I returned home and fell on top of my sheets in defeat. The tears leaked from my misfortunes created a puddle where my face laid, and I could no longer generate a logical notion without thinking of the pain and suffering I had endured.

My disgruntled consciousness soon faded. Hours passed until my eyes opened again, and when they did, my head jerked back at the presence of my sister standing close to the bed.

“Mya, what’s wrong?”

She giggled before saying, “You’ve been knocked out all day. Did you skip school just to sleep?”

“I wish. But how do you know I left school?”

“The principal called, but don’t worry. I told Mom and Dad not to punish you. They listened.”

The words, ‘they listened’, was alarming. “Mya, you know as well as I do that Mom and Dad would never let me off the hook like that. You still have your ability, don’t you?”

She turned away. “Yes, but I didn’t want to use it. It just happened. I don’t know. I’m confused.”

“Are you still, like, I don’t know—envious of me?”

She looked back at me and sighed. “Why you gotta say it like that, though?”

“Mya, I told you my life isn’t easy. I experience a lot of things no one should ever go through, and having the power to see and fight demons is more of a curse than a blessing. After what happened yesterday, I thought you understood all this.”

“I do, but my feelings aren’t going to go away that easy. You got rid of the demon controlling me, but that’s only a start. I need time to get over things myself.”

“And that’s why you still have power over Mom and Dad.” I got off my bed and approached her. “I get it. I’m sorry for rushing you out of your feelings and wanting everything to be okay so quickly. I’m learning that stopping a Shadow from influencing someone is only the beginning. It’s up to the person to keep fighting their demons on their own.”

“That’s right, so let me be jealous all I want,” she laughed out. “I’ll be way cooler when I’m your age, anyway.”

We smiled and held one another until she was ready to leave the room. “I’ll talk to you later,” she said, closing the door on her way out.

Sitting back on the bed, my hand slid underneath my pillow where my cell phone was. I picked it up and looked at the screen, my heart skipping a beat after realizing I had missed Lucas’s calls and text message.

“Damn.”

I called his number and placed the phone to my ear, waiting to hear his voice. The ringing never stopped, and it wasn’t long until the voicemail played.

Hanging up, I checked the text and saw one name that caused a surge of anxiety.

Robyn’s here. I need u to come to my house.

I jumped off the bed, threw on my jacket, and sprinted down the stairs. My parents were already in their room, so no excuse for leaving was necessary. Still, my guilty conscience weighed on me as I walked out of the house and ran through the quiet evening streets of Pelham Bay, knowing full well I was still grounded. It wasn’t until I was outside Lucas’s house that he became the only thought in my mind.

My knuckles tapped on the wooden frame of the door until a deep voice on the other side asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s Aliyah,” I replied, hearing sounds of shuffling feet before the door was opened. The interior décor of the entrance was familiar, but the man standing in front of me was a shell of who I once remembered.

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“Hi, Mr. Stewart.” My forced smile threatened to go away any second. There were dark circles underneath his droopy eyes and crumbs of leftovers in his scruffy beard.

“Aliyah, long time no see,” he said, wiping the grease spot off his checkered shirt. “How are Richard and Diana?”

“They’re fine.”

“That’s good.” He trudged over to the brown sofa in the living room. “Lucas is out on the patio deck.”

“Oh, okay. Have a good night.”

My nose wrinkled at the scent of musk and booze that were sure to cling to my nostrils for the duration of the visit. When I reached the kitchen, my eyes landed on Lucas and Robyn through the glass door of the deck. They were standing a little too close for my comfort, causing me to slide open the door with force on instinct.

“What the hell’s going on?”

Robyn’s icy glare met my stony gaze as Lucas pulled me back into the kitchen. He closed the patio door and placed a kiss on my lips.

“I’m happy you’re here. We need to talk.”

I backed away and asked, “Why’s she here? Does she think she can come over whenever she feels like it? I’m not allowing this.”

“I know, but Ali, we need to talk about something really important here, alright? It’s gonna be hard to explain it all to you, but I made a decision, and I wanna know if I’ll have your support.”

“My support?” I snapped with my arms crossed. “Oh, you better not be saying what I think you’re gonna say. I swear to God, Lucas.”

He took a deep breath. “It has nothing to do with wanting Robyn, trust me. But the baby, Ali… Just here me out. This force, or whatever the hell it is that’s been controlling my life and making me miserable, has gotten out of control. But if there’s one thing that I do have power over, it’s what happens to that child once they’re born.” He exhaled one last time before uttering the words that shattered my mind to pieces. “So, I’ve decided I’m going to be the father of Robyn’s child.”

His declaration could’ve sent me to another dimension, because it felt like time and space had been altered by his words alone. Nothing could free me from this world of confusion. Despair. Nothing at all.

“Babe, let me make it clear to you that Robyn has nothing to do with my decision. I have no feelings for her, and whatever choices I make are mine and mine alone. I know all this sounds insane, but—”

“But nothing, Lucas,” I yelled before the flood gates opened. He tried to wipe the tears off my face, but I slapped his hand away. “I don’t understand any of this. That child, or whatever evil seed is in her stomach, is not yours. What don’t you understand? I don’t care what she or some doctor said, the thing growing inside of her is not your responsibility. You don’t have to do this.”

“I think I do, Ali. In some weird way, I feel like I’m back in control again. Like my actions matter, you know? All I need is for you to be by my side.”

My head shook in disapproval. He tried to wrap his arms around me, but my fist collided with his chest multiple times until he backed off.

“Is it really your child?” I begged him to answer. “Are you finally admitting the truth to me? That you had sex with her and this was all just some game?”

“No. Please, just listen to me.”

“Not until you tell me why. Tell me why, Lucas.”

“Because I’m tired of being a victim, and she’s not stable enough to raise a child on her own. I don’t want that kid to grow up without a father.”

His confident and clear response tamed my aggression. I looked into his eyes while waiting for the next part of his reasoning.

“I’m done being a pawn in this crazy game we’re in. I’m sick of it. I was almost shot, okay? I lost my best friends, and I was sexually assaulted not too long after. I then found out my music career has been a lie, and before all of that, I was labeled a father by a girl I’m positive I never slept with. Do you know what all of that has done to me? I’m freakin’ mad in the head, Ali. I’m so far gone; you have no idea.”

His irate venting trumped my heartache, and I soon calmed myself to better soothe his fury. “Lucas, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry, I just don’t know.” I buried my face in his chest. “I’m sorry for everything.”

His chin rested on my forehead. “You don’t have to be, alright? It’s not your fault. The world is screwed up, but I’m not gonna let it push me around. Can’t you see what I’m getting at, Ali? Taking care of this baby gives me power over whatever is trying to destroy my life. I’m gonna fight it and be a role model not just for a child that didn’t ask to be here, but for everybody going through the same thing.”

A sense of understanding was coming to me, and I no longer wished to argue against him. I was still angry, trust me, but I had to accept reality. For him. We’d work it out overtime.

“Okay. Alright, Lucas. If this is your decision, I… I’ll support you. I won’t ever get along with Robyn or want her in our life, but I’m here for you. Only you.”

“Thank you. I needed to hear that. I’m doing this for the baby, not her. She means nothing to me.”

My head beat against his chest with a nod of agreement. “I believe you.” At the separation of our embrace, both mine and Robyn’s eyes met through the glass door.

“I need to have a word with her.”