The Haunted - Jessica Verday [59]
I shook my head and smiled back at him. Clearly, he was where I got my love of scents from.
Dad flipped over the page and scanned the weather report. “Looks like rain this weekend.
Bring an umbrella with you to the picnic.”
My stomach grumbled loudly, and I got up to find something to eat. “Picnic?” I grabbed the bread bag and plopped it on the counter next to the stove. “What picnic?”
“The Fourth of July picnic your Uncle Bob is having.” Family get-togethers. I hate family get-togethers. “Daaaaad, do I have to go? Can’t I just stay here?” After buttering two slices, I threw on a piece of cheese and put the sandwich on a plate.
He was already shaking his head. “Nope. Your mother wants you there. End of story. Besides, it won’t be so bad. A couple of hours with your extended family, and a potluck dinner.”
“Every teenager’s dream. Watch me as I leap around with joy.” I grimaced as I fished out a pan from the drawer and turned a burner on.
Dad stood up and came over to me. Kissing my forehead, he said, “Do it for your dear old dad, huh, Abbey?”
“Yeah, yeah, dear old Dad,” I grumbled. “Just remember, I’m going to be the one picking your retirement home.”
He smiled and turned to leave, then stopped and looked back. “I wouldn’t eat tomato soup with that grilled cheese, if I were you. It could have come from mutant tomatoes.” I tossed a pot holder at his head. He just ducked and moved out of the kitchen, laughing the whole way.
After I ate, I changed into a pair of shorts and a cute black T-shirt, and slid on some red flip-flops. Thoughts of perfumes and cookies were still floating around in the back of my brain, so I pulled out the scent I’d accidentally made last year that smelled like snickerdoodles. It reminded me of when I’d made Caspian the cookies and how he’d seemed to like them so much.
I dabbed some of the scent on my fingertips and stroked them over my pulse points; then I ran my fingers through my hair to add some there, too. Now I was ready to go.
I left the house quickly, but walked slowly toward the cemetery. It was another hot day, and I didn’t want to get all sweaty any sooner than I had to. Several cars were parked inside the cemetery, and people were standing around. Must be for funeral preparations or something.
They seemed to be too busy to notice me, though, and I followed the path down to the mausoleum. Casting a glance around to make sure no one would see me go in, I slipped through the door and pulled it shut behind me.
Caspian was sitting on the edge of the black marble slab, hunched over a book, with a candle resting next to him. He looked up when he heard my footsteps. For a moment he just smiled at me, the black stripe of hair hanging in one eye.
“Hi,” I said, staring at him.
“Hi.”
“You’re going to need to get some more candles if you keep burning them like this.” He put his book down to one side. “I don’t light them all the time. I just didn’t want you to be afraid of the dark.”
I sat on the marble slab next to him. There was less than an inch of space between us, but it felt like a mile. “I’m not afraid of the dark.”
Caspian wiggled his eyebrows at me. “You should be.” No, what I should be afraid of is the fact that I’m falling in love with someone who’s dead.
“You should get out more,” I said instead. “Take a walk downtown. We could go together.
Since no one can see you, then it would look like it’s just me walking around. I promise not to talk to you in public or anything.”
“Okay,” he said. “Now, close your eyes.”
I did as he asked, and saw shadows playing behind my eyelids. “What are you going to do to me… in your crypt… in the dark?” I teased.
“Stick around until November first and you just might find out,” he whispered. His voice was close, and instinctively I turned my head to follow it.
“Wait,” he said softly. “Mmmm, just hold still.”
I shivered at the tone of his voice. It was raw and edgy and unbelievably sexy. “What?” I asked. “What is it?