I wince. “I don’t know what you think was going on. It was a weird day and I—”
“You don’t have to explain, Autumn. I get it. I’m not always…here,” he says, taking a step back.
Exhaling loudly, I walk up to him, sliding my left hand inside his. “Wade Hoffman, you are always here.” I place our joined hands over my heart.
His silver eyes take me in, watching me for a beat. “I hope so.”
I can see his faith in me cracking, no matter how unfounded, and it sends waves of panic coursing through my body. If I’m not careful, I could lose the one person in the whole world who’s been nothing but honest with me.
Chapter 24
Forbidden
Turning back to the little doorway quickly, I sweep my hand out. I need to find a way to set things right as quickly as possible.
“Do you want to see?” I say, trying to sound upbeat and not like I’m a traitorous bitch for not waiting for him to go inside.
Wade pauses for a second before his coolness melts a bit. “God, yes. I thought you’d never ask.”
I chuckle, urging him to go first. He shoots me a sideways glance but bends down and descends the steps. Sighing in relief, I follow after him.
“Wow, this is—” he begins as we hit the lower level.
“Freaky, right?”
“Well, I was gonna say ridiculously awesome, but sure, freaky works, too,” he says, turning to me. His eyes twinkle with amusement. “So, where’d you find the doorknob?”
Reaching up, I fiddle with the bottom of my earlobe. “I was—well, Abigail showed me.”
Wade’s eyebrows rise to his hairline. “Does that mean we were right? You’re a postmortem medium?”
I bite my lip, still confused and reeling from the concept that ghosts are real and that maybe I really can see them.
“Looks like it,” I say, nodding and walking the circumference of the small altar.
Wade takes a step forward, reaching for the photo frame. “Is this you?”
“I guess,” I shrug.
Setting it back down on the altar, he turns to me. “You don’t know?”
“Not exactly,” I say, scrunching my face. “There’s a lot I need to fill you in on. Maybe we should go somewhere to get a bite to eat and I can tell you all about it. I’m starving.”
Wade looks longingly at the rest of the space, but nods. “Sure.”
Without another word, we make our way up the dusty wooden stairs to my bedroom. I close the door and push the dresser in front of it.
“Just in case…” I say, squinting my eyes at Wade.
“In case of what? Something tries to come up or someone else tries to go down?” he laughs, scratching at his temple.
“Both,” I mutter, making a face. “I still haven’t talked to my dad about it yet. There just hasn’t been a good time.”
“Ah,” he says, following me out into the hallway.
“I will, though. Don’t worry,” I say, shaking my head.
“I’m not worried.”
“Sure you aren’t. I know that tone, Angel.” We reach the front door and I grab my purse from the entryway table. We can tell him together later, if you want. He still has to meet you anyway. You can save the day and bring it up,” I say.
“No chance. You’re not pawning off your adulting responsibilities onto me,” he laughs, opening the door.
“Fine,” I mumble, “be that way. Psh.” Smiling back at him, I make my way down the stairs and climb into the passenger seat of Wade’s Impala.
Wade closes the front door, follows me to his car, and gets in.
“Still no sign of Blue, huh?” Wade asks, pulling out of the driveway’s loop.
I shake my head. “Not yet. Probably Monday.” I shoot him a sideways glance and reach for his hand. “That’s why Cat and Colton were here, you know. They dropped me off after school.”
Wade bristles at the sound of Colt’s name, but he nods.
An awkward silence falls over us and the next few minutes pass like molasses. I reach over to the radio and click it on. Classical music blasts through the speakers and I fumble to turn it down.
Wade chuckles.
“Wow, you sure like your classical music,” I say, groping at my chest to calm my racing heart.
“I was actually listening to music through the Aux cable. I didn't set the station,” he says, picking up the lead that’s dangling from the dashboard.
“Oh sure, that makes more sense,” I chuckle. “So, what were you listening to at such ear-shattering decibel levels?”
“Walking on Cars,” he laughs.
“Walking on wha?”
“Cars,” he repeats. “They’re an Irish band. Fantastic music.”
“And here I thought for sure you’d be cranking something like Marshmallow or Breaking Benjamin,” I say, smiling broadly.
“Oh boy. Ye lack musical taste,” he says, smiling.
The town lights come into view and our banter time with the radio is going to come to an abrupt end. Hopefully, I can continue to keep things on the lighter side.
“The burger place over there is really good,” I say, turning my head. We lock eyes for a moment, and his gaze takes me in, practically reducing me to soul level in a matter of seconds.
“Okay,” he whispers, returning his eyes to the road.
I clear my throat. “I want you to know, I'm glad you’re here. I know things kinda got off on a weird foot.”
“I'm glad to be here, too,” he says, smiling back.
He turns left, entering the Bourbon Room’s small parking lot. It’s a busy night—the majority of cars are parked along the road.
“My dad says this place has the best burgers he’s ever had. Evidently, that means something,” I say, tipping my chin toward the building’s façade as we exit the small parking lot in lieu of parking on the street. “I haven’t had the chance to try it yet.”
“Well, if it’s that highly esteemed, how could we pass this old folk’s home up?” Wade says. His tone is more playful and I can tell he’s starting to settle in.
“Right? See, I said the same thing when we first drove by it. It looks like someplace where the people inside should be sitting around big round tables playing poker and drinking bourbon—talking about the good ol’ cowboy’s code or something.”
“Right?” he snickers.
“Ready?” I say, reaching for the door handle.
As I turn to look over my shoulder, Wade has already left the vehicle and has walked around to my side to finish opening my door.
“Whoa, that was…fast,” I mutter, taking his outstretched hand.
“My lady,” he says, with a flourish of his hand.
I shake my head, but I can’t help but smile.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that, right?” I laugh.
“Ridiculous, perhaps. But a gentleman, nonetheless.” He quirks an eyebrow, placing my right hand on his left forearm and locking arms with me.
I tip my head in acknowledgment and let him lead the way to the door. As the gentleman he is, he steps out in front, opening the door and ushering me inside with the sweep of his hand.
“Thank you, kind sir,” I say, shaking my head at the absurdity of our exchanges. Sometimes I really do wonder if we’d ever find another person who gets the insanely weird things that light us up.
Thankfully, the atmosphere between us has softened and more of our original, playful banter is returning. It makes my heart sing and my body swoon. It’s not that I’ve forgotten, but it’s a nice reminder to know just how much I really do love him.
When we walk in, it’s no surprise when the place is packed. There are people bellied up to the bar, while others are playing pool in the other side room, and more yet are eating dinner at tables scattered throughout the restaurant.
“Just the two of you? Would you like a table or a booth?” a tall, blond server asks. She shifts to the side to allow us to view the room better.
I stand on
my tiptoes, eyeing the small, open table toward the back windows. It’s barely big enough for one person, but at least it has a lake view.
“Can we have that one?” I say, pointing.
“You got it. Follow me,” she says, grabbing two menus and making her way through the crowd.
Both Wade and I follow after her and when we reach the table, again, Wade positions himself so he can pull out my chair for me.
A slow smile burns across my face and I lean in when he’s taken his seat. “You know, I can pull out the chair myself.”
He raises his eyebrows in a knowing fashion. “I happen to be well aware. However, if there’s one thing that’s rubbed off on me from being with my grandpa, it’s that we need more chivalry in this world. So, why not be the change? You know?”
The server’s smile broadens, and she says, “Awww, aren’t you two cute? Would you like anything to drink to get you started?”
She passes the menus to us and pulls out a tablet computer from a pouch on the front of her outfit.
“I’ll have a cherry Coke,” I say without even glancing at the menu.
“Same.” Wade nods.
“Okey-dokey. Be back in a second to take your order,” she says, tapping the screen and walking away.
I take his hands in mine and lean back in. They’re freezing, so I rub them, trying to warm them up with some sort of friction. When I look up, Wade is watching me with a goofy grin.
I clear my throat. “So, is your grandpa one of those cute old guys who used to treat your grandma like a queen?” Images of an old couple doing everything together flashed through my mind.
“Yeah, they were really kinda sweet when she was still alive. The two of them used to take turns, too. Grandma would make cookies and be sure Grandpa got the first pick. Or make cups of coffee throughout the day for him, even though she didn’t touch the stuff. I don’t know, it’s all kinda sweet and it gives me a goal to aspire to reach. You know?”
I nod, placing my chin on top of my left fist. “Sounds like they’ve left an impression on you.”
“Yeah, I guess they have. After my parents… They were always sweet, really. They tried to tame me and make me stay with them, but I just had too much of a rebellious streak, I guess. But what about you, though? You said you had more you wanted to talk about?” he says, turning the menu over.
My eyebrows tug in and all the events of this past week play over in my mind. As much as I really do trust Wade, I feel like I need to protect him, too. He has so much to deal with because of his grandpa…
“Well, it’s been a crazy week, as you probably guessed. I’ve been busy trying to keep up with school and figure out my powers. Plus, I’m still getting used to Dad…and evidently, Abigail,” I say.
“So, start there…” Wade says, glancing up. “You said she showed you where the doorknob was?”
I glance down at my menu and nod. “Yeah.”
“So what happened?”
“I don’t know, really. She’s been trying to guide me to it for a while, but for some reason, only when my dad isn’t around. I wasn’t able to get to it right away. Yesterday was the first time I went downstairs.”
Our server comes back and places our Cokes in front of us. Absently, I pull mine close and take a sip.
“Are we ready?” she asks, pulling her tablet out again.
Blinking hard, I realize I haven’t even taken in anything from the menu.
“Uhm…” I say, pulling it close again and staring at it blankly.
“Can you give us a couple more minutes?” Wade suggests, shooting a smile at the server.
“Sure thing. If it helps, our mushroom and Swiss burger basket is the special tonight,” she says, starting to walk away. “I can personally attest to its deliciousness.”
“Oh, I’ll go with that,” I nod, handing her the menu. “But can I have onion rings with ranch dressing?”
She takes the menu and nods. “Yep, we can do that for ya, honey. How about you?”
Wade tips his head in return. “I will have the same. But fries for me, please.”
The server’s fingers tap across the screen and when she’s done, she smiles, grabs Wade’s menu, and walks off.
“So, tell me about tonight. What was going on when I broke up the party?” Wade says, watching me with the kind of intensity that makes me squirm in my seat like a kid who was caught stealing.
“There was no party…” I mutter, taking another sip. “I was feeling really overwhelmed with everything I’d found. I needed someone to talk to…”
“You know you could have called me? You could have Facetimed me and brought me in the basement with you,” he says. A slow grin slides across his features—an easy, lopsided smile that almost reaches his eyes. But not quite.
I glance down at the table and stretch my hands out across the void between us. He takes the hint, reaching forward himself, and taking my hands in his.
Sighing, I say, “I should have, I’m sorry. It’s just—I thought you had so much to deal with already. I didn’t want to put more on your plate.”
“You never have to worry about that. Seriously. Whatever you need, I’m here for you. I know it didn’t seem like it last time we talked. I’m sorry I blew you off the other day. I didn’t mean to make light of what your friends were telling you. If someone had told me that I need to be cautious of you, I’d need a moment, too.”
I shake my head, staring at the tabletop. “It was stupid. Wade, I know you’ve been nothing but honest with me. I didn’t mean to turn everything into such a cluster.”
“How about this?” Wade says, placing a crooked index finger under my chin and making me look up. “No more secrets from now on. And no more lies through omission, either. Even if it’s under the guise of protecting the other. Deal?” he says, his eyebrows tipping up in the middle.
“Deal,” I whisper.
“We have an accord.” Bending forward, he places his lips against mine, sending shockwaves right down to my toes.
“I’ve missed you,” I blurt out, dreamily.
“I’ve missed you, too,” he whispers, grabbing my right hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb.
“No, I mean, I really have. You have no idea how strange it is to realize you can see and hear ghosts,” I say, my voice trailing off. “Especially when you didn’t believe ghosts even existed.”
“I can imagine,” Wade says, nodding.
“There’s something new that’s come up and I’m trying to decide if there’s any truth to it. Maybe you can—”
“Hey, Autumn,” a voice calls out.
I glance over, blinking hard as Dominic leans forward and tips his head in my direction. He’s seated at a booth a couple of rows over, grinning in his cocky, irritating way.
“Uh, hey, Dominic,” I say, nodding back in acknowledgment.
Wade’s face falters and his smile fades.
“Wade, this is Dominic. He’s…ah, I go to school with him,” I say.
Wade tips his chin up and manages a half-hearted smile.
I grimace, returning my gaze to Wade.
Dominic clears his throat, sliding out of his booth, and walking over to us. “And, are you going to introduce me to…” Dominic raises his eyebrows and sweeps a hand out to suggest Wade.
Shaking my head, I mumble, “Yeah, of course. Sorry. This is my boyfriend, Wade.”
Wade’s expression lifts and he sits up a bit straighter.
“Oh, I see,” Dominic says, leaning toward us and outstretching his hand. “Well, nice to meet you, Wade.”
“Likewise,” Wade nods, eyeing Dominic over.
“Annnywaaaay,” I say, drawing the word out longer than normal. “Where were we?”
“I believe we were saying how much you missed me?” Wade says, his voice a bit louder than it was a few moments before.
“Oh, that’s right,” I say, nodding. I was actually about to tell him about the crazy notion that I could be more like Abigail and it could mean
bad news if she wants me to break some sort of curse, but with Dominic hanging around, that’s a conversation that will have to wait. I don’t need Dominic interjecting and making things worse by spouting off any of his necromancer nonsense.
“Hey, Autumn,” Dominic interrupts. “Since we’re all here having supper, why don’t we join forces and share a table?”
I shake my head, “No, I don’t think that’s a good—”
Dominic pulls out one of the extra chairs from a table behind us and takes a seat.
My insides recoil at the discomfort sprouting around us. “Dominic, we’re on a date.”
Our server walks up with a platter in her hand and surveys the scene. “Everything okay here?” she asks, passing our burgers to us.
“Uh…” I begin.
“No, actually. This gentleman is bothering us. Is it possible to get another table?” Wade asks.
The server nods, “Of course. Sit wherever you’d like.”
Standing up, Wade grabs his plate and drink and tips his head to a table across the room, “Let’s go sit over there. That okay?”
Swallowing hard, I nod and grab my things. The waitress steps back, typing something into her tablet—probably our new table arrangement.
As we turn away, Dominic’s chair screeches across the wooden floor. He drops the façade of being a ‘nice guy’ and his face contorts into something else—anger, disdain? He sidesteps around, standing directly in Wade’s way.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Dominic sputters, standing toe to toe with Wade. While their heights match up almost equally, it’s like a battle between light and dark as Dominic’s white hair practically glows in the lighting of the restaurant, while Wade’s black hair and leather jacket vibrate with a level of mystery and darkness I’ve never really noticed.
“And why is that, exactly?” Wade asks, setting down his plate and drink at the nearest table. The people sitting there scoot over, with surprise and apprehension painted on their faces. Wade’s hands drop to his side as they ball into fists.
Dominic juts out his chin. “You know exactly why. You’ve sensed it from the moment you met her, you just didn’t want to admit it. It’s written clear as day in your aura.”
The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 Page 20