Kane glanced at me in question. Despite my earlier concerns that he might be a link with the pain the ghost was causing, I nodded in agreement. I wasn’t up for an argument, nor did I want to be alone.
14
With a promise from Ian he’d call sometime the next day, we left in search of food. An hour later we sat at Kane’s table with takeout from the Gumbo Shop. The conversation was nonexistent, as the three of us sat pretending to be absorbed in our meals. Letting out a barely audible sigh, Pyper picked up her plate and carried it into the living room, where she curled up in the overstuffed chair. I wanted to do the same but decided she might like a bit of time to herself.
I looked up to find Kane watching me intently. I gave him a weak smile and asked, “Wine?”
Without saying a word he rose, grabbed a bottle of red and two glasses from his wine rack. A small pop sounded, causing Pyper to look our way. Kane held the bottle up in question, but she shook her head and went back to moving the etouffee around on her plate. After handing me a full glass, Kane set the bottle on the table, sat down next to me and focused on my face as he sipped.
“Thank you.” I raised my glass slightly.
He gave me a small nod, still staring.
The heat rose to my face as I examined the blackened swordfish on my plate. It was one of my favorites, but it sat untouched. “Stop,” I said in a low voice.
“Stop what?”
Whipping my head up, I looked him straight in the eye. “You know damn well what. Stop staring at me like that.”
“Am I making you nervous?”
“No.”
“If you say so.”
I glared at him.
Kane scooted closer, bringing his face mere inches from mine. “I wanted to get your attention.”
“There are easier ways.”
He shrugged. “This was a pretty low-level effort for me.”
My eyes slanted. “Now that you have my attention…”
“I just wanted you to know. What we started last night and this morning isn’t over.” He brought his face so close, I could almost feel the smooth silk of his lips.
I jerked back. “No? I don’t think that’s for you to say.”
“I do. I know there’s something different about you. I just don’t know what yet.”
A chill ran up my spine. “You mean, apart from my ghost attracting abilities?”
He took his time before he spoke. “No, Jade. This isn’t about your ghost. I can sense your energy. I don’t know how to explain it, but even if I can’t see you, I always know when you’re around.”
The statement couldn’t have surprised me more. It hit me hard as if he’d punched me in the gut. “You do? How?” Mortified, I gnawed on my lower lip, suddenly very interested in my hands now lying in my lap.
I risked a glance, catching his eye.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just feel it. Probably the same way you feel me while I’m dreamwalking.”
“Does this happen with anyone else? Can you sense Pyper?”
“No. I’ve never experienced this before. It’s something special about you.”
I stood up and carried my dishes to the sink. How could I possibly tell him about my own abilities? I knew my invasion of his privacy was just as bad as his dreamwalking, but I’d told myself I didn’t do it on purpose. Of course he’d said he didn’t either, he just didn’t do anything to stop it. Well, neither had I. Worse, I hadn’t even wanted to, until this morning when things got too intense. My stomach knotted, making me glad I hadn’t eaten much.
Overcome with emotion, my eyes filled. I blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay.
Kane walked up behind me. “Jade, are you going to tell me about it?”
“I’m sorry,” I said, so low even I could barely hear it. I turned around, realizing he deserved an honest answer. But I just couldn’t tell him. The last person I’d told was Dan, and that had turned out disastrous. In my heart I knew Kane was different. He wasn’t likely to cast me aside. I just wasn’t ready to face what I’d done, especially after how I’d reacted to his confession. “I really am sorry. I just can’t talk about it right now.” Unable to hold it back, a single tear fell down my cheek.
Cupping my face with his palm, he caught the tear with his thumb. “There’s no need to be sorry,” he said softly. “We’ll talk later. It’s all right.”
The tenderness made the tears flow fast and hot. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. For the first time all day I felt safe. My world narrowed to all things Kane. His fresh scent. The hand gently stroking my hair. The way he held me, patiently waiting until my tears were spent.
Finally I removed myself and made my way to his bathroom. After a long hot shower, I changed into a T-shirt and a pair of Kane’s boxers and returned to the living room.
The two of them were huddled together, talking quietly. The image gave me a small jolt, reminding me how close they really were. I was in danger here and didn’t know how to stop my growing emotions. They both said they were just friends, and I didn’t have any reason to think otherwise, but my rational mind wasn’t convincing my inner jealous woman.
Not wanting to interrupt, I tried to make my way quietly to the guest bedroom.
“Where are you going?” Kane asked just as I was about to open the bedroom door. Caught. Damn.
I put a smile on my face before turning around and said, “To bed. I could really use a good night’s sleep.”
“In there?” the two asked in unison.
“Uh, yeah. Is that a problem?”
Kane gazed at me with an intense look, while Pyper glanced back and forth between the two of us.
Kane turned to Pyper. “And where are you sleeping?”
“Here, I guess.” She patted the couch cushions and failed at the attempted smile, resulting in a smirk.
‘No,” I said quickly. “You can sleep in here.” I pointed to the queen-sized bed through the now-open door. “I don’t mind sharing. As long as you don’t snore.” I teased.
Pyper lifted her eyebrows, questioning Kane.
He stared at the ceiling. “It’s college all over again.”
“Huh?” I asked.
Pyper giggled and punched his arm. “Get over it already.” She turned toward me. “I dated one of his ex-girlfriends in college.”
“Dated? More like stole,” Kane said.
“You can’t steal someone from someone else, Kane,” Pyper replied.
“Close enough.”
“Umm…” I didn’t know what to say.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t hit on a girl in ages, and I’m not going to start with Jade.” Pyper turned to me. “I don’t mind sharing if you don’t.”
“Not at all.” I waved as I turned toward the room.
‘I’ll be right there,” Pyper called.
“Take your time. Once I’m asleep there’s no waking me up.” I closed the door behind me and crawled into bed.
The dream came on in a vibrant cascade of soft white light. My awareness floated somewhere near the ceiling, giving me a clear view of the room. There I was, snuggled up with a pillow, Pyper curled up next to me. Beautiful light illuminated both of our faces. We looked so peaceful. The light was like a protective layer of warmth and love. As my awareness drifted back to my body I spotted Mr. Sexy at the foot of the bed, keeping a watchful eye over us. The last thing I saw before I drifted back into unconsciousness was a small reassuring smile from him.
I woke, feeling thick and groggy. The sun was doing its best to shine through the shade on the window. Blinded with sleep, I stumbled to the bathroom to complete my morning ritual. When I’d finished I found Pyper sitting in an armchair in the corner, waiting.
“Morning. The bathroom is all yours.” I shuffled over to the bag Kane had packed for me the day before and found a blue cotton skirt and form fitting white tee. He couldn’t have done better if I’d given him a list.
“I had a dream,” Pyper said, still sitting
in her chair.
Her words trigger the memory of my own dream. I stopped rummaging through my bag and sat on the bed opposite her. “And?”
“I slept better last night than I have in weeks. The dream was full of warmth and light. I felt safe, protected even.” She gave me a small smile.
I frowned. It made no sense. This was the ghost that had hurt both of us. “I had the same dream. Did you see anyone in it?”
“No. Why, was Kane there?”
I shook my head. “No. Someone else.” She tensed. Should I tell her? I bit my lip, then decided she had a right to know. “Our ghost was there, but all I sensed was him protecting us.” Her face went white. “Both of us.” I added reassuringly.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t, but you felt it just the same way I did. It didn’t feel threatening, did it?”
She shook her head.
“It’s definitely odd, but better than the alternative, right?”
She plucked at the blanket. “I guess.”
“Then let’s consider it progress.” I stood, not wanting to dwell on it any longer. “Did Kane make something to eat?”
Her lips quirked. “Yes. I don’t know what you did to him, but I never got breakfast before.”
“Well, I didn’t steal his girlfriend.” I winked and headed for the door. When I glanced back, she stuck out her tongue. I was still chuckling when I found Kane.
“Sleep well?” he asked, giving me a light kiss.
I nodded. “You?”
“No.”
“Really? After all that happened yesterday, I’d have thought nothing could keep you up.”
“Nothing but the knowledge of the two of you sharing a bed.” He gave me a rueful smile and I rolled my eyes.
“Men.”
***
Later that day, Pyper and I worked late closing down the café. I was covering for Holly, who’d been working extra while we played ghost hunter.
“He’s coming at five?” Pyper asked, referring to Ian.
“Yep. When he called, he said he wasn’t finished analyzing but wanted to share what he had.”
“Did you tell Kane?”
“No.” That would be counterproductive, since I wanted to avoid him. I still hadn’t found the nerve to be honest with him. And as each hour passed, my anxiety about it grew.
“Okay, I’ll give him a buzz and let him know.”
Great. “I’ll just go get cleaned up and meet you back here in about fifteen.”
“Sounds good.”
I heard the phone ringing as I unlocked my door. “Coming!” I called, as if someone could actually hear me. By the time I got in and picked it up, I’d missed it. “Damn.”
The message was from Kat, wanting to see when we could get together. We’d been playing phone tag ever since I’d found her note and gift card. I’d forgiven her after having some distance and did want to see her, but didn’t think I’d have enough time to spend on a proper conversation since we hadn’t actually spoken in a few weeks. I made a mental note to call her back later.
I changed my clothes and took a few extra moments to reapply my makeup. Just because I wanted to avoid Kane didn’t mean I had to look like a slob. On my way back down I grabbed a six-pack of beer and a bottle opener. Something told me getting results sober was a bad idea.
Once inside the café, I took a seat between Ian and Pyper and popped the cap on my Guinness. “Anyone?”
Pyper grabbed a bottle. Kane got up and poured himself coffee.
“Not yet.” Ian passed out a pile of graphs and charts to each of us. “Let me get through this first. Does everyone have this sheet?” He held up a color-coded chart.
We each nodded.
“Good. This graph here shows the level of assumed paranormal activity when Jade was in her apartment. Do you see how it spikes when she speaks?”
The graph peaked in several places. “All of these are only when I was talking?” I asked.
“Yes. Except for here at the end of the chart—it peaks higher than any of them. That happened right after you left the room to find Pyper.”
“When we were trapped in the apartment,” Kane said.
“Right.” Ian said.
“This just confirms my ghost was in my apartment and stayed there when I left.” I shrugged. This wasn’t anything we hadn’t already suspected.
“Yes it does. But what’s more interesting is this.” He pulled out a second graph. “This one is the readings from right after we found the two of you in Pyper’s apartment.”
The graph was similar to the first, but had about twice as many peaks as the first one.
“Each peak is when either Pyper or Jade spoke, but no one else.” Ian eyed my beer.
I held it up, offering, but he waved me off.
“So, the ghost is…what? Giving off energy when either Jade or I speak?” Pyper asked.
“Yes. He’s responding to your voice or energy. The only other time we see a spike is when he trapped us in the apartment.” Ian held up another graph. “Now, check this out. This one is after you both left for the night. Not only are there no peaks, but there isn’t any paranormal activity at all.”
“This was from Pyper’s apartment?” I asked, looking it over.
“No, both. Your apartment too.”
“You’re saying he’s only present around either me or Pyper?”
“From what we have here, yes. But we can’t be totally sure. I wish we’d thought to get a reading of Pyper while we were getting that first reading with you. It would answer some questions.”
“What questions?” Kane asked.
“I’d like to get a reading on both Pyper and Jade at the same time, but in different areas of the building. We don’t have a clear idea how Pyper could be haunted in her dreams, while Jade is interacting with him at the same time. If I could get some more readings—”
“What would happen in these readings?” Pyper asked, cutting him off.
“Pretty much the same as what we did with Jade. We’d take readings and have each of you speak to him to see the response.”
“What exactly will that accomplish?”
“It’ll help us understand what’s going on,” Ian said.
“So?” Pyper asked.
Ian pursed his lips. “So, don’t you want to know what’s going on?”
“No.” Pyper stood up. “I want him to leave me alone. Will answering your questions make him stay away from me?”
“Uh…” Ian cleared his throat. “I can’t say, really. It might give us some insight on when and why he attacks.”
“Haven’t you been listening? He attacks me every time I sleep, with the exception of last night. If you don’t have a solution for getting rid of him permanently then I’m out.” Pyper grabbed her beer and stalked to the back room.
“Ian,” I said. “Do you know how to exorcise a ghost?”
He rolled his shoulders. “To be honest, I’ve never had a case this intense. Usually we just ask the spirit to back off and it does. Mostly I’ve been just recording information and trying to understand it.” He paused. “This case is really intriguing and I didn’t stop to think about how it’s affecting the two of you.”
Perfect. All this time, I’d been putting my trust in him as the experienced ghost hunter, and he didn’t have any better understanding about what to do than we did. “Last night I pretty much demanded he stop hurting Pyper, and he did. Do you think that did the trick? He did leave her alone last night.” I met Kane’s eyes when a mixture of worry and gratitude radiated from him.
“Maybe. Only time will tell.” Ian stood up, grabbing his papers. “In the meantime, I’ll try some of my contacts about what else can be done if need be.”
“Okay, thanks.”
He reached over and gave me a tight hug and left.
Jealousy rolled off Kane, but his face never changed. I hid a smile as I drank the rest of my beer.
“I’d like it if you and Pyper sta
yed at my place for a while,” Kane said.
“Are you thinking of a threesome? ‘Cause I got to say, I’m not into that sort of thing.”
“No.” He rolled his eyes. “I’d just feel better if you were both nearby where I could keep an eye on you.”
“The apartment here is close enough.” When he opened his mouth to speak again I cut him off. “Look, Kane, I appreciate the thought. Really, I do. But I’m not afraid of the ghost. After Pyper was attacked yesterday we realized he’s only attacked me when I’ve been close with you.” I paused. “Maybe it’s better if we have a little space and see what happens.”
He opened his mouth, closed it then nodded.
“All right then. Beer?” I held one out.
“No thanks.” He got up and walked out.
Heaving a huge sigh, I picked up the remaining bottles and went to find Pyper.
“Hey. Want to come back to my place and get stupid drunk?”
Pyper straightened and grinned. “That’s the best invitation I’ve had all month.” She eyed the bottles. “But we’ll need more than what you’ve got there. Let’s make a stop in the club.”
15
A rhythmic pounding entered my awareness. I rolled over, groaning. What the hell? I heard a muffled voice, shot up in bed and winced when I banged my elbow while fumbling with the light. Once fully awake, I realized someone was banging on my door.
“Jade? Jade? Open up.”
“Hold on. Just a sec.” Hastily wrapping my naked body in a short robe, I took the four steps to the door and opened it to find Pyper. Dark circles rimmed her red, puffy eyes on her pasty white face. “Are you all right?” I asked, pulling her in.
She clutched a thin cotton robe and in a small voice said, “He’s back.”
“Fuck.”
She nodded and curled up on my couch in a fetal position. “The last time I slept was here.”
I sat on the arm of the couch next to her, recalling when we’d swiped booze from the club and stayed up half the night giggling. “That was four days ago.”
She gave a small incoherent sound before closing her eyes. “It’s hot in here.”
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