Page 33 of Savored Sins
My eyebrows about hit the roof. “Excuse me? Drama? No, no. Zeke is drama free.”
“Oh, asif! Thanks to you, I’ve got a jealous, vengeful lady ghost on my hands—and she is out forblood, Zeke.”
“What?!” I sputter. I amreallynot following. “Look. Hot stuff. I don’t know what you think I did, or what you think is going on, but I can promise you?—”
“She’s going to murder me!”
I’d be tempted to laugh if Autumn didn’t look so goddamned petrified. She’s got her back to the sink, her fingers clutching the edge of the counter, and her green eyes are clinging to mine like I’m some kind of lifeline.
“Alright, I’m gonna need you to start from the beginning,” I say, switching tacks. I have no clue what’s going on, but Autumn seems serious. She really thinks there’s someone—something—out to get her. “Whois going to murder you? And how the fuck do you know that?”
Autumn draws in a deep breath, like she’s trying not to lunge at me again. Her eyes move to the floor. “Okay. So, I was home alone this evening, and things just feltcreepy. And I got to thinking… that ghost girl obviously has a—athingfor you, and… I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t very smart of me last night to, like, be all up on the dude she’s into. You know?”
“Right.Sostupid of you,” I say, grinning. “Howcouldyou?”
Autumn glares at me, but she keeps on talking. “So then I thought, ‘Okay, I can sort this out. We’ll just have some girl talk.’ So I used the spirit board. I tried to do everything like you did last night—which, honestly, is what they do in the movies, too—and she showed up, Zeke. She actually showed up! And it was cool at first! Her name’s Lena. We were vibing. But then I tried to reassure her that I’m not out to, like, steal her man, and she spelled out—she fucking spelled out ‘murder’. Plain as day. And then the lights went out, and I got the hell out of there.”
Autumn’s breathless as she finishes her story. Her eyes are no longer on the ground, and she’s staring at me like she’s waiting for me to throw open the closet, grab one of those vacuum things they use on Ghostbusters, and go sprinting out the door.
But damn. Jokes aside, I’m actually kind of concerned. That shit doesn’t sound good.
I step closer to her, searching her gaze. “The board really spelled out ‘murder’?”
“Yes!” Autumn all but shrieks. “You think I’d come running out here in the middle of a goddamn storm for shits and giggles?”
“I mean, it seemed like you enjoyed last night,” I say, flashing her a sly grin.
She punches me in the arm. “Stop it! This is scary.”
“Sorry. Okay, being serious now. That does sound… really scary.” I clear my throat, stepping even closer to her. The space between us is gone, but Autumn doesn’t move. She just stares up at me, eyes all big and green and round. I can’t believe what I’m about to say. “You can stay here tonight, okay? I’ll sleep on the floor. And then tomorrow we’ll check it out together—alright? Or just me, if you’d rather. It’s gonna be fine.”
My thoughts flit briefly to Jenny, who still thinks I’m coming over. Well—too bad for her.
Change of plans. Autumn’s got my attention.
“You think?” Autumn asks, the tension in her face almost visibly melting.
“Duh.” I reach out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, a little freaked out by the nervousness I suddenly feel. “But I do have one question.”
“What?”
I try to shake off the nerves by letting my face ease into another grin. “Did you mean it? About not being out to steal the ghost’s man?”
Autumn rolls her eyes. “Ofcoursethat’s what you zero in on.”
“Answer the question,” I prod, hopping up onto the counter behind me. I didn’t realize how close I was standing to Autumn until now. I can’t feel her warmth on my skin anymore.
“Yes, I meant it,” Autumn says with a pointed look.
“Phew,” I say, blowing out a breath and fake-wiping my brow. “That’s a relief. We couldn’t have you stealing that poor ghost’s man out from under her. That’d beawful.”
I’d never admit it out loud to Autumn, but a weird little flash of disappointment hits me in the gut. Of course she’s not trying to get withme. I’m her best friend’s fiancé’s little brother, who basically lives on her charity and doesn’t even have a job. That happens to be the way I like it, obviously, while I gear up for the TV series I’m going to win, but it doesn’t exactly jibe with Autumn’s life.
Lucky for me, my goal has only ever been to get her into bed.
And the goal is in sight.
Boom.
