After all, wasn’t love something sacred?
Why in the hellapaloosa was I thinking about love? What was wrong with me?
“So you don’t want to know what I think?” Roan prodded gently.
“If it’s something about feelings, then no.”
“Oh, it’s definitely about feelings.”
We hit a stop sign. I sneaked a glance to Roan and found him staring at me outright. His big brown eyes reminded me of a puppy dog’s, except the face they were attached to was much more handsome.
I held my breath as his gaze lanced me through the heart. It took me a minute to find my voice too, and when I spoke, it was nothing more than a whisper. “What do you think my feelings are?”
“I don’t want to speak for you,” he said slowly.
I nodded to the stop sign. “You might want to go before you cause a traffic jam in Haunted Hollow.”
He lifted off the brake, and we cruised on. “Whether you want to admit it or not—and one day I hope you do—your feelings for me have grown. Mine have too. Exponentially.”
“Are you sure you know what that word means?”
We pulled to a stop in front of the Jarvis house. “I know exactly what that word means. It means my heart swells at the sight of you.”
“Do your palms get sweaty?”
He leaned closer. “I break into hives. I try not to scratch them when you’re around so you don’t think I have scabies.”
My lips split into a smile. “I already know you have scabies.”
“That’s okay, I know you love me anyway.”
Before the shock of his words rattled my bones, Roan swooped in for a kiss that made my muscles hiss with pleasure, my blood sing and my head pound.
Every piece of me sank into him. Yet his words swirled in my head. Love. He’d said love.
Wait a minute. He’d said he knew I loved him. He hadn’t even said he loved me.
Seriously? Who did Roan think he was?
I didn’t have time to debate the answer to that with myself because Roan’s lips pulled and tugged.
To be honest, I stopped thinking.
When we parted, all my angry protestations leaped into my mouth. I parted my lips to argue, but Roan’s mouth brushed mine.
“It’s okay, Killer,” he said, referring to his nickname for me, “I love you, too.”
Wait. What? How did we go from ghosts to love? This wasn’t how it’s supposed to happen.
I started to argue with him, but Roan silenced me with a finger to my lips. “Don’t argue. Just sit with it. You think about it too much and you’ll run screaming.” He took my hand and nodded up to the house. “You ready to catch a spirit?”
I forced down all thoughts of Roan’s words and stared at the bleak black empire-style home. I inhaled sharply.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
TWENTY-TWO
The Jarvis family left quietly. I couldn’t have been more thankful that they had listened to me and wanted to avoid any more trouble.
