it out and move on.”
“What do you suggest then?” He leaned his back against the wall, letting his long legs hang over the edge of the bed.
“Can we talk to the other guy? Maybe he knows something.”
“You think they’re in cahoots or something?” he asked.
“No, not cahoots . But Hazel is really young. Maybe this guy knows something she doesn’t understand.”
“Okay, we can try that. I usually see him at night – out front. Can you come back later? It will be quieter around here and since it’s cold not many people will be outside.”
“Sure.” A drawing across the room caught my eye and I stood up to study it. It was a charcoal with scary faces and gnashed teeth. Not the kind of artwork I’d want hanging over my bed every night.
“Tom made that – he’s into all this super-dark stuff. I don’t even know what it’s all about. Don’t want to either.”
“Is he an okay roommate?”
“He’s fine. Sort of quiet. He’s actually a sophomore. I’m not sure how he got stuck with a freshman.”
“Probably a punishment of some kind,” I laughed.
An amused grin crossed his lips. “What? Living with me is a punishment?”
My phone buzzed and I checked the messages and saw that Ava was ready for dinner. “I’ve got to go. What time do you want me to come back?”
“Eleven? Want me to walk you over?”
That seemed like a bad idea. Too much time alone. “No, um, do you care if I bring Ava back with me?”
“It’s your conversation. Fine by me.”
I walked to the door and rested a hand on the knob. “We’ll be back at 11.”
“I’ll see you then,” he said. He’d closed the distance between us and I couldn’t deny the fiery charge I felt. But I resisted it because I just can’t even go there. Not in my mind. Not with my body.
I left his room and listened to the door click behind me. I took a deep breath and walked away.
*
“You guys seem a little under-prepared,” Ava said, holding up the juju bag around her neck. We’re sitting around a picnic table on the grounds outside Connor’s dorm. She’s got on combat boots, black jeans and leather gloves. She also had a backpack filled with supplies, including the Shadow Bound book, “just in case.”
“I tried to explain to her it wouldn’t be like last time,” I told Connor, pointing to the container of salt.
“We’re just talking to him. Helping him. I doubt he has nefarious ideas.”
“Yeah, you thought that last time, too.” She narrowed her eyes accusingly at Connor. “How do you plan on getting this guy’s attention anyway?”
“We call him?” I suggested. “Hey, ghost dude…”
Connor rolled his eyes. “He’ll appear. I see him down here all the time.”
Ava looked skeptical. “Why are you down here all the time?” From the look of things, this was a smokers’ area.
He lifted his ridiculously broad shoulders. “I hang out down here with friends.”
“This is a co-ed dorm, right?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
Ava and I shared a look. Connor was impossible to get details out of. Always had been.
“Hold up,” he said, standing up. We followed his gaze and I spotted the ghost. A man in his 40s or so, wearing a brown suit. It looked dated, with a wide collar and baggy legs, like it was from the 70s or something.
“What?” Ava asked, her eyes searching the grounds. “Do you see him?”
“Over there,” I pointed. “That’s him, right?”
“Yeah,” Connor nodded.
“What do we do?” I asked.
“I’ll go over,” he said.
I frowned. “Alone? No. I’m going too.”
“Jane.”
“Connor.”
We stared hard at one another. I know I had on my angry-belligerent face, my “don’t mess with me,” face. He just looked worried.
Ava groaned and said, “You both go and I’ll wait here. Stop being morons.”
I led the way and Connor shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets. We approached the confused-looking man and Connor said, “Hey, man. What’s going on?”
“Um,
“What do you suggest then?” He leaned his back against the wall, letting his long legs hang over the edge of the bed.
“Can we talk to the other guy? Maybe he knows something.”
“You think they’re in cahoots or something?” he asked.
“No, not cahoots . But Hazel is really young. Maybe this guy knows something she doesn’t understand.”
“Okay, we can try that. I usually see him at night – out front. Can you come back later? It will be quieter around here and since it’s cold not many people will be outside.”
“Sure.” A drawing across the room caught my eye and I stood up to study it. It was a charcoal with scary faces and gnashed teeth. Not the kind of artwork I’d want hanging over my bed every night.
“Tom made that – he’s into all this super-dark stuff. I don’t even know what it’s all about. Don’t want to either.”
“Is he an okay roommate?”
“He’s fine. Sort of quiet. He’s actually a sophomore. I’m not sure how he got stuck with a freshman.”
“Probably a punishment of some kind,” I laughed.
An amused grin crossed his lips. “What? Living with me is a punishment?”
My phone buzzed and I checked the messages and saw that Ava was ready for dinner. “I’ve got to go. What time do you want me to come back?”
“Eleven? Want me to walk you over?”
That seemed like a bad idea. Too much time alone. “No, um, do you care if I bring Ava back with me?”
“It’s your conversation. Fine by me.”
I walked to the door and rested a hand on the knob. “We’ll be back at 11.”
“I’ll see you then,” he said. He’d closed the distance between us and I couldn’t deny the fiery charge I felt. But I resisted it because I just can’t even go there. Not in my mind. Not with my body.
I left his room and listened to the door click behind me. I took a deep breath and walked away.
*
“You guys seem a little under-prepared,” Ava said, holding up the juju bag around her neck. We’re sitting around a picnic table on the grounds outside Connor’s dorm. She’s got on combat boots, black jeans and leather gloves. She also had a backpack filled with supplies, including the Shadow Bound book, “just in case.”
“I tried to explain to her it wouldn’t be like last time,” I told Connor, pointing to the container of salt.
“We’re just talking to him. Helping him. I doubt he has nefarious ideas.”
“Yeah, you thought that last time, too.” She narrowed her eyes accusingly at Connor. “How do you plan on getting this guy’s attention anyway?”
“We call him?” I suggested. “Hey, ghost dude…”
Connor rolled his eyes. “He’ll appear. I see him down here all the time.”
Ava looked skeptical. “Why are you down here all the time?” From the look of things, this was a smokers’ area.
He lifted his ridiculously broad shoulders. “I hang out down here with friends.”
“This is a co-ed dorm, right?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
Ava and I shared a look. Connor was impossible to get details out of. Always had been.
“Hold up,” he said, standing up. We followed his gaze and I spotted the ghost. A man in his 40s or so, wearing a brown suit. It looked dated, with a wide collar and baggy legs, like it was from the 70s or something.
“What?” Ava asked, her eyes searching the grounds. “Do you see him?”
“Over there,” I pointed. “That’s him, right?”
“Yeah,” Connor nodded.
“What do we do?” I asked.
“I’ll go over,” he said.
I frowned. “Alone? No. I’m going too.”
“Jane.”
“Connor.”
We stared hard at one another. I know I had on my angry-belligerent face, my “don’t mess with me,” face. He just looked worried.
Ava groaned and said, “You both go and I’ll wait here. Stop being morons.”
I led the way and Connor shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets. We approached the confused-looking man and Connor said, “Hey, man. What’s going on?”
“Um,
Similar Books
