“She’s speechless already?” he teased softly, his lips, his breath coming closer and closer to mine.
“Just kiss me, ringleader,” I told him, and he did as told without any resistance. A sigh that closely resembled a purr flowed from me into his mouth as we kissed . . . kissed some more.
“Let’s get you home.” He pulled back and helped me into his car. I wished I knew what he seemed to be fighting about in his head. One minute we were kissing, and the other he was back in his head. The further we drove from his home, the darker his thoughts appeared to turn. I didn’t know if I should ask him if he needed to talk about, or if I should leave him alone. Every relationship I’d had—all two of them—were vastly different, and in the end we just couldn’t relate. My issues were hard on me somedays, and I knew they were hard on someone who cared about me, too. My insecurities started to take over, and as we pulled up to my house, I felt confused.
“Cute house.” He parked behind my old Jetta, then faced me.
“It’s no giant mansion but it’s paid for and I like it.” Pride blossomed in my chest as I looked at my blue cottage. The shutters next to the windows were plantation-style and white. It looked like the type of home you might find on a beach or lake, not just outside Seahill.
“I love it. Bet it feels more like a home than mine does.” I peered at his face and saw longing in his expression. The words to invite him in got stuck in my throat. I wanted to hold him, make him feel like people cared for him.
Hell, I cared for him. Jude wasn’t a simple stranger to me. He was a friend, and more if I faced the truth of my feelings.
“Do you wanna . . .” His fingers stopped my lips from moving.
“I want to. You have no idea how badly I want to go in that house with you. But I can’t. Not tonight.”
“Why?” The question flew out before my mind caught up with the action. It wasn’t any of my business as to why he couldn’t come in, and he didn’t owe me an explanation. I tried to take it back but instead of his fingers muting my words, his lips crushed my lips into silence.
“I want you. A lot. But even I can see you’re different than any woman I’ve been with, and I don’t know how to feel about that considering my fate.” He spoke against my lips, and I wanted him to kiss me again.
“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, kissing me one last time before his body moved back into the driver’s seat completely. I didn’t know, either, and it sucked. We were at a crossroads, and neither one of us knew which way to go. We still had time to turn back and not follow the path that led from friends to lovers to more. Part of me felt that ship had already sailed, and we had nothing left but to stay the course and fight for it.
“Let’s not worry about it tonight. Get some sleep. I’ll message you tomorrow.” I leaned over to kiss him on his scruffy cheek, then got out of the car.
He waited there until I was safely inside, then for another few minutes. I’d hoped maybe he’d changed his mind and would come in, but disappointment hit me as I watched him back out of my driveway and head to his full yet lonely home.
Chapter Twenty- One
Selene
One week vanished in slow motion if anyone had been paying attention like I had been. Jude cancelled his show that was supposed to happen two days ago, claiming sickness. I’d tried to contact him, to see if he lied or truly suffered from some illness that kept him from performing, but he didn’t answer.
I was worried about him, and while everyone went on with their lives, every single day of the past seven had felt like eternity waiting for Jude to let me know he was OK. I’d helped six souls move on from this world and even helped catch one of the six who thought it was a good idea to stab someone, then go to a restaurant down the street like nothing happened. Echo arrested him, and I’d helped that soul find peace before taking him onward. Life felt dull, and nothing had changed in the way it played out before . . . except for Jude.
The last time I saw him, he confessed that he felt confused, and didn’t know what to do. I understood his pain, but after the week I just had without him, I realized my feelings had already gone past friends. I wanted to be near him, and I had no clue where things would lead if his fate turned out to be fact. I only had twenty days left with him before the debt to the gates keeping back the dead had to be paid. Twenty days before Jude had to die and end that stupid curse.
The three tarot cards Madam Tully had given me sat on my coffee table next to a half of a cup of tea. I’d researched the meaning of them and researched what they could mean besides the obvious. There had to be something more to them, some clue that I missed.
Feeling frustrated all around, I grabbed my coat and decided to take a walk in the crisp fall air. I needed to step away from those cards and think about another topic that didn’t start with J and end with ude.
The breeze was strong today. The forecast called for a chilly night ahead, and I thought it would be a nice night to light up the fireplace in my living room and maybe grab a book to distract myself from my wallowing thoughts.
“Excuse me, miss, could I trouble you for a moment?” A frail voice spoke from behind, so I stopped and turned only to scream instead of smile. A shimmering blue ghost stood in the setting sun’s light with a gun pointed at my heart.
“This isn’t happening.” I spoke aloud and the ghost man smiled, his rotting teeth and sunken skin making me cringe.
“Oh, darling, it is. Now it’s been a while since I felt a woman, and now that I can, I plan on making up for lost time.” He reached out. His cold finger touched my skin, leaving a greasy sensation behind. The gun pressed against my chest, its metal hard against my flesh, and fear shook my body.
This wasn’t right. Souls weren’t allowed to do this. Something was wrong. The ghost’s gaze dropped to my heaving chest, and I acted quickly, smacking the gun out of the soul’s hand, then grabbed onto his torn clothes. I closed my eyes as he squirmed, trying to get free from my grip.
“This isn’t possible. I’m a ghost. You can’t touch me, only I can touch you! You shouldn’t even see me!” He gurgled as a red light glowed from his insides.
“I’m a reaper, darling, and let me be the first to say, “Welcome to hell.” My soul left my body as we went to that other realm of the afterlife, but unlike most souls I’d taken onward, this jerk wasn’t going to the place of peace. Rage, pain, anguish. Those were the sensations that crept over my skin as the ghost’s whole body was consumed by the dark-red light that appeared black. He disappeared, taken to wherever bad people enjoy their version of hell, as I collapsed back into my body.
As soon as I rose to my feet, I sprinted toward my house and grabbed my keys and phone. The Hero Society had to know what happened, to be on the lookout for any other souls taking advantage of their new power. It wasn’t just the ghosts of Mallory Mansion who had special benefits. It was all of them.
The drive to Jude’s mansion felt longer than the twenty minutes it took. I’d called Phillip on the way and as soon as he answered all he said was, “I know,” then hung up. He knew this specific future was the one happening now.
