Page 4 of Quiet Obsession
I step out of the car, shouldering my backpack while Hyde takes the envelope, emptying it into the palm of his hand. A room key falls out, then my student ID strapped to a lanyard, and a few orientation guides, all of which I’ve already read.
“Thanks,” he says. “I’m not surprised Noah’s already here, but you? I thought you were coming in with Creed.”
Dash grabs Hyde’s suitcases, leaving my brother to fetch mine. “I was but... wait, he didn’t call you?”
“No, why? What do you know? I’ve been trying him all fucking day. Figured he’s losing his shit again.”
“Kind of. His father’s dead.”
Hyde stops in his tracks, staring wide-eyed at the back of Dash’s retreating head. His mouth opens, but he glances my way before exhaling a long breath and pulling his phone out.
“You think the thirteenth or whatever-th time is the charm?” Dash shoots over his shoulder. “Don’t bother. Noah and I have been trying since he hung up on me last night.”
“Did he say what happened?”
“No. Just, ‘I’m not taking you to campus. Jeremiah’s dead.’”
“Fuck. I can imagine the state he’s in.” Hyde pushes the tall wooden door open.
Inside the North Wing, the air carries the scent of pine needles and damp earth, layered with old wood and fresh varnish. The foyer is wide with a high ceiling. Dark beams hang overhead while long leather benches sit under the windows.
It’s deathly quiet, but according to Hyde, most seniors won’t arrive until the day before lectures start next week.
“You’re in 212,” he says as the elevator door slides shut behind us. “All rooms here are singles, but yours has been modified to accommodate two beds. Freshmen always double up.”
Of course. The one perk of living under the same roof as my brother had to be obliterated.
“Chin up, Mini Ward. A double here’s better than anywhere else on campus. Spacious, even with two beds. You get a private bathroom and kitchenette, too.”
Now that I can get on board with. I was dreading sharing a bathroom with a dozen other girls.
We reach the second floor, the carpet soft enough to swallow our footsteps.
“See you later?” Dash asks outside my room, shifting both suitcases to one hand. “In Noah’s room, yeah? I haven’t unpacked yet.”
“Sure. Once I’ve got Millie settled.”
“Bring her with you.” He turns to me. “Noah’s in 529. Seven pm sharp. Don’t make me come back for you, Mini.”
Then he’s gone, barreling back toward the elevator with my brother’s luggage in tow. Couldn’t he have said all that on the ride up here instead of dragging the suitcases in and out?
I pinch my lips, holding back a smile. Something tells me Dash is the kind of charismatic chaos I’ll enjoy observing.
Hyde opens my room, letting me in first. There’s a door to my right, which I assume is the ensuite. Further in, there’s a small kitchenette, and the bedroom opens to the left.
Dash was right. It’s very spacious. Two beds are tucked into opposite walls, large storage bins beneath them. Two wardrobes sit in the corners, and there’s a tall, ornate window dead center, a long two-person desk pushed against it.
My roommate looks up, a big smile illuminating her face. She’s dressed in coral leggings and an oversized Gravemont hoodie, her dark ponytail swinging.
“Hi! I’m Abby. I’ve been here since Tuesday. Early check-in. I volunteered with freshman orientation, so I knoweverythingand can fill you in! You’re Millie Ward, right?”
I nod, dropping my backpack on the empty bed.
Abby’s is already dressed in pale yellow sheets and dotted by throw pillows with quotes stitched into the fabric. The shelves above, decorated with string lights, bend under the weight of colorful romance books. More are stacked on her side of the desk.
“This place is wild, right?” She gestures around theroom. “When I heard about the East Wing fire, I thought I’d get crammed into a broom closet with five other girls but—” She pauses, noticing my brother standing right behind me, her cheeks running red. “Oh, um... hi?”
“Hey, Abby.” He extends his hand. “Hyde Ward, I’m Millie’s older brother.”
