Alpha Erased (Alpha Girl 9)

“See you next week.” I gave him a wave and headed out.

When I got to the hallway, two guys were studying just across from the door. The same two guys that followed me into the building.

Weird.

I normally don’t notice people very much—or I didn’t think I did—but these guys were massive. They didn’t scare me exactly, but I wouldn’t want them following me into a darkened alley.

One of them looked up at me, and I gave them a nod before walking down the hall.

When I glanced back at them, they were quickly putting their books away.

They couldn’t be following me, could they?

I started moving faster for a second before rolling my eyes at my own craziness. There was no way those guys were following me. I’d never seen them before. Yes, they’d gotten there at the same time as me and were leaving at the same time as I was. But it was just a coincidence. Those happened all the time.

That was one of the things that my doctor and therapist worked on with me. I liked to read too much into things, and part of that was because of my brain injury.

I also developed a massive fear of the supernatural after my accident. My therapist thought that I didn’t like the unexplainable now because I couldn’t remember so much in my life. Which—in a way—made sense.

But just because those guys were tall, handsome, and built didn’t mean that they were supernatural. I was sure they didn’t get furry during the full moon. If I used those qualifications, then Dastien was a werewolf, too.

And if he was, I’d have to move.

But he wasn’t. He was just an abnormally handsome human.

I reached my car and looked behind me. The guys weren’t there. I’d been walking fast for no reason.

Paranoia was another side effect of my injury. I was suspicious of the weirdest things, but I was working around them.

As I drove home, I realized I needed to calm down. All this obsessing about being around Dastien was making my paranoia and fears worse. Somehow he triggered something in me, and that was okay. Maybe being with him would push me out of the plateau I’d been on for the last few months. I’d been in a serious funk. All I did was study—usually with Georgine—go to classes, and argue with my mother about whether I needed more trips to the doctor. She thought so, but I knew I was fine. Or as fine as I could get.

But as I pulled into my parking space at the apartment, I decided that this dinner with my neighbor was going to be fun. At least, I hoped it would.

I got out of the car, beeped the lock, and told myself I was overthinking things again. I was making entirely too much out of my neighbor being friendly, and all this time obsessing over it was a total waste. Once he saw me eat, he wasn’t going to want to hang out with me ever again.

Oh man. That would suck. I didn’t even know Dastien yet, but the idea that he’d ditch me was painful.

Okay. I was just going to have to not eat. Or I’d just pick at stuff. It was already past six, which meant I didn’t have time to eat before I went over there, but I could eat when I got home.

But I was so hungry.

I was so hungry that sometimes I wasn’t sure I could get out of bed, and I wasn’t sure that it mattered. I wasn’t sure I mattered.

And yet, I got up. I went to class. I kept doing all the things I was supposed to do when none of it made me feel anything at all.

I guessed that was why I’d said yes to Dastien. He was the first thing that made me feel since I woke up in the hospital a little over a year and nine months ago.

I usually felt like a stranger to myself, and I was so damned tired of being alone and confused. But in just a couple of conversations, Dastien made me feel like I wasn’t so alone. Something about the way he looked at me when he smiled made me feel like he cared. Like he really, truly saw me. That was a big deal.

A really big deal.

I pressed the button for the elevator and listened to it creak and moan its way down to me.

I needed to go home and change—not just my clothes but my attitude. I’d shove all my insecurities away and be thankful for whatever time Dastien wanted to spend with me. Because if there was one thing that my accident taught me, it was that you’re never guaranteed a tomorrow. Every day had to count. So, I tried to find joy in every day that I had.

Some days the best I could come up with were some Cheetos, an ice-cold Diet Coke, and watching The Princess Bride.

Today, I had a little more to be thankful for. A hot neighbor who wanted to be friends.