The Haunted - Jessica Verday [63]
I led the way around the opposite side of the kitchen and held the door open for him. Ben walked through it, and then stopped outside. “Abbey, I…” He gave me a funny look. With his free hand, he brushed a piece of my hair away from my face.
I pulled back and cast a quick glance over my shoulder. Caspian’s face was furious.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warned Ben.
But Ben had no idea what was going on. “I have to talk to you about something soon, okay?” His gaze dropped to my mouth, and instantly, vivid memories from the diner dream slammed into me.
Good Lord, this was really not going well.
“Okay,” I said. “Thanks for helping me out with this, Ben.” He turned and stumbled before regaining his balance, then moved toward his car. I slammed the back door shut and gave Caspian a look.
He put both hands up in the air. “What? I didn’t do anything.”
“No, but you wanted to. And besides, we don’t really know yet what you can do.”
“Well, I know I can’t make people disappear,” he muttered darkly. “Or else he would have been gone a half an hour ago.”
I was a bit shocked at how serious he sounded, and then I looked into his eyes. “You’re jealous!”
“He wanted to kiss you!”
Now I was dumbfounded. “How do you know that?”
“Because,” he said, running a hand through his hair and pushing it back. “It’s what I’d want to do.”
“You’d want to kiss me?” I teased. “I never could’ve guessed.” He shook his head and I laughed. “Come on, green eyes. Let’s get out of here before my mom gets home. Take me downtown; I’m all yours.”
“Promise?” he said, holding my gaze steady.
“Promise,” I whispered.
We walked side by side downtown, moving quickly from store to store. At first it was strange for me to see him walking among people while no one else noticed he was there. I kept wondering what would happen if someone suddenly moved right through him. I didn’t think I was ready to see that yet. But Caspian moved aside when anyone got too close, and eventually it almost felt normal.
Normal.
I was walking downtown with someone only I could see. There really was something wrong with me.
We passed an antique store and the pizza place, but another building was coming up, and I felt a happy smile creep over my face. It wasn’t rented yet. My shop was still available.
“Follow me,” I whispered to Caspian, moving across the street and toward the shop. He was right behind me, and we ducked down the alley.
“There’s a trick to it, if you want to go inside,” Caspian said, sizing up the door frame in front of us. He leaned down to mess with something at the bottom of the door.
“I don’t think it’s going to work. I was here before, and the owner was too, and he—” A scraping sound and then a clicking noise interrupted me. Caspian smiled as the door swung open. “How did you… ?”
“There’s a piece of cracked wood at the bottom. When the door is closed, it’s wedged into place, and the lock stays. But loosen the wood, and the door sags a little, slipping out of the lock.” He held the door open and ushered me in. I stepped into my shop and closed my eyes, imagining it all set up the way I would have it.
When I opened my eyes again, Caspian was leaning against one of the walls, looking at me. I suddenly grew shy. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I like seeing you happy, Abbey.” He placed a hand on the middle of his chest. “It makes me feel…”
“Feel what?”
“Just feel. I don’t know what, but I like it.” The look in his eyes changed, and he leaned away from the wall, coming to stand next to me. “Tell me about your plans for your shop.
Come on, start over here.”
Caspian led me to a wide wall space, and I studied it for a moment. “Here I’ll put the reading section. I’ll bring in a fireplace mantel, arrange some chairs around it, maybe even an otto-man, and put out some of Irving’s books. People can read or just lounge while I create their perfumes.”
He spun and pointed to the open floor space behind us. “What