quietly as I could, hoping she’d hear me.
“What’s wrong with her?” a young woman to my right whispered.
“She’s a foreigner,” her companion replied, as though that might be the perfect explanation for my erratic behavior. More people started to point and stare, and I realized that talking to thin air was making me look like a nut case.
Julie laughed. My blood ran hot and cold. “You’re a lunatic!” I hissed at her. “I can’t get rid of you. You just follow me around and annoy me. Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a little bossy?”
The old woman’s eyes reflected her anger, and who could blame her? Julie was destroying her livelihood, and I was taking the blame for it. “Please, be on your way,” the woman said to me, eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring. Apologizing a few times, I fished several coins Aidan gave me out of my purse and paid her for her troubles, then disappeared around the corner. When I stopped my cheeks were on fire.
“I could kill you for making the poor woman’s life hell,” I said to the irritating ghost.
Her laughter instantly died in her throat and her expression turned serious. I bit my lip, realizing I had put my foot in my mouth and said the wrong thing yet again. Did she really think I wanted to kill her? I was mad but not that mad.
“I’m sorry, Julie, I didn’t mean it. It’s just a saying, you know.” I bit my lip hard.
She frowned. “You know, I wasn’t like this until now. I did everything they wanted me to do. I followed all the rules. I tried to live up to everyone’s expectations. I was everyone’s friend, which is why I don’t understand why it happened to me. I’m fuming mad, mostly because I should’ve lived when I had the chance. And now it’s too late.” In some way I could understand her. “Why didn’t you just take a bite? That’s all I wanted,” Julie continued.
I regarded the innocent expression on her angelic face, the exact opposite from the demonic smile she had sported only a minute or two ago. Maybe she wasn’t the brightest star or maybe it was her character to ignore everything around her. Either way, I couldn’t be angry with her. “You’ve been around me for more than a day now. Have you seen me eat or drink, or do anything mortals do?” Her jaw dropped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rude before,” I said. “I think the sun’s getting to me.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me you were a vampire?” Julie whispered.
I shrugged and moistened my lips, considering my words. “You would’ve been scared, and I didn’t want to add to your problems and worries.”
She smiled and reached out her hand to touch my shoulder. A familiar electric jolt ran through me where her ghostly fingers brushed the thick material of my shirt. “You’re not scary. A bit annoying, maybe, but definitely someone I like to have around. And I’m not saying that because I’m dead and have no friends.”
“Likewise.” The word made it past my lips before it dawned on me what I was saying, but I realized it was the truth. Even though Julie was irritating the hell out of me, I liked having her around.
“Look, we’re here,” Julie said, pointing at a gray building that blended in with the ones to its left and right. “That’s where I live. And that’s the dime store.” I followed her line of vision to the other side of the road, and for a brief second I was sent back in time to a different place.
“It looks just like—”
“A tiny fairytale castle, right?” Julie exclaimed.
I crossed the street and stopped in front of the white walls and the wooden plate inscribed with the words BELLS, BOOKS & CANDLES in fancy cursive. Even without the snow to build the backdrop, the shop had an uncanny resemblance to a bakery in the Swiss Alps.
With a glance over my shoulder, I tried to push the door open a few times. It didn’t budge until a voice called from inside, “Come in.”
Chapter 11
The door opened
“What’s wrong with her?” a young woman to my right whispered.
“She’s a foreigner,” her companion replied, as though that might be the perfect explanation for my erratic behavior. More people started to point and stare, and I realized that talking to thin air was making me look like a nut case.
Julie laughed. My blood ran hot and cold. “You’re a lunatic!” I hissed at her. “I can’t get rid of you. You just follow me around and annoy me. Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a little bossy?”
The old woman’s eyes reflected her anger, and who could blame her? Julie was destroying her livelihood, and I was taking the blame for it. “Please, be on your way,” the woman said to me, eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring. Apologizing a few times, I fished several coins Aidan gave me out of my purse and paid her for her troubles, then disappeared around the corner. When I stopped my cheeks were on fire.
“I could kill you for making the poor woman’s life hell,” I said to the irritating ghost.
Her laughter instantly died in her throat and her expression turned serious. I bit my lip, realizing I had put my foot in my mouth and said the wrong thing yet again. Did she really think I wanted to kill her? I was mad but not that mad.
“I’m sorry, Julie, I didn’t mean it. It’s just a saying, you know.” I bit my lip hard.
She frowned. “You know, I wasn’t like this until now. I did everything they wanted me to do. I followed all the rules. I tried to live up to everyone’s expectations. I was everyone’s friend, which is why I don’t understand why it happened to me. I’m fuming mad, mostly because I should’ve lived when I had the chance. And now it’s too late.” In some way I could understand her. “Why didn’t you just take a bite? That’s all I wanted,” Julie continued.
I regarded the innocent expression on her angelic face, the exact opposite from the demonic smile she had sported only a minute or two ago. Maybe she wasn’t the brightest star or maybe it was her character to ignore everything around her. Either way, I couldn’t be angry with her. “You’ve been around me for more than a day now. Have you seen me eat or drink, or do anything mortals do?” Her jaw dropped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rude before,” I said. “I think the sun’s getting to me.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me you were a vampire?” Julie whispered.
I shrugged and moistened my lips, considering my words. “You would’ve been scared, and I didn’t want to add to your problems and worries.”
She smiled and reached out her hand to touch my shoulder. A familiar electric jolt ran through me where her ghostly fingers brushed the thick material of my shirt. “You’re not scary. A bit annoying, maybe, but definitely someone I like to have around. And I’m not saying that because I’m dead and have no friends.”
“Likewise.” The word made it past my lips before it dawned on me what I was saying, but I realized it was the truth. Even though Julie was irritating the hell out of me, I liked having her around.
“Look, we’re here,” Julie said, pointing at a gray building that blended in with the ones to its left and right. “That’s where I live. And that’s the dime store.” I followed her line of vision to the other side of the road, and for a brief second I was sent back in time to a different place.
“It looks just like—”
“A tiny fairytale castle, right?” Julie exclaimed.
I crossed the street and stopped in front of the white walls and the wooden plate inscribed with the words BELLS, BOOKS & CANDLES in fancy cursive. Even without the snow to build the backdrop, the shop had an uncanny resemblance to a bakery in the Swiss Alps.
With a glance over my shoulder, I tried to push the door open a few times. It didn’t budge until a voice called from inside, “Come in.”
Chapter 11
The door opened
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