“Is Abigail pissed or something?” he says, reaching out and pulling me into his arms.
I blink hard, unsure whether or not to allow myself the pleasure of staying there or not. His strong arms and warm body are a safe place and I feel anything but safe…
I place a hand on his chest, but gently push myself away, giving us both a little space. “I’m not sure. I haven’t really seen much of her since…”
“Maybe we should, um, go somewhere else to study?” Wade offers, tugging at my sleeve as he backs toward the door.
I nod, taking a step toward the table to grab my things. “Yeah, that might be—”
Behind me, a gurgling sound erupts, making me spin on the spot. Wade’s eyes are large silver circles of sheer panic as he drops to his knees and gropes at his throat.
Chapter 4
Haunting
Racing over to Wade, I drop down beside him. “Wade,” I cry out, reaching for him and trying to process what’s happening.
There’s nothing in sight, but the room is utterly frigid—like all warmth has been ejected. My fingertips freeze against his skin as I try to pull back whatever is there, but there’s nothing.
“Where is it? What is it?” Panic wells up inside me as I realize I have no idea what to do or how to help. My worst nightmare is coming true right before my eyes.
Wade continues to struggle, fighting off the unseen force. His face transitions from a bright red to a muted shade of gray.
“Stop—stop this!” I scream, throwing my arms down like a petulant child.
All at once, the room spins and I find myself flat on my back on the floor as if a blast just went off. Wade drops his arms as he slumps over, landing hard on his right side next to me. He gasps for air, then goes completely silent as his beautiful eyes flutter closed. I push myself up to my knees, scrambling over to him and pulling him into my lap.
“Wade, Wade, please…” I murmur, running my hands over his hair and the side of his face. Bending down, I place my head against his chest. The faint thump of his heartbeat greets me, settling my own out-of-control pulse slightly. “Oh, thank god.”
I watch his eyelashes flutter like he’s deep in a dream and I sit there, holding him and brushing my fingertips against his forehead.
The room slowly warms up, releasing some of its foreboding vibe. The sun has set and the only light penetrating the room cascades in from the chandelier in the entryway. It adds an eerie glow on the top of his head, like he’s adorned with a halo, and it pulls me back to reality.
That was close…too close.
I don’t know what happened, or why. If it was a ghost, I don’t understand why I couldn’t see it.
Some postmortem medium I am.
Suddenly, Wade’s eyes flicker open and he abruptly sits up. His left hand rises, resting at his clavicle as he turns his perplexed gaze to me.
“What was that?” he says, his voice barely a scratchy whisper.
I bite my lip and tug my eyebrows in. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see anything. I wish I…”
Swallowing hard, Wade places a hand on my shoulder, pushing himself to an unsteady stand.
“You should be careful. You don’t have to rush,” I begin.
Wade shakes his head. “No, I need to get outta here. I need air—”
Undeserved disappointment rolls through me, but I nod and stand up, too.
“You should come with me,” he says, his eyes wide. Backing out of the study, he studies the doorway as if it’s the gateway to hell.
“I can’t, Wade,” I say softly. “This doesn’t change anything…”
“Please,” Wade pleads, grabbing hold of my hands. “You’re—it’s not safe here. There’s something in this house and it’s not happy.”
“Then I need to get to the bottom of it,” I say, straightening my shoulders. “Right now, I’m the only one who can. I’ll summon Abigail and get her to help me. Besides, technically, I don’t know that it’s here. You could have brought it with you. I’ve been learning…”
“But—”
I drop his hands and walk out into the landing. “No buts. Go home and get some rest. Keep the phone next to you and call for help at the slightest sign of anything.” I bite my lip as I turn around to face him. “Maybe ask Chelsea to keep an eye on you.”
Wade’s eyes narrow and his jaw sets.
“Come on, let me help you to your car,” I say, bending an elbow for him to grab hold of.
Instead, his eyelashes flutter, and he steps around me, reaching for the handrail. His footsteps are deliberate and slow, but when he reaches the front door, he grabs hold of the handle to open it, then pauses.
A long, awkward silence floods the otherwise-expansive entryway and I hold my breath, waiting.
Finally, he turns around. “Autumn, it’s not me I’m worried about. You need to be very, very careful. Please, reconsider and come with me.”
I tilt my head to the side, shooting him a lopsided grin. “You know I can’t do that.”
“Then please, call someone—anyone. Call James and have him stay with you until your dad gets back. You shouldn’t be alone in this house right now,” he says, concern plastered over his features.
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” I say, walking up and taking hold of the front door. Opening it wide, I stand aside. “Are you sure you’re good to drive?”
Wade’s jaw sharpens and he nods. “Yeah, I can handle it.” He shoots me a sideways glance and drops his gaze to the ground as he walks out the door and down the front steps. As he reaches the driver’s-side door, he stops as if he’s going to say something, but thinks better of it. With a click, he opens the door and hops inside.
Conflicting feelings twist and churn inside my chest as I watch his taillights fade down to the end of the driveway. Am I doing the right thing letting him leave? Is he right? Should I have gone with him? As much as I would have loved to do that, this event only put things into sharp perspective for me.
I lied to him earlier. Whatever happened didn’t come with him; it was here before he arrived. I felt its presence and didn’t know what it was.
Now, it’s time to figure it out.
I close the door and spin around on my heel. “Abigail,” I call out, letting my voice echo all through the house. “I know you can hear me. Where are you?”
Dead air permeates the space around me and I let out an exasperated sigh. Where in the hell is she?
All of a sudden, movement on the upper landing catches my eye. It’s too fast to see exactly what it is, but I race up the grand staircase after it.
“Abigail? Is that you?” I say, stepping out on the upper landing.
I turn to the right, surveying the hallway. All movement has ceased and there’s no evidence of anyone, living or dead, within eyeshot. To my left, the study doors are still splayed open wide, but it’s so dark out now, all I can see is my reflection on the glass staring back at me. Stepping forward, I grab each door hand and tug the doors shut.
I’ll need to find some consecrated water, salt, and a boatload of sage tomorrow to clear its energy.