Fantine

The sound of running water came from the bathroom of Riley’s campus apartment, and I knew I only had a few minutes before he finished his shower and came back out to continue his endless questioning. My hands were shaking slightly as I moved past his hockey gear bags and toward the small wooden desk in the corner of his bedroom, because the scent of almond blossoms from the carnival parking lot was still fresh in my mind and I knew Selene was closing the gap on us every single hour.

I quietly pulled open the bottom drawer, bypassing old game medals and textbooks, until my fingers hit the...