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“Caspian, need I remind you, what you’re asking for is not one of my obligations!” she snapped, folding her arms. “This is something you want from me... just like you wanted every stranger who rented this house gone! And while we’re discussing “favors,” let me remind you that it was me who gave you enough strength to speak through that woman when your son was nowhere near this house!”

I frowned. “I ain’t ask you to bring that shit back up.”

“You were quite pleased with yourself at the time.”

“I was trying to get them the fuck out.”

“And I assisted you.”

“For a minute.”

Miss Veda gasped so hard one would’ve thought I cursed her mama out. “A minute you could not have managed without me! Caspian Black, how dare you stand there acting as though my minute was insignificant when you used every second of it to expose that poor woman’s affair and destroy an entire relationship?”

“The relationship was already destroyed; I just provided information.”

Miss Veda gave me a look that said she was two seconds from revoking every privilege she had ever granted me and leaving my dead ass dry, invisible, and spiritually celibate until Halloween.

That wiped the smart-ass right out of me.

“Miss Veda, you’re right. And I apologize… for real.”

Her expression immediately changed, probably because she hadn’t expected me to surrender that fast.

I rubbed a hand over my jaw. “I never want you thinking I’m ungrateful for what you’ve done for me. You didn’t have to help me half the times you did, and I know that. This time, I just…” My attention drifted toward Lakelyn. “I want more time with her. That’s all.”

Miss Veda’s face softened.

“So just say you forgive me. I don’t need you mad at me and shit. I already ain’t got nobody around here to talk to. Well, I can talk to my son now, but you know what I mean. You can’t leave a nigga hanging.”

She chuckled. “I couldn’t leave you if I wanted to. Unfortunately for me, being here for you is part of my job. But yes, I forgive you.” With narrowed eyes, she pointed a finger at me. “But don’t you ever stand in my face minimizing my help again. Dead or not, I will humble you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Quickly!” she added.

I chuckled. “I said yes, ma’am.”

“Good.”

“But I can work with two hours,” I said.

“I’m sure you can.”

“So everything gon’ be real and functioning?”

“For those two hours, yes. Your body will be warm and solid. You’ll have a heartbeat. You’ll breathe actual air. You’ll be able to touch her the same way you could when you were alive.”

Damn.

“And after?”

“You return to your spirit form. The restoration itself will be over, and your spirit will need time to recover from the amount of energy required to sustain it.”

I nodded. “Aight.”

“There is one more thing, Caspian.”

“What?” I asked, already irritated because I just knew she was about to say some shit that would ruin everything I had planned for the next two hours.