Chapter 1

The September sun was blazing, but as I stood at the gates of my new university with my suitcase, my blood ran cold.

Dad was wearing the brand-new gray jacket he'd bought specifically for move-in day. In his other hand, he carried a folding cot.

He had on that doting smile he only ever got when he looked at me, so tender it made my skin crawl.

"Dad, w-what did you just say?"

My voice shook. The words barely made it past the lump in my throat. "We had a deal. I live on campus, and you'll stay home."

"Oh, I thought about it the whole ride back, and I just couldn't stop worrying about you." He stepped forward and brushed the hair from my forehead, impossibly gentle.

"There are so many temptations in university. What if you fall in with the wrong crowd? What if you start slacking off and can't get into grad school?

"I need to keep an eye on you. I can only relax when I know I'm right here watching."

"But the dorm isn't going to let you stay." I tried one last time, my eyes already red.

"What's the big deal? I already talked to the RA. I won't take up a bed. I'll just set up my cot under your bunk at night. Roughing it a little for my kid is nothing."

He didn't give me a chance to argue. He grabbed my hand and started walking toward campus. "Come on, show me our new room."

At that moment, the buzzing chatter and laughter of the freshmen and parents around me fell away. I felt like a prisoner being marched to the gallows, except the sign above the gate read "university".

When I pushed open the door to Room 402, my three roommates were already there. They were making their beds and joking around, and they started to greet me when I walked in, but their voices died the instant Dad squeezed in behind me.

"Would you look at that! You can really tell this is a top school. The dorm is gorgeous!

"Tyler, come here. Where should I set up?"

I wanted to disappear. All I could do was stand there and look at the other three guys with an apologetic grimace.

A second later, Dad found the perfect spot. He unfolded the massive cot under my bunk with a heavy thud and started pulling bedding out of his suitcase.

"Uh, sir, are you..." One of my roommates had clearly never witnessed anything like this and ventured the question carefully.

Dad turned around. He looked the guy up and down, rolled his eyes, and every trace of that tenderness he saved for me vanished from his voice.

"I'm Tyler's father. My son has never been away from me. He's a good kid who only cares about his studies. I've already cleared it with the school, and I'll be living here from now on to make sure he stays on track.

"I don't care what you all do on your own time, but there's one rule. You do not interfere with Tyler's studying."

The room went dead silent. All three of them stared at me, their faces caught somewhere between disbelief and pity.

I kept my head down and bit my lip until it hurt. Tears pooled in my eyes, but I couldn't even bring myself to say I was sorry.

That night, the nightmare officially began.