Page 28 of You'll Be the Death of Me

Thethunk-thunkof ambulance doors being closed drew their attention back toward the crowd.

“Oh no,” Dell said, fearing they’d missed their chance to intervene.

She’d begun to spiral when Jason grabbed her hand—Robbie’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go somewhere more private, and you can tell me everything.”

Ever thankful for him in life, she was even more thankful he was willing to help her in death.

“So, let me get this straight,” Jason said while he paced in front of Robbie’s park bench. Dell sat on it, still in Robbie’s body, while Cole monitored from beside them. The sun was nearing the sky’s midpoint now, splashing down warm light. “There’s some kind of bureaucratic administration that oversees death, and because some guy mixed your name up with someone else’s, you’re now dead?”

“Yes,” Dell said with a nod.

“And he’s here? Right now?”

“Yes. He’s standing next to the bench.”

Jason all but leaped sideways.

“Don’t worry. He’s harmless. Just incompetent.”

“Thanks for that,” Cole said with a frown.

“Calling it like I see it,” Dell said to him. “But I’m notallthe way dead,” she said to Jason. “He came here to fix his mistake while I’m still in limbo.”

Cole shuffled his feet as Jason sat on the bench beside her. He leaned in to study her. “I never realized Robbie has green eyes.”

“I never realized how tall he is.”

Jason continued studying her. He slowly blinked his long lashes as wonder swam in the dark pools of his eyes. “What did it feel like?”

Dell knew he wasn’t asking her what it felt like to possess a Gen Z loiterer.

“Like nothing. I just fell asleep.”

“What does it feel like now?”

“Kind of cold and tingly, but only if I touch someone.”

He held up his hand with his palm facing her. Dell mirroredhim and held up Robbie’s hand. She glanced at Cole in case he was about to tell her this too was a bad idea, but he remained stoic.

She pressed her borrowed palm to Jason’s, and where she wondered if she’d feel a spark, a zap, a pulse of earthbound reality calling her back, she simply felt her best friend’s warm skin.

Jason, on the other hand, shivered with a small shake of his shoulders. His eyes suddenly went wide. “Wait. Was thatyouearlier? When it was cold as hell in your house?”

“Yes!” she cried, oddly thrilled he’d made the connection now. “And it was me when—”

“I felt like I chugged a slushy and got the worst brain freeze of my life?”

She cringed. “Yes. Sorry about that. I was only trying to get your attention.”

He shook his head, remembering the unpleasantness of the experience. “Well, you’ve got it now. And how did you getinRobbie, by the way?”

Dell guiltily bit Robbie’s lip. “I figured out how to possess him, and he let me.”

“Consensual possession sounds like an oxymoron, but okay. And for the record,notconsensual over here.” He pointed at himself. “I’m here to help you in whatever fashion needed, but stay out of my head. This body is off-limits for hosting. No thank you.” He shuddered.

“Noted. It’ll be easier to have a body to talk to you from anyway.”

“This is so weird.”