Excerpt from Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

I nodded.

"Of course, I hope you'll stay," he said, and smiled.

"I plan to," I told him, and we said good night.

I unzipped my duffel, pulled out my toiletry bag, and walked the path to the bathroom to prepare for bed. When I was heading back, the ghost had reappeared on the green. She leapt, she spun. I averted my eyes. Heard Terry saying, I hope you aren't afraid of ghosts. My pace quickened as I approached my cabin. I shut the door fast and hard behind me.

I undressed and stepped into my pajamas, pulled the covers back and climbed in. My face touched the pillow.

***

Musty sleeping bag on a concrete foundation. My mother tucking me in.

Framed rooms, but no roof. Stars overhead. Dying eucalyptus trees, towering above.

A hint of smoke wafted from the firepit below as my mother leaned over me. She pressed her soft lips against my forehead.

"It's like camping," she whispered, zipping the bag to my chin. "Sweet dreams."

She stood. She turned. She left me alone in that strange, cold place.

***

But no, no—­I was in my cabin. Its walls and roof. Desk and duvet. Fire burning to keep me warm.

I covered my pounding heart with my hand.

"This is my home," I said to myself.

I found my way back—­to the soft pillow under my cheek, to the glow of the moon through the skylight, to the steadiness of my breath.

"This is my home," I whispered as I shut my eyes. "All the rest is over."

Excerpted from Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour. Copyright © 2020 by Nina LaCour. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher