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Kipp shook his head, apparently dismissing my wants completely. “There must be a reason I feel this here.”
I suspected his reason for not telling me was for my own good. This time, I left the matter alone and followed his lead. “Like I said before, it’s probably because you died here. With every ghost I’ve met, they remember things more when they return to a certain place or see something that sparks a memory. Maybe coming back here is something you needed to do to…” I hated the way my voice trembled, as the idea of him moving on didn’t appeal to me in the least, “to cross over.”
The knowing look in Kipp’s gaze, plus his grin, told me he noticed my hesitation. “As much as what you say makes sense, it still doesn’t explain why I remember everything from my life.”
I took a step back in order to put a little distance between us. “Yes, you do.”
“Then your theory isn’t much of a theory at all.” He closed the distance between us and bowed his head closer to mine. “There’s more going on here.”
It didn’t take a genius to understand the meaning behind “there is more going on here” had nothing to do with the blood on the concrete, but had everything to do about us.
“Yeah, well, you’re asking the wrong person. I only know what I’ve seen so far and why you’ve had this reaction here is beyond me. All I know is this…” I pointed to the ground, “is where you died.”
Kipp frowned as he stepped away from me and looked down to the ground. “Yes, it is.”
Shit! All the heat surrounding me had made me harsh. I’d never been so blasé with a ghost and unaware of what they were going through. I’d answered him without a single thought in my mind. Get a hold of yourself, Tess. “Um, I mean…”
His gaze jerked to mine and he held up his hand. “I don’t need you to beat around the bush. Neither you nor I have time for it.”
He alleviated some of my guilt for being a stone-cold bitch, but it still didn’t mean I understood any of this or could give him the answers he sought. That didn’t mean I couldn’t help him along. “Why do you think you’re feeling like this?”
Kipp seemed to consider it, glancing around a couple times before turning back to me. “It’s as if there’s an unknown strength here.” He arched his eyebrow. “Does that make any sense?”
No. “Yes.”
He inhaled deeply as he apparently tried to sort it all out. I stayed silent while I watched him struggle, wishing I held the ability to ease the situation and help him answer his questions.
Finally, after many minutes, he sighed. “I’m not quite sure if I can put it into words, but I feel a great amount of energy right here. It’s in the air, along my skin, fills me when I breathe and it fuels me with adrenaline.”
Most ghosts were so distant to the world around them, exactly why they always drove me batty. Self-absorbed wasn’t a strong enough word to describe them. “I’ve never had a ghost experience what you are now.”
Kipp cocked his head. “Never?”
“Never, ever.”
“It feels powerful.” His eyes fluttered closed as he breathed deep. “I feel alive.”
Alive? The word seemed so wrong coming from his mouth. He was so far from being alive tha
t the comparison left my mouth to gape open.
“Yes, it feels exactly like I’m alive.” He snapped open his eyes and his gaze lit up with excitement. “I couldn’t place it at first. But I feel more alive right now than I have since I died.”
Warning, you’re now entering the Twilight Zone. Ghosts were ghosts. They did what they had to in order to move on. What Kipp explained now had nothing to do with crossing over, but seemed more like self-discovery. The heebie jeebies set in. “W-w-why do you think you’re experiencing all of this?”
Kipp shrugged. “How should I know? You’re the expert here.”
Expert! Not likely! The world seemed turned around, upside down with nothing to support me. “So where does that leave us?”
He winked. “It leaves us—one stupid ghost with one pretty lady.”
I might have blushed yet again, that is, if Zach hadn’t chosen the exact moment to interrupt us. “I found nothing inside.”
As he settled in next to me, I studied him, and his angered expression and curt tone left me at a loss. “A good or a bad thing?”
“A bit of both.”
I looked to Kipp, who said nothing. My gaze came back to Zach, who also said nothing. I waved him on. “Would you care to elaborate?”
