and that he was so, so sorry. That he never wanted to<br />
hurt me and he couldn’t bear the thought of it and would I please,<br />
please call him back.<br />
Like a pansy, I caved. I couldn’t bear the sorrow in his voice,<br />
and ignoring him probably wouldn’t help the situation. However,<br />
that didn’t mean I was going to break and see him.<br />
“Chelsea!” <strong>The</strong> way he said my name pulled at my stupid<br />
emotions, but I swallowed them down.<br />
“I’m glad you made an appointment. Are you doing okay?”<br />
“No. I’m scared, Chels. I’m so scared. I don’t know what’s<br />
wrong with me or how I could do that to you.”<br />
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