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God, I definitely should’ve told her before sleeping with her.
Now I felt like slime.
When the light in the rear bedroom on the second floor popped on, I physically jumped in my seat, not expecting it.
Swallowing thickly, I glanced up as a shadow passed by the window. She was lifting her arms and pulling her long hair into a ponytail.
I’d had my hand in that hair not more than an hour ago. Her peach scent was still on my skin.
And she’d hate me if she knew everything. Which was probably why it was best that our fling had only been a one-time deal.
But now, I also couldn’t ask if she would be willing to help me with Thalia. There was no way she’d agree to doanythingfor my benefit after all my stupid silence. Damn, I was a moron. And what was worse; I was letting down my sister’s memory by not doing everything I possibly could to bring her justice.
Glancing briefly toward the window of the front bedroom on the second floor, I winced over how dark and desolate it appeared. There was no ghost hanging around tonight.
Disheartened, I pressed on the gas and drove home.
I deserved this, I told myself. I deserved not getting a decade worth of questions answered. I should’ve just spoken up and blurted everything out. But my stupid, hesitant tongue had failed me again.
I felt like I was back to being timid, ten-year-old Damien, unable to just open my damn mouth to make friends at Little League. Except this… This was going to end so much worse.
14
OAKLYNN
That Saturday, Jaylani talked me into going to the beach with her.
“Come on,” she coaxed. “You’ve been here for two months now and still haven’t dipped a toe in the gulf. There is something wholly wrong with that.”
“What’re you talking about?” I argued with a laugh. “We just went the other week.”
“To look around, yeah,” she complained. “We walked the boardwalk. Now, I want to actually swim. The weather’s perfect for it.”
“But I need to research some—”
“Later,” Jay growled. “Right now, you’re shaving all your wooly bits and then putting on that hot bikini I got you as a welcome-to-town present because I’m picking you up in half an hour. No arguments.”
“Ugh. Okay. Fine.”
Two hours later, we were stretched out in matching beach chairs under a huge umbrella near a tiki hut drink kiosk where we’d just purchased peach-flavored ice tea that was to die for.
After taking a sip, I sighed, refreshed, and leaned my head back against the chair so I could close my eyes behind my shades and enjoy the moment. A warm breeze rolled through my still-damp hair, drying it, while the sound of nearby waves slapped rhythmically against the surf. It was all just so soothing and glorious.
People laughed and talked all around us. Seagulls cried overhead. Sunlight kissed my skin, smothering me with a pleasant warmth from the ends of my sandaled toes and up to the tip of my nose.
The only thing that would’ve made this moment better was if a certain, toned hottie was stretched out in the same chair as me, pressed close with an arm around my shoulders and my cheek resting against his chest.
When my phone buzzed with an incoming text, my heart gave a little gallop inside my chest because I couldn’t help but hope that maybe it was Damien.
But when I checked, the message was actually from Raina.
“Hey, you gave Raina my number.”
“Oh yeah.” From her chair next to mine, Jay waved a dismissive hand. “Forgot to tell you about that.”
“Well, she just messaged me, saying so. And she invited me to go on some haunted tour on Bridleway with her and a few friends on Friday the 13th.”
Jaylani groaned and rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Don’t bother. It’s super lame. Scar wanted to go last year, and all they do is walk you down the trail after dark, telling you ghost stories until some dork jumps out and scares you when you pass by the cemetery. The supposed grand finale was this place where some college chick was killed. We just stood there in front of her old apartment until the lights inside flickered on and off.”
