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“Did he do this to you?” he mumbles, drawing closer. “Did he make you see?”
He made us see. And for that we’re going to let Gabe or Kristie or Dima or Mama Celene destroy him. He needs to fuck off to hell where he belongs.
The thought brings a wobbly smile to my face. I’m not naturally a person who wishes the worst of people, but this man, thing, whatever he is. He deserves it.
“Babe?” Gabe asks and I realize he’s waiting on my answer.
Which is hard to do when I have so many people to talk to. And not all of them I can see. Turning to Starla I search her face. Her dark lined eyes wide on mine.
“In the spirit of sharing weird shit, I, um, when I’m with Gabe I can see and hear dead people and I also talk to the soul of my dead twin sister.”
Starla blinks once then shrugs her shoulders. “I kinda figured something was up. You and Gabe talk to thin air way too often to be considered normal.”
“Well, shit,” Gabe mutters.
“OK, well,” I take a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. I know Gabe desperately wants to know what I saw and I know he will want to make it better. “Percy was there. When my parents died. And not just at the scene of the accident. He was there. Leaning into the car. He had his hand out, trying to get to me.” My chest aches, like when you drink a slushy too fast and the brain freeze spreads to your throat and then feels like it’s freezing your organs.
“That motherfucker,” Gabe spits.
“He’s wanted you a long time,” Grammy adds, looking sad. “Well, fuck him! He ain’t getting ya!”
A snort flies out of me so violently that it makes my chest hurt, but that doesn’t stop me from laughing.
“I have no idea what's happening, but I should probably go somewhere else,” Starla mumbles, untwining her arm and moving further along the counter to busy herself with tidying.
“Still wanna lure him in tomorrow night?” Gabe asks, peering down at me.
“Tomorrow night? As in Halloween night?” Starla asks, clearly horrified by the thought. “You’re going to lure creepy stalker man on Halloween night?” She shakes her head. “Well, good luck to ya.”
Gabe looks from Starla to me, brow raised.
“It’ll be fine, Gabe. I’ve got this.” I move closer, resting my palm over his heart. “We’ve got this.”
“Probably better if we got this on any day other than Halloween, but I guess it's on brand,” he replies before leaning forward and pressing his lips to my forehead.
“Good. Operation Fuck That Guy Up can commence,” Grammy adds with a hoot before disappearing to wherever it is she goes.
“What she said.”
***
“Wait, you’re kidding right?” Kristie asks, looking from Gabe to me. “You want to trap soulless stalker weirdo tomorrow night? Halloween night? Like when all the crazies are out?”
“Have you ever hung out with Starla? I think you’d get on well,” Gabe mutters.
“Oh yeah, Starla is cool. She gave me some good recs on eyeliner.” Kristie agrees. “But let's circle back to wanting to do this shit tomorrow. Any reason it can’t wait til like, oh I don’t know, a less creepy day?”
It's funny because I know Kristie. I’ve known her for a long time now from coming into the coffee shop and then us becoming friends, but I’ve never stood in her office, on the other side of an imposing wooden desk asking La Madrina for anything. In her impeccably decorated office, the walls dark green and lined with bookshelves, here, she is terrifying. She is powerful. And she is who I’m going to need on my side.
“Well, that’s a good question,” I say before swallowing. “I guess the reason I want to get it done tomorrow is because, well, I think he’s escalating. Up until around a week ago I’d never seen him before. Now? He’s everywhere I turn. Asking more of me. Wanting more of me. And I’m not willing to give him anything.”
Kristie looks me over with her shrewd gaze, one that’s new to me. “What are you willing to do?”
I frown, staring at my friend. “What do you mean?”
Kristie tilts her head back and up, looking at Dima who stands sentinel behind her. He gives a slight jerk of his chin and Kristie smiles before looking at me.
“Do you think he can be saved?”
