Chapter 1
My heart races when I'm finally face to face with the door. I still haven't really resolved the best way to explain how I'm here but I guess there's no more delaying the inevitable. Quinn is the only person I feel that I can confide in right now. Hopefully he hasn't dealt with his pain the usual way. It would be really awkward to let in your presumably dead ex-girlfriend while a bimbo is lounging around naked. "Ok this is it." I hit the buzzer with determination. A few minutes later I hear some sleepy shuffling approach the door. It's expected at 4:00 am. Not the most ideal time to come back from the dead but it was the only time I could get away from Elway. A petite female cracks the door open. Jamie. If she didn't hate me before, she'll be sure to detest me now. Her eyes bulge out of her head and she gasps. It's almost funny until tears start forming in her eyes. I'm not a fan of comforting people.
"Deb-" her voice cracks as she steps aside to let me in. "Oh my gosh. Is Dexter here too?! What happened to Harrison? We've searched all the foster care centers. His grandparents...Angel... we've all been worried about him." She starts sobbing. Poor girl. She had basically been raising him. It's normal for her to have been attached and worried about his well-being since Dexter had been declared dead.
"We'll talk later Jamie. Right now I really need to talk to Quinn."
"Oh…" She seems surprised by my abruptness. "He's asleep. Angel and me have been taking turns looking after him. That's all," she explained.
"It's okay-". I say, hardly needing an explanation.
"No its not. I mean he's not okay. He took too many sleeping pills one day and Angel was worried. We've been watching him to make sure he doesn't do anything harmful."
"I'm sorry," I manage to mumble, feeling very responsible. She doesn't give me the usual, "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault," and instead departs to wake him up.
I hear her trying to rouse him from the other room and can tell she's having a hard time. It sounds like he's tossing and struggling. Growing worried for the tiny woman, I enter the room. Quinn is turning in the bed, eyes still closed, crying out in his sleep. I can't make out what he's saying but it's clear he's having some sort of nightmare. I place a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "It's okay. Let's just wait until it passes." It might not be safe to wake him during a violent dream. Jamie gets up and steps back. His stirring slows down so I sit down at the edge of the bed. Suddenly his body turns towards us, eyes flashing open. "Deb?" He asks, seeing me. I nod guiltily. "Are you ok?"
"Yea," he smiles, with a sudden peaceful expression. He grabs my hand affectionately, "Just a bad dream."