Page 42 of Haunting the Deep

“Actually, you didn’t ruin it at all. I got a few good bites in before you took down our table.” Jaxon adjusts my sweater, trying to get at the cut. “Can you take this off? I mean, do you have a T-shirt or something underneath?”

“No, but…” I pull my arm out of the sleeve and readjust the fabric around my side so that my bra isn’t showing.

The cut isn’t deep, but it’s a good three inches long. What did I land on? A knife? A piece of glass? Jaxon dabs the cut with an alcohol wipe and I wince.

His sandy hair falls in his eyes. “You saw another ghost, didn’t you?”

“He was dripping salt water.”

Jaxon tenses. “Hold on, what?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. He smelled like he’d walked straight out of the ocean. I saw him once before at school, and he scared the crap out of me then, too.”

“So you’ve been seeing ghosts a lot, then?”

I pause. “Define ‘a lot.’ ”

“I’m pretty sure that answers my question. Besides looking creepy as hell, though, is there anything they can do? I mean, can they blow out all the lights or—”

“Actually…I’m not sure. What I do know, though, is that spirits feel exactly like living people to me. Solid.”

“So this guy could’ve hurt you?”

I nod. “Probably. Hence the backpedaling and destroying the restaurant.”

“So any dead lunatic could wander in and potentially do something to you? Do you even know what this guy wanted or who he was?” Jaxon squeezes antibiotic cream onto my arm and covers it with a piece of gauze.

I help him hold it in place while he tapes it up. “It’s complicated.”

Jaxon lets go of my arm, and I slip it back into my sweater. “Okay, start from the beginning. We both know I’m not great with all the magic stuff, but I’m gonna do my best.”

I consider his offer. “You know what, it might be nice if you knew.”

“Let’s make a deal,” he says. “We’ll be honest with each other, even if it’s weird and uncomfortable.”

“Deal.” I smile. “Oh, and about our conversation yesterday morning, I changed my mind. I am going to go to the dance.”

Jaxon reaches out and pulls me into a hug. His warm hands grip my back. He doesn’t come off as the guarded type, but in some ways he is. He laughs and jokes with everyone, but there is a lot more to Jaxon than his humor.

Jaxon pulls back and looks at me. He doesn’t take his arms from around my sides.Oh no.His look is focused.He’s not going to…I…Shit.He leans forward, his breath hot on my lips.

I put my hand on his chest just before his lips touch mine. “Wait.”

Jaxon lets go of me and rubs his neck. “Sorry, I definitely didn’t plan to do that. I don’t know what…Sorry.” He laughs, but his expression shows his disappointment.

My cheeks are blazing. “No, it’s fine.” I shift uncomfortably. “It’s not you. I’m just…I don’t know. We’re friends. I like our relationship the way it is.”Why did he have to do this now, when we’re finally talking?“Today has just been intense. And last night. There was this thing with this dress, and Elijah showed up.” The moment the words leave my mouth, I realize my mistake.

His embarrassment disappears. “Elijah’sback?”

Great, now he’s going to assume I just dropped that information to explain not kissing him. Smooth.

Jaxon’s frustration is obvious. He scans the room. “Is he here now?”

“No.” I pull at my sweater sleeves.

Jaxon focuses on me again. “And ghosts can touch you.”

I meet his eyes. “What?”