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“What do they know?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Ellie.”
“Why have you been here every day over the last week?”
A hesitant smile spread across his face, making my heart ache. It was another painful reminder of why I’d fallen for him.
He looked up at me. “The cops love to eat here, and they chat about what’s going on when they think no one’s listening.”
“Why…?” Then it made sense. Collin hadn’t completely divorced himself from the situation. He was keeping tabs on what the police knew about the spirit world.
“I want to see you when you get off work.”
I shook my head. “No way.”
“Grow up, Ellie.”
I gasped, astounded at his nerve. Instead of responding, I turned around and printed out his ticket, then tossed it onto his table. “You can pay me when you’re ready.”
He pulled a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet and left it on the table. “You can keep the change,” he said as he stood to leave, his food barely eaten.
I considered throwing it back at him but decided he owed me the ten-dollar tip. That and so much more.
When my shift was over at three, Carly asked me if I could work the lunch shift the next day. After my confrontations with the police officers and Collin, I was baffled that she wasn’t going to fire me. But then again, she was desperate, just like I was.
“Sure.” I had a feeling both Tom and Collin would be back, but that was a cross I could bear for financial survival.
Bruce had left a message saying my car was ready, so I called Claire to see if she could help me pick it up. “Yes, but you have to come inside when you come and get me. I have something to show you.”
“If it’s another weird sexual position, tell me right now. I’ll ask the homeless guy who hangs out at the Food Lion in Nags Head to help me instead.”
“One time! I showed you somethingone time, and you’re going to hold it over me forever.”
“I was scarred for life.”
“Well, it’s not. And Drew and I have amazing sex, so you should be so lucky.”
I groaned. “Spare me the details.”
“It’s about my wedding.”
“Oh. Why didn’t you say so? Did you bring me a piece of chocolate cake from your taste testing?”
“No. It’s better.”
“You brought me red velvet cake.”
“It’s not cake! It’s better than cake.”
“There’s nothing better than cake, so I’ll have to be the judge of that when I get there.”
When I got to Claire’s, I knocked on the door. “I’m in the bedroom!” she shouted, loud enough for me to hear her from outside.
When I reached her room, I pushed the partially open door wide and gasped. Claire was standing in the middle of her room wearing her wedding dress.
She lifted the sides of her skirt and dropped it with a fluff. “Well, what do you think?”
