AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jayce
Eli and I make a quick trip to the store. I’m not the cook that Raven is but I can make burgers and spaghetti, so I grab the things that I need to make that. Eli grabs a lot of junk food, like Oreos and chips.
“You trying to suck up to Raven?” I ask as I point at the cookies.
“Dude, she just brought a ghost back to life, if that doesn’t deserve a cookie, then I don’t know what does.”
I chuckle a little at his words, he isn’t wrong.
“You always know the right thing for Raven. How is that?”
“Give it time, you’ll find your groove with her. It’s not been that long since you two got together.”
“Yeah and now there’s Lucien,” I mutter. I’m not mad about it but how will I get any time with just Raven with another guy in the mix?
“Hey now, Raven will give us each the attention that we need. She loves us differently but the same amount. We just need to figure it out together. I would rather share her with you and Lucien than lose her. I know you feel that way, too. Plus, we can’t deny that fate was involved with this.”
“I do, and I know that Raven isn’t the greedy type. So, there has to be a real connection to Wolf if she wants him, too. I think we’ve just had a lot thrown at us all at once and it’s just taking time to process all of this. Once we get rid of Stella, that will ease some of the nerves, too.”
We don’t say much as we check out, but once we’re in the car, Eli starts talking again.
“So, speaking of that psychotic bitch, did you find where she was buried?”
“I found some notes on graves in a little plot by the sanitarium. If she’s not there, I’m all out of guesses. The paper articles I found stated that yes, Stella died in the fire but half of her body was still intact. So, that’s good news for us, hoping that they buried her and not just cremated her. If there’s nobody there, then I don’t know how we will rid ourselves of her.”
“You are just a fucking ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” Eli shakes his head and gives me a playful side eye, but I can see the underlying panic at the thought. I know it well because that thought has plagued me for days.
“That’s why Raven keeps me around,” I joke.
Eli laughs at my words and finally breaks some of the tension between us. It’s nice to feel normal again after everything.
“I don’t think that’s the only reason,” he counters before letting his smile drop. “I know you made a list of supplies we’ll need, if you give it to me when we get back, I can gather it all and you can make the food. We both know if I’m the one cooking, we better have the fire department on speed dial. If I burn the food, it may freak Wolf out and he’ll get a flashback of the night he died. Not what we need before we have to set a fire on purpose.” He’s rambling, another sign of how on edge we all are.
“Yep, the list is on my notepad by my computer. Most of what we need is already in the trunk under the groceries and we will have to stop and fill up the gas can before we head out to the asylum. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to drive around with it before we need it.”
“That’s our Jayce always using your head.” Eli smirks as he pulls up to the parking spot for our apartment. “Now I bet I can carry more bags in one trip than you can.”
“Oh, you’re on.”
We both hop out and go straight to the trunk, loading up as many bags on our arms as we can until there’s one left. I grip it first and smile at Eli in triumph.
“I win. Wait…what do I win? This can’t be all for nothing,” I joke.
“I hadn’t thought of that, maybe we can have Raven decide on a prize,” he says with a wink. There’s the normal Eli again, always quick with an innuendo.
“That I can handle.”
We head up to the stairs and I have to put down a few of the bags to retrieve my keys from my pockets. It’s quiet inside, so I make sure to jiggle the handle and announce loudly that we’re back. I’m not sure that I’m ready to walk in on Raven and Wolf together yet. This is all too new for us. Knowing is one thing, seeing is another, and that’s not something I need seared in my brain before a ghost hunt.
Raven bounces into the living room, a smile from ear to ear and wet hair. Telltale signs that she joined him.
“So, it was a good shower, I take it?” I ask, half joking.
“Oh, you’re next,” she promises as she helps unload the bags from my and Eli’s arms.
“What are you hungry for? I got stuff for spaghetti or burgers and Eli just replenished our junk food stash.”
“How about burgers? If you make those, I’ll get the air fryer out and make fries?” Raven asks.
