The Haunted - Jessica Verday [88]
Chapter Nineteen
COMPANY
Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie.”
—“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
I left my window open at home in case Caspian found my note, and I was pacing back and forth in front of it when his face suddenly appeared. I rushed over to him. “I couldn’t find you!”
“Abbey, what’s wrong?” He looked worried. “I thought that something had… that you’d…”
“I found out who Kristen’s secret boyfriend is!” I blurted out.
He went completely still. “You did?”
Nodding, I gestured for him to come inside. He climbed through the window, and I backed up a step.
“How did you find out?” Caspian asked. “Who is it?”
“It was on his library card. The initial D. I saw it and asked about it. His first name is Daniel.” I turned to face him. “It’s Ben.”
Caspian looked at me in disbelief. “That nerd boy who tried to put the moves on you?”
“Yeah. He came over for pizza today, and we watched a movie because I totally forgot about our tutoring session, and…” My words deserted me. I couldn’t speak fast enough to keep up with my racing mind.
“God, Caspian! I just can’t believe it. All this time.” I started to feel queasy again, and put one hand to my mouth.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Caspian came closer and shepherded me to the bed. I followed, and he sat next to me, looking concerned. “Are you sure it’s him? Really, really sure? I certainly don’t want to stick up for the guy, but he doesn’t seem like the type to have made her keep such a big secret.”
I shook my head. “It has to be him. He knows all this stuff about Kristen. Like where she wanted to go to college, and what her brother was good at… And at her funeral? He seemed really upset. Like, really upset. More than normal. He probably felt guilty.” Caspian was silent.
“Arrrrrhhhh!” I yelled. “How could I not have seen this? All this time. He was always so nice to me. I bet he was just trying to figure out how much I knew.” I jumped up to pace again.
I couldn’t sit still.
“Maybe you should ask him,” Caspian suggested.
“What?” I stopped. “No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Be-because he’s just going to lie to me,” I stuttered. “He’s not going to tell me the truth.”
“Maybe he will.”
“Yeah, right. Like you did?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them.
“I’m sorry. That was below the belt. I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did. But it’s okay. I deserve it.” His eyes looked miserable, and it broke my heart.
I sat next to him on the bed. “No you don’t,” I said. “I’m just being an asshole because I’m pissed at Ben, and I took it out on you. Forgive me?”
“Of course,” he said. “Always.”
But he wouldn’t look at me.
“Caspian.” I tried to nudge his arm and felt the tingle. “Hey, Casper.” That was enough to get him to look at me.
“I’d hold your hand right now if I could,” I said.
He smiled. “Thanks. It’s the thought that counts.”
Knowing that I was truly forgiven, I leaned back on the bed and looked up at the stars. “It has to be him… right? I mean, it makes too much sense. Everything he knows about her, showing up at her locker last year, being so upset at her memorial. Even making friends with me… It all points to classic signs of guilt.”
“Or it could just mean that he misses her.”
But that didn’t make any sense. “I don’t think so.”
We sat there in silence, and I kept turning everything over in my mind. Replaying bits and pieces of conversations, trying to make all the puzzle pieces fit. It was all so shocking and new. I felt blindsided.
“What are you going to do?” Caspian asked.
“I don’t know. How do