Page 81 of Waysider
A few minutes later, Cass stopped in the spot where they’d met earlier. The hedges blocked them from the street, but if any of her roommates were awake, they could look out the window and see her. Cass angled her body so her face was out of sight. She looked up at Michael to say good night.
“It’s not wasted on you,” he said. The words on Cass’s tongue faded.
He didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t need to—the way he was gazing at her said it all. Cass swallowed, disconcerted by the way her body responded to that look. He was a ghost, she reminded herself.
“I better go,” Cass said.
Michael tucked his hands in his pockets, elbows hanging loosely at his sides. “Good night, Cass.”
“Hey,” she said. Michael had started to turn away. He paused, and Cass’s fingers twitched, longing to reach up and fuss with her bangs. She forced herself to meet his gaze. “Thank you for tonight. For helping me again. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t been there.”
He looked back at her with the same expression he’d worn earlier, when they were in the mausoleum. As if… as if she were beautiful. No one had ever looked at Cass that way before. All at once she couldn’t breathe again.
“I will always be there,” Michael said.
Another silence fell between them, and it struck Cass how close they were standing. His alluring scent teased her senses. Her insides shivered.
“Good night, Michael.” Now Cass was the one who turned to leave. She took a few steps toward the front door.
“I just remembered something.”
Cass faced him quickly, her heart picking up speed. “You did?”
Like the first time, when he’d remembered his name, there was a crease between Michael’s brows. His full lips were pursed in a thoughtful frown. “Horses,” he said finally. “I grew up near horses.”
“That’s great, Michael.” Cass’s excitement was genuine, and she grinned at him. Michael’s frown softened. His brown eyes flicked between hers, and slowly, Cass’s smile faded.
For a moment, neither of them moved. Potential whispered through the small space between their bodies. An unspoken, heated question.
Then Michael nodded at her, the gesture oddly formal. “Good night, Cass,” he said.
“Good night,” she murmured.
He walked down the sidewalk and rounded the hedge. Even after he’d left her sight, Cass stood there. She found herself wishing they could’ve talked a little longer. Maybe Michael would’ve remembered more. If they figured out what was triggering his memories, she could help him—
Fuck, Cass thought suddenly, her stomach sinking with realization.
She had a crush on a ghost.
A full moon shone brightly overhead.
Cass and Cal walked in the direction of the Hissing Gardens. Cass moved more slowly than usual, her feet heavy with dread. The headmistress’s note burned a hole in her pocket. She’d brought it as a reminder that she didn’t have a choice, and like it or not, Cass would be attending the aptitude test tonight.
At least Cal wasn’t coming. Cass didn’t want him anywhere near other voyants, even novices. They’d gone back and forth for a while, and as a compromise, Cal agreed to only walk with her part of the way. Cass still didn’t like it, but she didn’t want to argue with him again. They barely got past that fight on the morning Cass blackmailed Victoria Chen.
Even now, days later, things between her and Cal didn’t feel normal. They walked in silence. Both of them had their hands in their pockets, but Cal shortened his longer strides to match hers. The only sounds around them were echoing voices and laughter. Finch said there would probably be a big turnout tonight—it was the end of the semester, and everyone would be going home to their families soon. This was their last chance, for a while, to discover any secondary abilities or switch to a more powerful house. According to Finch, switching was heavily discouraged, which was why Cass hadn’t even known it was an option until recently.
“Why are you so nervous about this test, anyway?” Cal asked, distracting Cass from her thoughts.
She glanced up at a palm tree, its leaves swaying like dark wings. “You know me. I don’t do well under pressure.”
It was an obvious dodge, and normally, Cal would’ve called her out on it. He fell silent again as they kept walking. In the distance, the voices got louder.
“You’re happy here,” Cal said suddenly.
Cass glanced at him sidelong. “What makes you say that?”
Her brother looked away, tilting his head.“You like them—your roommates. You’re paying attention in class. This place is good for you, Cass.”
