My eyes burned as I realized what had happened. I looked over at them, my eyes watering.
“How did you know?” I asked quietly.
Rory moved to my side and hugged me tight. “Isaac texted Miles last night. Why didn’t you tell me you were having trouble coming into the house?”
“I thought I’d get through it,” I rasped. I quickly took a drink of water. “It was only at night.”
“You didn’t have to deal with it alone,” he reminded me. I nodded. When he pulled away I wiped my face.
I looked at the house and for the first time in months, I didn’t have a flash of being grabbed off the porch. Tears fell down my face as I looked at the work the guys had put in.
“Thank you,” I said softly. My throat had a knot making it hard to talk.
“Oh, that’s not all,” Asher announced. He hurried to just inside the door and flipped a switch. The front yard lit up with floodlights. It took a second for my eyes to adjust, but when they did I was smiling again. The yard was bright as day. There were no shadows for someone to hide in, there was nothing to hide behind. Tears fell faster.
“Thank you.” I looked at the guys and moved. I hugged Miles because he was the closest.
“You needed to tell us,” he whispered to me. I nodded.
“The neighbors are going to be so pissed about those lights,” Zeke said dryly.
I laughed as I moved to Zeke. I really wanted to hug Zeke and he knew it. He reached out, I took his big, dirty, calloused hand and squeezed it tight.
Asher joined us and wrapped me in a hug. I squeezed him back. When I pulled back he kept his arm around my shoulders.
“You guys… thank you so much,” I said again, still stunned by everything they’d done.
“Well, just don’t look at the back half,” Miles said. “We only had time to paint the front today.” Everyone chuckled.
“Come on inside and get cleaned up boys, the pizza should be here soon.” Rory announced.
Zeke checked his phone. “I can’t. I have to go to work.” Everyone complained. He ignored it as he tucked his phone away. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Zeke headed for his Jeep without another word. He started the Jeep, then glanced over and met my gaze. With shadowed eyes, he turned away and pulled out onto the street.
I watched as he drove off, leaving my stomach in knots and my heart full of dread. The night grew quiet as Asher and Rory headed inside. Miles moved to my side.
“He doesn’t have to work tonight, does he?” I asked quietly.
Miles sighed. “No, but I think he needs to.”
I looked down at the grass. “Is he going to start avoiding me too?”
Miles’ hand went to the small of my back. “No, he’s avoiding his own issues right now.”
His thumb began to rub circles on my spine. “Your issues have just brought up some of his own.”
I slowly started walking towards the door. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Not until he’s ready to talk to you about it,” Miles told me quietly. I nodded. I got it. It hurt but I understood.
We joined Rory and Asher as a vote for a movie started. I didn’t care. Two of my guys were here, and I could come home at night without issues. The night went on without Zeke, Isaac and Ethan. But without everyone there, it wasn’t the same.
* * *
I was lying in bed exhausted, but my brain kept going around in circles. Asher, Rory and Miles had asked about what happened today. I kept it vague. I didn’t have an answer for them.
In theory, I knew what happened. I’d shoved the ghosts away. But it had never happened that way before. Serena might be right; my abilities were growing. What were they growing into? I don’t think I wanted to know.
After the guys left I sent Isaac a text.
Alexis: Thank you. I miss you.
I hoped for an answer but my phone stayed silent.
Now I was trying to sleep, but to no avail. Questions kept running through my head. I checked my phone. 11:47pm. Shit. Okay, let’s try counting sheep. I started counting. When I reached 100 I knew it wasn’t working. My phone rang. I answered it as fast as I could.
“Hello?”
“Hi.” Miles’ voice filled my ear.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked, laying back down.
Miles sighed. “I can’t sleep. The house is too quiet. With everything that happened today and tomorrow…”
“I know what you mean,” I admitted. “I can’t sleep either.”
“I wonder if anyone is sleeping tonight,” he said absently.
“Probably not. Do you want some company?” I asked, hoping he’d say yes. Hell, I wanted company right now and Hades was just hogging the bed.
“No, it’s alright,” he said instantly. “I’ve got that competition tomorrow. I’ll try some tv or something. Try not to worry, everything will work out. Get some sleep, Lexie.”
“Night,” I said before he hung up. I put my phone down and looked up at the ceiling.
I was only in bed for a few more seconds before I gave up. Then I was up and pulling on my sneakers. Miles calling in the middle of the night was strange enough, but after everything that's happened lately? With the State Championship tomorrow? I couldn’t not go over.
I opened my door and headed downstairs, Hades following close. I put a leash on him, left a note for Rory and was out the door in minutes.
It wasn’t long before I pulled into Miles’ circular driveway. I hurried out, ignoring the slight chill in the air. I unlocked the door with my key and quickly punched in the combo to the security system.
After shutting the door, locking it and arming the system again, I let Hades off his leash. He followed me up the stairs and down the hall. Miles’ bedroom door was closed.
I knocked twice before I opened the door and peeked around it.
“It’s just me,” I said. Miles was sitting up in bed wearing a white undershirt and a pair of green flannel pajama bottoms. When he saw it was me he put his book down.
“Lexie, what are you doing here?” he asked, “It’s late.”
I opened the door and came in. Not waiting for an invitation, I toed off my shoes and climbed into the empty side of his bed.
Hades joined us at our feet. As I made myself comfy by pulling his blankets up over my shoulders, Miles looked down at me like I was crazy.
“You couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t sleep,” I said. “So, I came over.” He smiled that smile that showed how handsome he was. Butterflies took off, and for the first time I didn’t mind. I hadn’t felt them that strong in a long time.
“Rory’s going to be angry,” he warned.
I shrugged. “I left a note.” He smiled down at me. “What are you reading?”
He held up the paperback. “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”
“Jules Verne? Nice.” I smiled up at him.
“You’ve read it?”
“Years ago,” I said. I met his eyes. “Read to me?” I asked quietly. Miles smiled and picked up the book. He went all the way back to the beginning. I scooted closer so I might see the print. Miles adjusted his pillows so I could.
His silky-smooth timbre relaxed me like nothing else could. I laid in his bed as he read several chapters out loud. During that time, I was at peace. My mind was quiet and the world was far away.
When he stopped to get a drink from the bottle of water on his night table, I had to ask. “Miles, why are your walls black in here?” He set the bottle down.
“It’s for the fiber optics,” he said as he opened the book again.
“What fiber optics?”
He grinned as he set down the book and picked up a remote. He shut off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. My heart raced.
“Um, Miles?” I asked, wondering again if he liked me. Little lights in the ceiling turned on, the glow filled the room with soft light. I looked up and smiled. It looked like the night sky was on his ceiling. “Wow.”
<
br /> Miles laid back down next to me, his shoulder touching mine. “I had them installed a couple years ago. It works better with black walls.”
“It’s beautiful,” I told him. “How can’t you fall asleep with that on the ceiling?” Miles grew quiet.
Eventually he answered. “My mother always had music going. In her room, the kitchen, the conservatory- it didn’t matter. Wherever she was there was music. The only time the house ever got this quiet was after my father beat her.” I turned to him. His gaze was on the ceiling. “He’d shut off her music and that’d be it. Silence for the rest of the night.”
I reached over and took his hand. He gave mine a small squeeze.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.
He turned to me. “You didn’t know.”
Wanting to make it better, I raised an eyebrow. “So, does snoring count? Cause I can do that.” He chuckled.
“As I’ve learned from the others, yes,” he smiled at me, “snoring counts.”
I smiled to myself. “Good.” We were quiet as we looked up at the ‘stars.’ “Are you nervous about the tournament tomorrow?”
“A little, I’ve been State Champion for the last two years. The coach expects me to keep pulling it off,” he admitted.
“Do your best, that’s all anyone can ask,” I told him.
He squeezed my hand. “I know. If I lose, I lose. If I win, I win. There’s no good coming from worrying about it right now.” The room fell into silence. I peeked up at him.
“Can you still read to me?” I asked in an innocent voice. He chuckled softly, then picked up the book and started reading to me again.
I watched the ‘stars’ above as his voice slipped through my ears. I vaguely remember moving closer and snuggling into him as he read. There were lips on my forehead just as I slipped under.
Chapter 15
Friday Morning
I woke up slowly. I was warm, safe and comfy. Wintergreen filled my nose as I rubbed my face against his skin.
I never got to cuddle with Miles. I was going to enjoy this as long as I could. That’s when I realized where I was. I was laying on Miles.
At some point in the night I had rolled over onto Miles, my stretched-out legs were between his. One arm was resting over his shoulder, my fingers in his hair. My other arm was over his other shoulder and buried in the pillow. The poor guy was stuck. His arms were around me though, and he didn’t seem to mind.
His lips rested against my forehead and his breath moved through my hair. His fingers trailed down my spine then back again.
“Curium. Berkelium. Einsteinium...” he breathed. I grinned. He was awake and listing the table of elements.
“What time is it?” I grumbled. He smiled against my skin.
“Around eight,” he told me softly. I groaned. I had to get up.
“I don’t want to get up,” I mumbled. “You’re comfy.” He chuckled quietly.
“Then go back to sleep.”
I pulled back a little and looked up to meet his warm emerald eyes. “Don’t tempt me.” I warned him. “That’s the best night of sleep I’ve had in a while.”
His eyes grew concerned. “Bad dreams?”
“Yeah, all cabin ones,” I admitted quietly. Not to mention all the ghost crap I was trying to deal with. He reached up and brushed some of my hair gently out of my face.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get there sooner,” he said softly. I blinked up at him.
“It’s not your fault, Miles,” I told him. “It’s his.”
He nodded sadly.
“Did you sleep?” I asked.
His ears tinged pink as he answered. “I fell asleep shortly after you did.”
“Good.” I moved to get up, Miles dropped one of his legs so I could move out from between his. I moved to my back beside him.
“So, how did I totally pin you last night?” I asked, making a joke of it.
He chuckled. “I don’t move much and I’m usually a back sleeper.”
I stretched. “Sorry, I’m a cuddler.” My voice turned raspy. I looked for my water bottle and didn’t see it.
“You didn’t bring a water bottle. Feel free to use mine,” Miles said as he stretched.
I grabbed his water bottle and took a drink then laid back down. “What time does the tournament start?”
He had a small half grin on his face as he reached over me and picked up his glasses from the night stand. “It’s already going, but my division doesn’t start until ten. You don’t have to come to the first part,” he offered, laying back down and putting on his glasses. “The last race is scheduled for one this afternoon.”
I rolled onto my side, braced my jaw on my hand and smiled at him. “Well, that will give me time to get dressed and get some drawing done.”
He scratched his jaw. “That’s a good idea, you haven’t really drawn lately.” Then his eyes met mine. “Lexie, what happened yesterday?” My stomach knotted as I remembered.
“I got the ghosts to leave,” I said, repeating my answer from last night.
His eyes narrowed at me. “Then why were you sick?”
I sat up and put my back against the headboard, buying time. “It was just a two, Miles,” I lied. But I didn’t want to tell them. I needed to keep this ghost shit from touching them. His gaze ran over my face. I changed the subject. “I’ll be there in time for the lunch break and I’ll even bring you lunch,” I offered.
He smiled. “I would appreciate that. It needs to be light. Could you pick me up a salad, please, with-”
“Half romaine and half spinach, grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, and Italian dressing.” I recited his usual swim day lunch. He raised an eyebrow.
“You remember what I eat on race days?” he asked quietly. My face grew warm.
I shrugged nonchalantly. “You have the same thing every time,” I hedged before I moved to the edge of the bed and started looking for my shoes. I found them, then focused on putting them on until my face stopped glowing.
I hurried to my feet and grabbed Hades’ leash. “I’ll see you at the meet,” I said cheerfully as Hades followed me out the door.
In the hall, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Damn it, Lexie, stop flirting. And why the hell were you practically laying on him this morning? You know better than that!
I berated myself the whole way home.
Miles
I listened to Lexie walk down the hallway, my mind troubled. She was lying about yesterday. I sat up and rested my back against the headboard as I ran through yesterday in my head, again. We’d all seen her have a two, and that wasn’t a two.
Something else happened to make her sick. And something fried the backup generator at school. I tapped against my knee. It had to have something to do with the dead, it’s one of the only things we didn’t hear about anymore.
In fact, she’s been eerily quiet on the subject for the last couple of months. Except for suggesting that the ghosts might be responsible for the transformers around town…
How many ghosts would it take to knock out a transformer or cause the power surges that had been showing up around town? I could only assume a large number.
Something was definitely going on with Lexie and she seemed determined to keep it to herself. I picked up my phone and called Zeke. He picked up on the fourth ring.
“What?” His gravelly voice was still half asleep.
“You were right,” I admitted. “She’s not telling us something.”
“Told ya,” he grumbled. “It has to be that Necromancy shit.”
“I believe so, she’s been oddly quiet about it for awhile,” I told him, looking at my closed bedroom door.
“When she got that ghost out of here the other day, she looked tired. Bone tired,” he informed me. “She needs to start talking.”
“I agree, but right now is probably not the best time. Not with Isaac and Ethan trying to deal with the fact Sophie is here.”
Zeke cursed. “We’re going to have to
watch her more.”
“How she’s acting, how much sleep she’s getting….” I began making a list.
“She’s been coming to school with nosebleeds for a few days now,” he informed me. It shouldn’t surprise me that Zeke noticed and I didn’t.
“That’s not a good sign,” I said. “But until Sophie’s crossed, I don’t want to push her.”
“I’ll fucking do it,” he snapped.
“Zeke,” I chided. “We want answers, not her pulling away.”
He sighed. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”
“I have to get going. I’ll see you at the meet.”
“Good luck.”
Lexie
I stopped the Blazer far enough away from the crowd of ghosts that Hades wouldn’t start barking. After my morning to myself, I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for a damn promise I made.
“Mr. Osburn!” I called into the large group. Mr. Osburn made his way to the edge of the group, his face hopeful.
“Did you find them?” he asked.
“Thanks to my uncle, yeah,” I said. “Your wife gave birth to a healthy boy. She lives in a nice part of town and is doing fine.” He all but deflated as he dropped to his knees.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“No problem,” I said. I turned away and headed back to my truck.
“That’s it?” Mr. Davis snapped. I turned and crossed my arms over my chest. The ghost was furious. “You’re not crossing anyone?”
I smiled sweetly at him. “No. I’m not,” I stated. “I’m taking the day off. And it’s all your fault.”
The ghosts started shouting at Davis again as I grinned, climbed into the Blazer and got out of there. Davis had to answer to the other souls, not me.
Thirty minutes later, I was pulling into a spot at the city’s indoor pool. It was the only Olympic sized pool for miles around. The place was packed with people.
Whispers From the Dead Page 18