“Doing better, thanks. I think I’m going to head home for a bit and get some rest. Still have a bit of a headache.”
“Alright, Mappy. Let me know if you need anything!” She waves and walks into the Visitors’ Bureau.
Moment between Miguel and me completely ruined, I figure I might as well head home after all.
“I’m probably not going to be able to actually fall asleep if you want to come over and watch some TV or something?”
Miguel nods, and as we stand, I try to discreetly adjust myself. I’m happy to spend more time with him, obviously, but I mightalso need to deal with this if I don’t want to embarrass myself. He interlaces his fingers with mine again as we walk to my place, the casual touch sparking not so casual feelings in me.
By the time we get to my street, I’m wracked with nerves, and I don’t know why. Between my headache getting worse by the second and a weird sense of dread building as we get closer to my house, I’m a complete mess. It feels like there’s a part of me that wants to keep him away, while most of me wants to keep him close.
When we get to my house, I lead him through the side gate to the backyard. It’s a weird duplex, with my door being in the back, and the door in front leading to what is technically my neighbor’s place.
My hand is trembling as I pull my key out of my pocket, and I fumble trying to get it in the door, like my body is actively fighting against me. When I pick up the key, Miguel places his hands on my hips, turning meto face him.
“You good?” Sweat is pooling at my neck, demonstrating how not good I am, but I can’t explain why. I don’t understand it. I’ve gotten headaches before, but they’re not usually this bad, and they pass quickly. I nod, and he hooks a finger under my chin. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“It’s not that. I mean, I want to. I just…” Using the hand on my hip, he tugs me closer, our bodies touching, and there’s no way he doesn’t feel how much I want him now. With a shaky breath, I lean in to kiss him.
Just as our lips are about to meet, he pulls back, a concerned look on his face. “Mappy, what are those?”
He’s looking over my shoulder at something, so I follow his gaze, more confused than ever by what I find.
“I… I don’t know.”
Chapter eight
Town Map
Miguel
Mappy stares at the pile of street signs in his yard in utter confusion. They’re not even hidden. It’s like whoever took them just dumped them here. In his locked backyard.
When he goes completely still, I get concerned. “Mappy?” I shake his shoulder, but he doesn’t respond. His eyes have rolled back in his head like he’s having some kind of seizure. I don’t know if I should leave him to get someone to help or stay with him to make sure he doesn’t get hurt.
Suddenly, he lurches forward, curling his body into a ball. His wings pull in, and hisentire body shrinks. Is he shifting? Is he some kind of shifter? It doesn’t seem like he has any control over it. Is he a were-map? That shifts in the middle of the day for some reason? Now I know I’m just grasping at straws.
When his body stops shifting, I crouch down next to him and rub a hand along his wing-free back. Who would’ve thought I’d find it weird that a guy I like doesn’t have wings?
Slowly he turns his head to face me, and it’s not Mappy. I don’t know how I know, but I know it’s not him. It’s nothing about the way he looks—I was expecting him to look different—it’s the way he looks at me. His smile is all wrong. There’s none of the happiness I’ve found in Mappy’s eyes. This map is angry, so very angry.
“You… you’re the guy who was watching me the other night.” No one else would have a facial structure like that… like a map. Instead of wings mapping the city, this guy’s face stretches out with markings. It’s grotesque.
“Smart guy.” He picks up the keys that Mappy dropped. “If you don’t want anything to happen to Mappy, you’ll head inside without making a fuss.”
I do as he asks to protect Mappy, and because I’m pretty sure I can take him in a fight if I need to. He points to the couch, so I take a seat and watch him move about the house. He walks over to a bookcase against the wall that separates Mappy's place from the neighbor's, and I’m surprised when it swings open like a door. So, no neighbor, then. How much does Mappy know?
He gestures for me to follow him, so I get off the couch and walk through the bookshelf door. I’m so fucking disappointed this is how I’m experiencing this, because a hidden door could be so cool in almost any other situation.
I follow him into what I think was a kitchen but has been turned into some kind of makeshift laboratory. Cool. Angry Map has a lab. Definitely no chance this goes poorly for me. He gestures to the lab table,and I take a seat on it. I note the windows and doors, trying to plan my escape.
“How much does he know?” Angry Map asks while searching for something.
“How much does who know?”
“Mappy,” he says with a sneer.
“Are you not Mappy?” He’s blocking the easiest escape route, but I still think I can get by him. He seems rather small. On the other hand, if I hurt him, does that somehow hurt Mappy?
