The Haunted - Jessica Verday [112]
“Abbey, it’s Ben. I just got a call from your dad too.”
“Sorry, Ben. He’s just being his normal, overbearing self.”
“It’s cool. You warned me about it. Hey, I’m gonna get a pizza delivered. You want some?”
“Sure. You know what I like.” I cringed as I heard myself say those words. “On my pizza…
I mean.”
“Yeah, I get it. I’ll call you when it gets here. Did you check out the movie channel yet?
Some awesome stuff coming on at eight.”
“I’ll check it out.” Hanging up the phone for the second time, I told Caspian, “Ben’s order-ing us a pizza.”
“With a side of Funyuns?”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Nooo, no Funyuns.” I slipped off my shoes and crawled backward until I was propped against the headboard. The bed was huge, and the covers were made out of a fluffy white material that felt like I was being swallowed by them. As I stretched out, a pleasant drowsiness started seeping into my veins.
“Is it strange to be back here? So close to home?” I murmured to Caspian. My eyelids were heavy, and every time I blinked, they took just a little bit longer to open back up.
“Strange? Yes, but everything about this is strange. Are we here to actually look at my grave, or are we here to get away from Vincent Drake and the Revenants?”
“I don’t know,” I said drowsily, finally giving in to the long-reaching fingers of sleep that were pulling me down. “That’s what I’m here to find out.” A loud rapping on the adjoining door had me sitting up straight, and I looked around wildly.
I couldn’t remember where I was. Then the luggage in the corner jarred me back into reality.
The knocking continued.
“Caspian?” I croaked. My throat was dry, and I tried again. “Caspian?” The red curtains stirred and parted. “I’m here.” He was standing behind them, looking out the large window. “I’m right here, Abbey.”
Relief washed over me, and I got off the bed, feeling my head clear with every step I took.
My left foot was asleep, and I staggered slightly, but I made it to the adjoining door.
When I opened it, Ben was standing there with a pizza box in one hand. I wasn’t very hungry, but I let him in anyway.
“You took forever to answer,” he said, entering the room and putting the box down on a nearby table.
“I fell asleep.”
He walked over to a low cabinet next to the TV and opened it. “I didn’t order drinks, since we have the minibar. Can you believe this setup? What more could you want?” I glanced at the incredibly well-stocked minibar. “Nice. Grab me a Sprite.” He grabbed the Sprite and a Coke, and picked up the TV remote. “Want to watch something while we eat?”
I helped myself to a slice of pizza and then sat on the edge of the bed. “Sure.” Ben carried the entire pizza box over to the chair and flipped through the channels while I picked at my piece. By the time he settled on The Simpsons, I was already done eating.
He stood up as soon as the show was over. “Mind if I take the rest of this?” He pointed to the pizza box. There were still three slices left, but I didn’t want them.
“They’re all yours. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
“Yeah. Oh, hey, what time do you want to leave? My dad’s friend’s junkyard doesn’t open till ten.”
“Ten is fine. Night, Ben. Sorry in advance if my dad calls again.” He walked to the door. “No problem. And if you need anything, you know where I’m at.” When he left the room, it felt like a sudden rush of energy went with him. The curtains moved, and Caspian came out. “Did you eat anything?” he asked.
“A couple of bites. I wasn’t very hungry.” The bed beckoned, and I lay down on my stomach with my head at the footboard. The TV flashed, and the words “Feature Presentation” came on; then intro music for a movie started to play.
Caspian sat down next to me, keeping a careful distance between us. “Closer,” I whispered. “Come closer.”
He moved closer.
I turned my head to stare at one jean-clad thigh. With one hand, I tried to trace the seams, but I slipped right through. My hand hit the bed, and I let it lie there, an inch away from him.
“Are you going to fall asleep