Page 109 of Liminal

Ah. An American inept tradition that’s recently made its way into magiball games. Of course. Poppy will no doubt look like the perfect reaper’s girlfriend wearing that jacket. She can paint her cheeks with the team colours and cheer from a court-side seat. If not her, then there are others.

That’s a good thing. Lambert’s attempts to snuggle showedexactlyhow bad an idea pursuing anything between us is. He should be with living girls, girls who hug and…

Nothing I’m thinking is wrong, so why does it grate so badly? Maybe it’s because his offer to stay with me as I relived my death still haunts me.

“What if I need a little motivation to win?” he asks, bouncing on his feet.

“If you’re attempting to secure a repeat performance, I’m sure Poppy will be happy to take my place.” I stiffly take a seat between Eddy and Jasper.

The others freeze. I’m pretty sure Jasper’s face falls a little, but that might just be my imagination. In the corner armchair, Leo sits with his brows creased like he’s trying to discern what exactly Lambert and I have gotten up to. He’s still trying to pretend that he’s focused on the book in his lap, but he hasn’t turned a page in ten minutes.

The Winthrop heir rests his arms on the back of the sofa, leaning down until our faces are almost touching, as the jacket lies forgotten between us.

“Is this about the cracks?” he guesses, crestfallen. “Because I don’t care, boss. You’re still god-damned beautiful.”

The compliment might’ve once made flutters explode in my gut, but right now, all they do is fan the flames of my annoyance. How dare he… And whyweren’tthe cracks responsible for my insecurities? I was more concerned with my clothes.

Probably because Lambert’s never looked at me as less for being a ghost or for the shattering marks along my limbs. To the Winthrop heir, I’m simply Kyrith.

“He’s right,” Jasper murmurs. “The cracks aren’t that bad.”

“It’s not about the cracks.” I turn away, fixing my gaze determinedly on the empty screen. “I had fun, but that was all it was. Good luck with your game.”

“Boss…” Lambert struggles for words. “It’s not like that. I… You know Poppy means nothing, right?”

Fortunately, Eddy has my back.

“Of course not,” she says, her smile charming and patronising. “No one ever does, right, Lambert?”

It figures North’s one redeeming quality would be his sister. She’s been here less than a week, and she’s sticking up for me with gumption, even though I’ve not told her anything about what happened. Then again, she’s also a good roommate, for all that she’s been decorating her corner of my clock tower room with a questionable number of fairy lights and fluffy blankets.

“Are you coming?” North asks Lambert, striding into the room. “You’re already cutting it fine—” He stops in place, taking in my stiff posture and Eddy’s too-kind smile. “Did I miss something?”

“Nothing at all,” I lie, turning to face him. “Have a good time. Try not to sit behind anyone tall so Eddy can get a good view.”

Lambert holds out the jacket to me like he’s only just remembered it’s there. “I thought maybe you could wear this? For luck? Or do I get a hug for winning?”

“Absolutely not,” Dakari and Leo answer at the same time.

Their defence relaxes my shoulders but only incrementally.

Watching Lambert’s brows furrow in confusion is comical. He takes in Dakari’s posture, then Leo’s, and the way Jasper is leaning in, invested. Hell, even North seems to be edging closer.The veil of civility between the men in the room is sheer enough that the wrong word will tear it to shreds.

All over a ghost’s happiness. How ridiculous…and oddly sweet.

Resignation wars with annoyance in my expression as I eye the jacket like it’s a gilded serpent. Lambert’s friendship means something to me. My own hurt feelings are irrational and misplaced, formed out of the wilful blindness to the fact that Lambert is alive, and I am not. He will have living girlfriends, a living wife, a living family. They all will.

And I will be here, watching them grow old and die. Just like everyone else.

But until that moment, his friendship means something to me, and I’m selfish enough to cling to it.

“Leave it here,” I murmur. “But if I lose focus, it will just fall off. And no. There will be no hugging.”

There’s a familiar terseness to the final sentence, and Lambert’s posture eases, a grin tugging at his cheeks. “One day, boss!”

“Get going already!” Eddy shifts closer to me and shoves more popcorn into her mouth. “I’m excited to see you crush them.”

Lambert grins, ruffling the other girl’s pixie cut hair affectionately, then bounces after North with a mock salute.