The night out with my new housemates had flipped some sort of switch in my brain. There was no way of being able to pinpoint exactly what it was. Perhaps it was the copious amounts of tequila, or that I finally had people to go out with again, but I was feeling like things were turning around for me.

It had been the first time in a long time that I had danced for fun. No grades or expectations––simply moving to the music with freedom I hadn't experienced since I was a kid.

I tried bringing that same energy into the studio.

My feet moved in time with the beat as I flowed through the routine we had been working on for the last few weeks. A ballet drill that was much more formal than shaking my ass in a club, but I tried to enjoy it regardless. My body was warm, muscles loose, and for a moment, everything was alright. My body and mind were in sync. In time with the gentle melody coming from the studio's surround sound. I didn't even have to think about what I was doing. Muscle memory had kicked in.

Until I made eye contact with the last person I wanted to see.

Mid-spin, I caught sight of movement across the wall of windows. That particular side of the studio faced a quaint courtyard outside of the dance building. It was rare to see people out there. From time to time the odd student could be seen walking by on their way to class. On occasion there may have been a couple of people sitting on one of the benches.

My heart skipped a beat. There, just beyond the glass, was a face I knew all too well.

Miles was staring back at me, standing just beyond the bushes that lined the building.

I stumbled, the sudden panic washing over me like ice water. My foot hit the floor wrong, and before I could even process what was happening, my ankle twisted beneath me. Pain shot through my leg, sharp and immediate, and I crumpled to the ground.

The music came to a halt as a few gasps echoed around the room. I pressed my hands to the floor, trying to catch my breath as the pain throbbed through my ankle. Juliette and Elodie, who had been dancing on the opposite side of the studio, were the first to rush over, their faces full of concern.

"Celeste, are you okay?" Juliette asked, crouching beside me. Her hands hovered above my own as I gripped onto the source of pain.

"What happened?" Elodie added, her eyes wide.

"I—" I started, but the words got stuck in my throat. I glanced back toward the window, but Miles was gone. It must have just been my imagination. "I'm fine," I muttered, wincing as I tried to move my ankle. "I just... I landed wrong."

Professor Calloway had made her way over by that point. Eyebrows were raised high as she assessed the situation. "Celeste, are you hurt?"

I bit my lip, trying to play it off like it wasn't a big deal, but the pain was still radiating through my leg, making it impossible to hide. "It's just my ankle. I think I just twisted it."

"Let's see," she said, kneeling down and gently touching the swollen area. "You should go get this checked out. Can you stand?"

I hesitated, then nodded, even though I wasn't sure. Juliette and Elodie were already moving to help me up, each of them grabbing an arm and lifting me to my feet. I tried to put weight on my ankle, but the sharp pain made me wince, and I quickly shifted my balance to my other foot.

"I'm okay," I insisted, but even I wasn't convinced by my own words.

Professor Calloway pursed her lips at my attempt to keep going. "You're done for today. Girls," she said, regarding Juliette and Elodie. "Could you help her to the infirmary?"

"I don't need to go to the infirmary," I rushed out, not wanting to put either of my old friends in an awkward position. "Really, I'm fine. I'll just ice it when I get home."

Elodie shot me a look. "Celeste, you can't even walk on it. We're taking you home."

"Yeah," Juliette agreed. "There's no way we're letting you limp around like that. Come on, we'll get you out of here."

I sighed, grateful for their help but feeling a little embarrassed by all the fuss. "Alright."

It took a few moments for Juliette and Elodie to collect our things. By the time my bag was over Juliette's shoulder, and I was limping out of the room, the music had begun again.

As we made our way out of the studio, Miles' face on the other side of the window kept flashing to mind. Why would he be passing through the courtyard? While the Arts buildings were all on one side of campus, Miles' would have had to walk past any of his classes to get to where I was. There was no reason for him to be hanging around here, no reason for him to be anywhere near me.

Not unless he had purposefully come to seek me out.

Fear crept into my chest like an unwelcome shadow. I found myself glancing around, scanning the hallways and the exits as we left the building, half-expecting him to pop up somewhere.

Juliette and Elodie were completely unaware of my inner turmoil, and I was glad for that. The last thing I wanted was to drag them into my mess.

"So, where are you living this year?" Juliette asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I pulled my lips into my mouth. "Um, not too far off of campus."

"With Miles?" Elodie asked. I was not oblivious to the way she spat his name. As if she were trying to get rid of a bitter taste in her mouth.

"No," I breathed before clearing my throat. "I moved out of the basement apartment I shared with Miles a few weeks ago."

"And now?" Juliette pressed.

"Have either of you heard of the Hockey House?"

Both of them stopped in their tracks, looking at me with identical expressions of surprise.

"The Hockey House?" Elodie repeated, raising an eyebrow. "The some Hockey House where some of the Falcons live?"

I nodded. "It's a long story."

I wanted to heave a sigh of relief when we started walking again. "So... you're living with a bunch of hockey players?"

"Yeah," I said, trying not to let my discomfort show. "After I left Miles I didn't really have anywhere to go. I have a film class with one of them and once he found out I needed a place to stay he offered me the spare room." I conveniently left out the part of him finding me sneaking out of a public bathroom in my pajamas. "They've been really great, though. Well, most of them have been."

"Well, that's unexpected," Elodie said with a laugh.

"Definitely unexpected."

Juliette pushed open a door that led us outside, arm still clasped around my back. They helped me limp along the sidewalk, making sure I didn't put any pressure on my ankle. I tried to focus on our conversation, but my mind kept drifting back to that moment in the studio. Why had I panicked like that? Why did just the thought of Miles being nearby send me into such a spiral?

I tried to reason with myself. Miles had never hit me. He'd never raised a hand to me, never physically hurt me. He'd pushed into my personal space sometimes, cornering me with his words or his presence, but it had never escalated beyond that. And yet, the thought of him being anywhere near me now filled me with an overwhelming sense of dread.

Maybe it wasn't about the physical part. Maybe it was everything else—how he made me feel small, how he chipped away at my confidence bit by bit until I wasn't sure who I was anymore. Maybe that's what I was afraid of—that if I saw him again, I'd fall right back into that trap.

"Celeste?" Juliette's voice pulled me back to the present. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just focusing on not falling on my face."

That caused the both of them to laugh, leading me over to a bench so that Juliette could go grab her car from the parking lot with me to slow her down. Her blonde ponytail swished as she sped walked out of sight, only to reappear less than ten minutes later in the white BMW her parents had bought her as a graduation gift.

As Elodie helped me slip into the backseat, so that I could stretch out my leg, I could finally focus on the fact that I was safe.

Miles wasn't there.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was still lurking somewhere in the back of my mind, waiting to make me feel small again.

By the time we reached the Hockey House, I was exhausted—physically from the pain and emotionally from the whirlwind of heightened emotions. Juliette and Elodie helped me up the front steps, and I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for them. They didn't ask too many questions, didn't push me to explain everything. They were just there.

And that was enough.

_ _ _ _ _

author's note:

Well... what do you think? Was she imagining it or was Miles really there?

Speaking of scaring things, Halloween is next week and I'm beyond excited! Autumn is my favourite season and Halloween is my favourite celebration by far. There's just so much magic behind it. Which makes me ask the question... would you read a paranormal romance? Urban fantasy? What about a series of them?

Just thinking out loud (:

Happy reading!