"Like Nightmare on Elm Street?" I ask, the what the fuck? highly implied in the tone of my voice.

Because really, what the fuck? Derek had been gone for a pretty damn long time to be stuck in some nightmare, and the closer I look at him, the more I can see how it must have worn on him.

"You were gone for a while. Too long." Way too long to be alone in some nightmare. Long enough for me to realize how attached I've gotten, and how much I rely on Derek and my friends to keep me from feeling completely lonely and homesick every day.