The Ghost Files 3 by Apryl Baker

EMTs are everywhere and I’m being rushed to the ER. I’m an awful klutz , Mrs. C. I’m sorry for all the bother.”
    Mary and Eli gape at me; Caleb looks impressed. I’ve just lied through my teeth and came out smelling like a poor lost little girl. Dan is the only one who’s ever witnessed my epic lying ability. Mrs. Cross clucks and tells me I have to be more careful. She mutters something about finding better bath mats. I want to chuckle, but it would ruin the ‘poor me’ schtick.
    “Mary and I are going to head home, honey. The doctor says you need rest and the boys are leaving soon, too. Unless you’d rather me stay here with you?”
    “No,” I tell her, hopefully sounding very sincere. “I’m good. Seriously, I’ll be fine, and yes, I’m sure.” I wait for Mrs. Cross to nod in agreement. Finally she and Mary leave.
    I look at the boys and tell them about my latest ghost vision episode. “We have got to find out what happened to these girls before one of them kills me.”
    “I’ll ghost proof your bedroom and the bathroom,” Caleb says. “You just can’t disturb the salt once we put it down. I’ll do my best to find a way to block off the doorways so Mrs. Cross won’t sweep it up.”
    “I’m tired of being on the losing end of these visions,” I say wearily and lay back. “If we don’t find these girls soon, God knows what they’re capable of.”
    “We’ll find them, Hilda,” Eli promises. “We’ll find a way to keep you safe , too.”
    “Yeah, we will, Mattie,” Caleb agrees. “I’m going to head over to your place and start trying to ghost -proof it. We’ll worry about demon-proofing it tomorrow. Eli, call when you’re ready and I’ll pick you up.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” Eli answers. “I’m staying the night. She shouldn’t be by herself given what’s happened.”
    Caleb nods, ruffles my hair, and leaves with a promise of figuring all this out.
    Which leaves me all alone with Eli Malone.
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Ten
     
     
    I stare at Eli with one dose of fear, two doses of fascination, and one dose of expectancy. He and I have these odd moments that always seem to get interrupted either by ghost attacks or his brothers.
    Dan especially has a nasty habit of showing up at the most inopportune moments when it comes to his brother. He doesn’t trust him, which should make me not trust him, but I do. Eli can do so much damage to me emotionally, but for once I don’t care. It’s weird. Even with Dan, I hesitated to trust him. Eli feels different. He feels familiar, like I know him, like I’ve always trusted him.
    My mind flashes back to the memory-slash-vision of the man and woman I’d had back in New Orleans. He’d had Eli’s aqua eyes, and told the woman he loved her even as he plunged in the knife. I shudder at the memory. I’d been her, felt everything she had. That moment was important then and everything inside of me says it’s important now, but I just don’t know how.
    “How are you really feeling?” he asks when he settles himself in the chair beside the bed.
    “Like I drowned?” I reply, my voice rough but sarcastic.
    Eli smiles crookedly and I nearly stop breathing. Why, oh why, does he have to look so breathtakingly beautiful?
    “You gave me CPR, didn’t you?” I ask softly.
    “Yeah,” he whispers. “You scared me there for a minute, Hilda.” He runs a hand through his hair. It looks messy and disheveled, like he’s just woken up or something. It only adds to his hotness factor and my mouth goes dry. “ Did you get scared and slip?”
    Wow, he bought the lie? I haven’t lost my touch. “No, it was more like the ghost pushed me down and held me under the water. I only remember seeing her face for a minute and then I was in her memories.”
    “But you said…”
    “I am one of the best liars you’ll ever meet, Eli.” I laugh. “Foster homes, remember? Lying’s like breathing to me. Easy.”
    “Was it hard