Page 86 of Ghost

Whether he could handle that revelation or not.

CHAPTER 22

Mila sipped hersecond cup of tea.Her nerves needed the calming benefits of chamomile.

She sat next to Dana on the couch.The empty pizza box lay on the coffee table.An hour ago, Dana had asked if she’d watched the latest season of a popular reality show.Mila had shrunk a little inside.How did she tell her new friend that she was so out of the loop when it came to what women her age found exciting and popular?

She and her family had often watched movies together, or she and Igor would fight over who got to pick a show.Living with Irinia, that hadn’t been an option.She’d been kept in the barn.Books, board games, and schoolwork were her only companions outside of training.

Of course, once she’d moved to the US, she’d been exposed to television again, but other than the odd movie, she’d never watched much, especially not reality TV.Fluff, fun, and lightheartedness just weren’t part of who she was.

They’d settled on an old rom-com flick and both laughed at the various ways the protagonist tried to drive a man away as research for her magazine article.

Her phone vibrated on her lap.She jumped, nearly spilling her tea.A punch of fear hit her gut, her mind immediately assuming Irinia was calling.Dana faced her, her eyebrows hiked.

Mila looked at the screen and her belly flipped over.“It’s Ghost.”

Dana stared at her with wide, earnest eyes.“Go ahead and get that.I’ll pause it.”

“Thanks.”She swiped to answer and got to her feet, setting the mug on the coffee table.She made her way to the kitchen, her stomach a ball of nerves.But if Ghost was calling, he wasn’t dead.“Hello?”

“Hey.”

The smooth, easy cadence of his voice made her shoulders sink.Just like that, her worries vanished.Everything was OK.Had to be.“I’m so glad you called.Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.What about you?Still oversharing with Dana?”Amusement laced his words.

She folded an arm across her middle.“I did no such thing,” she said teasingly.“Besides, there’re more important matters.What happened?”

“We’ll talk about it soon.I’ll be there to get you in ten minutes.That is...if you want to come home with me.”

Her heart beat in triple time.She couldn’t imagine doing anything else.As kind as Dana was, Mila didn’t want to intrude any longer, nor did she want to be by herself.Turns out the only thing she wanted was Ghost.

“I’d like that.”The admission came out with far too much weight.“At least for tonight.”

She wanted as much as Ghost would give her.Which, after tonight, might not be much at all.Especially if Hunter was taken care of and there was no reason for them to be glued to each other’s sides.

“I’ll be there soon.”He said goodbye and hung up.

Mila lowered the phone from her ear just as Dana entered the kitchen.“What did he say?”

She blew a breath through her lips.“He’ll be here to pick me up in ten minutes.”Then she gave Dana a sympathetic look.“He didn’t say anything else, but I’m sure Zain’s fine.”

Dana grinned.“He is.I just got a text saying he’d be here soon, too.”

“Oh good.I’d better grab my things.Thank you for having me.”

Her new friend pulled her into a hug.“Don’t mention it.I’m having a girls’ night next week.I’d love it if you could make it.”

Emotion squeezed her sinuses.In all likelihood, she wouldn’t be around next week.Her gut clenched.She had nowhere else she wanted to live.But even if she stayed in Seattle, unless she and Ghost were still seeing each other—god, could she even call it that?—she wouldn’t spend time with Dana.

If he broke things off with her, there was no way she could hang out with his friends.

“I’d like that,” she said noncommittally, pulling away.“I’d better get my bags.”She went upstairs to the guest room and scooped up her belongings.

She dropped her gaze to the pajamas she wore and paused.He’d invited her to his house, and considering the hour, he surely wanted her to stay the night.Still, she should probably change into the clothes she’d had on earlier...

Screw it.