This is the second time I'm waking up in a hospital bed.

My surroundings are dimly lit and I soon realize it's because they drew the curtains around my bed. I shift in bed, trying to pull the thick covers off me. The events before I passed out flashes in my head; the voice of a screaming woman in my head and the sheer impact of the car crash.

Panic rises within me. "Kyle?" I croak, my voice coming out, dry and raspy.

I hear a flurry of movement beside me and a warm hand takes mine. His face soon comes into view. "I'm right here."

His voice fills me with great relief. "Are you alright?"

He gives me a look of disbelief. "I am, but you're not."

"But I thought—" Was I imagining the crash? There's not a single scratch on him or me, so I assume it's all in my head. "Never mind. How did we get here?"

He shoots me a worried frown and helps me to shift into a sitting position. "You fainted for no reason and scared the hell out of me. I drove you to the hospital immediately and called your aunt. She's on her way."

My face falls. I never want her to worry about me, not when she's already busy with her family and the cafe, but I did anyway. "She's probably freaking out right now."

"So am I." Kyle sits on the edge of my bed and his hand brushes my fringe aside. "What happened earlier? The doctor ran some tests on you, but they said there's nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe a little exhaustion."

I gnaw on my bottom lip, hesitating. "I think... Some memories came to my mind from the crash."

"What?"

His body stills with shock as I reveal the details of him. "I heard a woman's scream. I remember the crash and the car flipping over... It was getting too much."

A tremor rocks through my body. A second later, Kyle folds me into his embrace and my hands automatically wrap around him. He presses a quick kiss on my forehead. "Shh, it's over. You're fine. Safe with me."

I nod stiffly. The sound of patients snoring from the other beds tells me I'm most probably in the assessment ward. "Can I go home?"

He releases me and stands up. "Wait here. I'll check with the nurses."

Ten minutes later, he returns to my side. His face doesn't look happy. "They want to observe you until the morning arrives," he says. "I want to stay overnight, but they told me I'm not allowed to. It's stupid. They said I'm underage and not your guardian, plus it's a school night." He rolls his eyes, his expression annoyed. "Does a boyfriend not count as a guardian? And please, I'm turning eighteen this year."

I chuckle and pat his arm lightly. "Kyle, it's okay. You should go home and rest. You're tired. I'll be fine."

"You really think I can sleep in peace while you're staying here?"

"Well... At least try to get some sleep? For my sake?" I reach up to pat his cheek once. "A lack of sleep will ruin a handsome face like yours."

He playfully nips my palm. After a couple of minutes of me persuading him, he finally relents and promises to visit me tomorrow. He waits until Aunt Abbie arrives at the hospital before leaving the ward. I wave at him as he shoots me one last worried frown, his figure vanishing into the corridor.

As for my aunt, she, of course, fusses over me like the very first day I met her. She runs her hands over my face worriedly, checking my skin for bruises. It's only when I tell her I'm fine for the twentieth time does she finally collapses onto the chair beside me. When I ask her about Judy, she tells me Uncle Dave has it covered for the night; he would feed her and put her to bed.

Later on, as I lie in bed with my covers tucked around me, I don't sleep. I can't. Not when memories from my past keep replaying in my head.

Mom had screamed and told me to run... but from what? Who were we running from? Is this why she had to pull us out of Lakeshore urgently?

The reason. I need to find out what it is.

Because I'm thinking that Mom's death isn't an accident.

During the night, I glance over to where Aunt Abbie is fast asleep on the plastic chair beside me. Her head lolls to the back, her hands resting against the armrests. I spot the lines of exhaustion carved into her forehead and feel a sense of apology towards her. She's terribly worn out from the long day, but still has to take care of me like I'm a giant baby.

As I return my gaze to the front, I'm unprepared for what I'm about to discover.

My breath hitches in my throat and fear claws across my skin. A shadow stands on the other side of the drawn curtains, silent and unmoving. It's staring at me through the thin, white fabric. Watching me as I sleep.

Just as I'm about to open my mouth and scream, it draws away and disappears. The faint, faltering footsteps reverberate in my ears, never stopping even though it's gone.

Someone was watching me.

It may have been my imagination, but I highly doubt it. It felt too real, unless it was a ghost. But why was it doing that to me? I don't know.

My heart pounds with fear. I can't sleep for the rest of the night. My eyes remain fixed on that same spot in the curtain, just in case the shadow returns.

It doesn't.

***

I spend the next day resting at home and return to school on Wednesday. When Kyle and I are at our lockers, Blaire comes running up to me to give me a hug.

She pulls back to study my face. "I know I've been asking you this over and over in our texts, but how're you feeling?"

"Fine," I shrug. "It was just the flu."

I exchange a knowing look with Kyle. He has been awfully quiet ever since he visited my house right after school yesterday. I was already home by then and sleeping in my bed, all thanks to the restless night from before. We did little; he just hung out in my room and waited for me to wake up so that he could help me catch up on my schoolwork. I had welcomed the distraction. Anything to stop me from thinking about the shadow.

When Blaire leaves for her class, I offer Kyle a smile and give his hand a light squeeze. "See you after school?"

He nods and I watch him as he leaves. I know what's troubling his mind. That my memories are slowly returning is scaring him. He thinks he's done something wrong when we last broke up, and he doesn't know what it is.

"Please, Riley. Please don't remember the past."

Those are the words that he told me when he wanted me to remain by his side. Shaking my head to myself, I figure I should speak to him again later. I'll do whatever it takes to set his mind at ease, that I would never break up with him for no apparent reason.

As the day passes, a note comes for me at the last period — telling me to head to the office. Thankfully, it's a free period because the teacher is on medical leave, which means I won't be missing another important class. I don't wish to repeat another year and be behind my studies anymore than I should. Whenever I get reminded of the fact that Kyle is a grade higher than me, I feel left behind. We won't be able to graduate together, but I should work hard to not widen that existing distance between us.

I grab my bag and books, ignoring the curious stares shooting in my direction. After a quick trip to my locker, I head to the office and greet the receptionist sitting behind the desk. She looks in her fifties, with gray streaks in her bob hair. She peers up at my entrance, pushing her crooked spectacles up her nose and lifting a lazy brow.

"I'm supposed you're Miss Perez?" she asks and I nod. "Your father is waiting for you inside the room."