Page 89 of Statler

Not just because she’d been pining over Statler from afar, but because shortly, she’d be making her own decision on where she wanted to live after Liminal.

As presumptuous as it seemed, Eliza had fantasized that Statler would become part of that equation regarding her future.

Along with her new bestie, Blue, of course.

But Eliza wasn’t quite ready to spill those beans yet.

So far, keeping her plans between herself and Granny had served her well.

Heaven help her if word got out, and her father discovered her plans.

Eliza shivered, and not just from the cold.

She’d been digging deeper into the past few years of goings-on in Liminal; reading old newspapers that Granny had horded, finding out how things in town had been before she’d become aware of the darkness that shrouded so many parts of life at the factory.

And what she’d found was…ominous.

It turned out that hunting accidents, like the one that had taken Holden, had happened here before.

Not just once, but multiple times.

Somehow, Eliza just knew that her father was behind the deaths, and if he found out she was leaving town, she might also end up as a statistic.

Scary to think about.

Clearly, however, Blue hadn’t seen any of the dark thoughts that had passed over Eliza’s face, because she was still talking.

“…so start stepping up to the plate, and please let him know you’re still interested. He’s driving us all nuts.”

“You’re not making that up?” Eliza asked, placing her bigger worries back in the box she kept in her head.

Eliza sucked in a breath and held it, waiting for Blue’s response.

“I’m not,” Blue assured her. “Here he comes, now. Say something to him.”

Eliza wasn’t sure what suddenly came over her, but for the first time in weeks, she dared to approach the man who’d made himself a ghost. She hopped off the tailgate, removed a sub from the bag on the table, and walked over to where Statler had stopped to “inspect” something, a good twenty feet away.

“Hi,” she called out in warning. “I don’t know whether you heard, but it’s hot eggplant parm subs today.” She held out a sandwich as she reached him.

Statler sent a hand toward her and took the offering, his fingers brushing against hers.

Eliza thought it might have been done purposely, but maybe she was reading into things.

Damn Blue for putting ideas in her head.

“I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.” Statler’s deep voice made Eliza’s toes curl in her boots. “And please tell Granny Edith for me that her food has been a total lifesaver here. We work so much better when our stomachs are happy, and that goes triple for Tonka. The man can be a bear if he doesn’t eat.”

Eliza chuckled. “Well, since I bring him three times as much as I do for the rest of you, he should be agreeable all day.”

“And thanks for that,” Statler said.

They stood looking at each other for at least thirty full seconds before Statler cleared his throat and spoke again. “Well, I, um, should get back to…” he pointed with his as-yet unwrapped sandwich to a spot in the far corner of the erected steel.

“I know,” Eliza agreed with a nod. “You’re busy.”

“Maybe next week…” he began.

Eliza held her breath.