Page 17 of Women Love Wraiths

Jenna stared, waiting for me to continue.

“So, you know I believe in certain supernatural things right?”

She nodded. “Like spirits and stuff?”

“Yes, but a bit more than that. Like certain creatures as well.” I took another bite of my food. “Anyway, I’ve met someone.”

Jenna’s laugh boomed over the table. “And? What do the two have to do with each other? Does this person also believe in those things? Are they a little gremlin or something?”

I froze, pasta suspended halfway to my mouth. Jenna stared at me as realization dawned.

“Jade, you’re not fucking serious,” she said, her tone transforming from playful to accusatory.

My fork clinked against the plate as I rushed to explain. “She’s not a gremlin. She saved me from that man on the night of the party.”

“You do realize how ridiculous you sound right now, right?” she scoffed. “Wait, is this why you ditched me? To go hang out in a graveyard with an imaginary creature for fuck’s sake?”

I held up my hands. “Shh, not so loud,” I said, looking around the table at the nearby patrons. “I thought you would understand. You’re my best friend. You’ve known my beliefs this entire time.” Hurt seeped into my voice, and a pit of dread opened in my stomach.

“Jade, I don’t believe in that stuff and I wasn’t going to shame you because you did. You know I’d never do that, but this is also a bit too far. I don’t know what you think you're seeing, but I know it's not real.” She looked out the window and crossed her arms over her chest. “Next, you’re going to say you fucked on a grave or something.”

I froze again, this time my heart skipping a beat. Did she have intuition she wasn’t telling me about or something? When I said nothing she whipped her head back to me. “You’re fucking with me right now. Jade, what the actual fuck? Are you playing some damn joke?”

Dropping my gaze to my unfinished food, I continued my silence. I wasn’t expecting her to act this way. Not after all our years of friendship and my rants about the supernatural to her. But come to think of it, they were one sided. I groaned inwardly and peered up at her through my lashes.

“Jen, I’m not sure what to say. I guess I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

Jenna pursed her lips. “I don’t know what to say either. I’m just going to go.”

She slid from the booth and as she walked away a tear slid down my cheek.

Chapter 14

My foot held the gas pedal to the floor all the way home. Jenna’s comments had taken me by surprise. I hadn't thought it would be that bad. Everything from my past rushed back. Thoughts of my mom and her string of abusive men ran through my mind. The arguments she had with them always turned into taking her emotions out on me. It was why I didn’t like conflict. Especially with people I cared about.

There was only one thing that could pull me out of the depths of the past. Once I had what I needed, I drove to the graveyard. Everything barely fit into my arms as I walked to the clutter of stones that had become a sanctuary. The easel looked out of place against the backdrop of trees, but my heart slowed as I lifted my brush to the canvas.

After an hour, chill bumps raised along my skin and I looked to my right to see Rae hovering nearby. The smile that lit my face was so big I was sure the corners of my mouth touched my ears.

I looked at the painting, heat rushing to my cheeks as I realized she was about to see it. “So, I paint,” I whispered.

Her cool voice floated on the wind to my ears. “I know.”

“How?” I asked, flicking my gaze back to her. “I don’t think I mentioned it.”

“I know a lot of things, darling. I’m a wraith.”

I pondered her statement, chewing on the words I wanted to ask. There were so many questions I had, yet I couldn’t ask them all at once.

“What else do you know that I’m not aware of?” I asked, settling on that instead of everything else.

I went back to painting, swishing my brush in short strokes to add fine detail. It was almost finished, but there were a few sections that were lacking.

In my periphery, I saw Rae float closer. “To tell you everything I know would take many of your lifetimes. I have other things I’d rather be doing.”

A blur of black robes and she was at my back with her hand underneath my chin before I could react. She tilted my head, and her hood enveloped our faces blocking out the moonlight as she kissed me upside down. Spiderman style. It was a good thing I was sitting down because my knees went weak.

When she released me I was breathless. “You’re right. I can’t argue with that,” I panted as I turned sideways to look at her behind me.