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Jeff took hold of her hand again and stopped her in her tracks. Pulling her about to face him, Jeff looked down into her eyes. The warmth in them made her slightly smile. He really did care about her.
“You’re going to be okay. I will not let anything bad happen to you. I promise. A ghost can’t hurt you. They’re just a remnant of someone died. Okay?”
“Okay. ” Samantha swallowed and tried to believe him.
Pressing a kiss to her temple, Jeff looped his arm around her shoulders and held her close. Lowering his chin, he rested his forehead against hers. Samantha raised her lips slightly to kiss the tip of his chin. A shiver slithered through her body, making her blush. With a little giggle, she looked away as he grinned down at her. Kissing her cheek, he cuddled her against him. He was warm, sweaty, and smelled like coffee, soap, and cologne. It was the closest she had ever allowed herself be to him and she was surprised at how comforting it was to be in his arms. Cian’s body had been cold, hard, and unrelenting in her embrace, but Jeff molded against her and she could feel his heart beating. Sudden tears filled her eyes and she drew away.
Fucking Cian. Why couldn’t she just enjoy being with Jeff without comparing him to the vampire?
Jeff started to let her slide out of his arms, but then changed his mind. He dragged her back and kissed her.
It was the sweetest kiss she had ever experienced. His fingers cradled her face as his lips pressed lightly to hers for a few tender moments. Gently releasing her mouth, his eyes peered into hers. “No more. Don’t let him stand between us anymore. Time is too short and too much could go wrong. ”
Samantha nodded, her heart beating hard inside of her chest. “You’re right. ” Her lips tingled from the kiss. Tiny tremors of delight were spiraling through her and her spirit felt lighter, happier.
Jeff’s solemn expression disappeared into a bright smile. “Good. ”
Tilting her head, Samantha gazed into his warm eyes and touched his cheek before kissing him tenderly. It deepened gradually into a more intense kiss than before. Jeff enfolded her in his arms as she buried her hand into his hair. Slowly, they both became aware of their very public display and drew away reluctantly. She giggled as she wiped her pink lipstick off his lips and he kissed her fingers. Exchanging smiles, they held hands as they continued to the footpath.
It didn’t seem as ominous as before, much to Samantha’s relief. Jeff drew her to the side of the path to watch the few people under the footbridge make their way to the other side. There wasn’t anyone following close behind, so he waited until the last person left the bridge before opening the plastic bag and dumping the spell bag onto the ground.
“Oh, God! Are you sure it’s not the smell that keeps them away?” Samantha gasped, her nose on fire.
Jeff pulled a small bottle from his bag. Wincing, he was obviously trying not to smell, or breathe in the noxious fumes from the woven bag. Unstopping the bottle, he motioned to Samantha to move past the spell as he also stepped back.
“We want to be inside the radius when it pops,” Jeff informed her.
Once they were in position, he poured three drops of brown liquid onto the bag.
Samantha jolted when an audible bang went off and the air shimmered around her.
“Whoa! That was hardcore. Aimee really knows her shit,” Jeff said in awe.
“That was kinda scary,” Samantha admitted.
A jogger was coming up the path swiftly, but within fifteen feet of the footbridge, he stumbled to a stop. Looking warily at the bridge, he started jogging back in the direction he had come.
“It’s working! We got ten minutes!” Jeff grabbed Samantha’s hand and drew her along the footbridge.
The long expanse was empty now that the spell was in effect. The long walkway lined with metal railings appeared normal and not at all daunting now that Samantha was actually there. The dark water lapped up against the concrete pylons as the sounds of the city created a soft soundscape to the scene. It was peaceful and Samantha began to wonder if she had even seen the ghost of Cassidy Longoria.
“Do you sense anything?” Jeff asked. He had pulled a small device from his pack and was staring at it intently.
“What’s that?” Samantha pointed at what looked like an archaic cellphone.
“EVP. It reads cold spots and stuff like that,” Jeff answered, sweeping it back and forth. “Why don’t you start walking down the path?”
Samantha sighed. “Okay. ”
“Try to relax, I guess. She contacted you once, she’ll do it again. ”
“Are you sure?”
“No, but I’m hoping. ” Jeff gave his watch a wary glance. “And hopefully in the next nine minutes. ”
“No pressure at all there, Jeff,” Samantha said under her breath.
Slowly, she walked forward. She took small steps, her hands slightly held out from her sides, palms outward, trying to feel for any cold spots. If her memory was correct, she had been near the center of the walkway when she had first heard Cassidy calling out to her. With the sun shining brightly and the sounds of the traffic rumbling overhead, she wondered if the ghost would actually appear. The previous morning a thick mist had provided enough of a spooky element to compel a ghost to reveal itself.
