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I should have been able to launch right into it—this was what I’d come here to do, after all. But I hadn’t made a plan past arriving. I’d been too focused on the worst-case scenario.

However, now I was in a pickle. What, exactly, should I say to pique their interest? I couldn’t tell them everything. They would think I was crazy. I had to tell them just enough, so they’d agree to help me.

“It sounds stupid,” I stalled, trying to find the words. Why was my heart beating so fast?

Julian’s mouth turned down, but Miles spoke. He’d taken a seat on the floor in front of me, and the gentle expression in his eyes put my racing pulse at ease.

“Hey,” he said. “It’s okay to be shy. I’m sure it took a lot of courage to come here by yourself. But you don’t need to be afraid. Please don’t worry. You can talk to us just like we’re anyone else.”

Anyone else? What was he talking about? Besides being good-looking, they weren’t all that special.

I folded my shaking hands in my lap and focused on my tea. “ Well, I’m house-sitting for Professor Hamway, and I’m pretty sure that the place is haunted.”

“But why come to me about this?” Damen asked. I glanced up, and as our gazes met, he grinned. “I mean, you’re welcome to do so—for any reason, really. I’m not going to protest when a beautiful girl seeks me out. But Bryce is on campus. Why not go to him first?”

Bryce.

A dark cloud fell over my anxious thoughts. Bryce Dubois was Professor Hamway’s graduate teacher and—seeing as she was out of town—her temporary replacement.

I hated his heavy looks and the general animosity between us. Yet it was true. I was at her house, and he was her assistant. Should I have mentioned it to him?

Nah.

“I didn’t want to,” I answered, squirming. Hopefully, Damen wouldn’t ask me to clarify. There was really no need to get into details about my relationship with Bryce. “I thought it was better to come to you instead.”

Why would I go to Bryce anyway? It wasn’t like he’d have any clue how to handle a ghost. Besides, “Finn mentioned that this was your thing.”

“Really?” Damen’s lips pursed in confusion. “Finn sent you? But you said—”

“No,” I responded, cutting him off. “Finn didn’t. In fact…” Did I have to admit it? I looked away from their imploring gazes.

Why did they care so much about Finn? Or Bryce. Couldn’t we just stay on topic?

“Yesterday, I mentioned coming to you for help, and he really didn’t want me to,” I admitted.

“Why?” Miles interjected. He reached for me and briefly squeezed my knee. His calming touch almost distracted me from his next statement. “Was he having issues solving the problem on his own?”

What a strange question.

“Not exactly.” It didn’t matter. “But I wasn’t sure what to do. It’s getting worse every day, and I have a really bad feeling.” I set my cup on the table and pressed my hands against my thighs. Someone was finally listening. “I wanted to see if you had any ideas.”

Julian reached for my hand. “There’s no reason to be scared,” he said. “You can relax now. There’s no spirit here for you to worry about.”

I wrinkled my nose. What kind of ghost hunter was he?

“Are you sure?” I muttered under my breath, recalling the familiar sensation just outside. It hadn’t been evil, but there was no way that this property was haunt-free.

Julian’s hand jerked. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind.” I shrugged. If they were good at their jobs, they’d be able to figure this out for themselves. If not, then it wasn’t my problem.

Then again, what if they needed help? Perhaps I could mail an anonymous letter.

“Should we get involved?” Miles glanced at Damen and shuddered. “I mean, it’s a ghost.”

“Maybe.” Damen’s face was solemn. “What I’m more concerned about is that this is the first time I’m hearing about this.”

I looked between them. No questions. No laughing.

“Has it done anything to you directly?” Damen asked.

Did they believe me? Hope gave me the courage to continue.

“A bit,” I continued, empowered. “I wake up in the middle of the night, and it feels like someone is touching me. Then, sometimes, small objects will be moved after I leave the room. But it seems to get worse every day.” I cradled my sore jaw with my left hand.

Julian’s attention moved toward my face, and before I could ask what he was doing, he pulled my hand back and touched my chin.

“Is that how you got this bruise?” he asked.

My skin burned—I hadn’t meant to draw their focus to it. “I thought that I’d covered it…”

“That’s not what I asked.” He pressed gently over the area, and I flinched—both in response to the pressure and his shocking nearness.

The dulling spell that’d come over me since I’d arrived was beginning to fade.

“Did you fall?” he asked, voice drifting further away. “Or did someone hit you?”

“It’s not a big deal.” I tried to pull away, but he was determined. After a second, I gave up, sighing. “Like I said, it’s been escalating. It knocked me down earlier.”

“How?” Damen asked, his tone sharp.

I couldn’t fathom why they were this upset, but maybe it was because I was bringing them into a violent situation. “I was working in the conservatory when something pulled the stool out from under me. I smacked my chin on a table.”

Damen glanced at Julian. “Is she okay?”

Were they serious? I was fine; there was no need to fuss. However, their actions left my stomach churning with unease. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention.

Julian petted my head before he answered Damen. “It’s just a bruise,” he reassured the other man. “But some ice will help.”

“I’ll get some!” Miles jumped to his feet and left the room.

Julian continued, “A poltergeist isn’t going to resort to violence. ”

“True.” Damen was writing on his clipboard again and answered without losing his focus. “Usually, they only want attention.”

“Not necessarily,” an older voice interjected. Dr. Stephens stood in the open doorway. He nodded at me as he entered the room. He claimed a seat near Damen. “Poltergeists can hurt people, whether it is intentional or not.”

“I know.” Damen wasn’t surprised to see the other man. “However, there are signs that something more malevolent might be involved. It could even be demonic. That’s why you sent her to me, is it not?”

Dr. Stephens finished making his tea before answering. “No. I asked Miss Bianca here for another reason. I thought you’d be more interested in your brother’s lack of responsibility.”

I was sent here because of Finn?

My blood turned to ice as I glanced between them. Could I have gotten him in trouble by coming here? Because that’s what it was beginning to sound like.

No one noticed my horror, and time seemed to slow as Damen’s hand froze, pencil mid-stroke, and he raised his eyes until they met mine.

“Interested,” Damen said slowly. “Absolutely. But we can address his responsibilities later.”

My mind was reeling from confusion. Did they believe me, or didn’t they? Was this some kind of practical joke?

The tension in the room was focused on me, and I wanted to flee. But there was nowhere to run and no way to escape. Instead, I concentrated on a loose thread at the bottom of my shirt and tried to keep my hands from shaking.

“Why-why are we talking about Finn?” I asked. “It’s not like he could do anything. Finn doesn’t have a paranormal bone in his body. ”

Hilarity exploded across the space as the other inhabitants of the room seemed to find my statement amusing.

I couldn’t breathe, and my vision blurred as I stood. Why was it that every time I tried to open up about something profound, everyone made fun of me? I’d had enough of people not taking me seriously.

“Stop laughing!” My voice was firm despite my inner turmoil. The uproar died as suddenly as it had begun, but it wasn’t enough. “You don’t know what it’s like to be alone for your whole life and have no one on your side. And now you’re all acting like it’s a joke! It’s not funny.”

All traces of humor were gone from their faces now.

“Wait.” Julian grabbed my hand before I could run. “What did Finn do? Why do you think that—”

“This has nothing to do with Finn!” Why did they care so much about him? “If you aren’t going to help me with my ghost, I’ll leave.”

“Bianca.” Julian’s grip tightened, but I wouldn’t meet his eyes. I didn’t want to be pulled into any of the hypnotic crap they seemed to be able to cast over me.

“Of course we’ll help you,” he sighed. “But please tell us—what did Finn say? We really need to know.”

No, they really didn’t need to know.

“Never mind.” I twisted my wrist, and Julian released me. “I’ll figure out a way to take care of it myself. Just forget I was here.”

I could feel their eyes following my movements, as I grabbed my purse and made for the door. “Thank you for the tea,” I couldn’t be entirely ungrateful.

Someone moved after me, but I ignored them. There was nothing else that could be said.

I opened the door only to come face-to-chest with my giant, lumberjack stalker .

My pulse jumped in alarm. He actually followed me to the house? How persistent.

“Titus—” Damen was right behind me. “What happened to your face?”

Titus—apparently, that was his real name—was looking at me with his striking eyes. Even though his face was blotchy and those same eyes were watery and swollen, he was still somehow breathtaking.

My heart thundered with fear—for a different reason this time. Not only was this man Damen’s friend, but now there was the stark reality that I’d maced him.

Sure, he’d been creepy, but things were different now. He was no longer a random stranger on the street.

I was going to get the crap kicked out of me.

“You were coming here?” Titus asked me. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

Surely there was a witty response at hand, but I couldn’t think of it. My mental limit for the day had been reached. All I knew was that I was about to receive swift retribution.

“Titus?” Julian approached as well, sounding worried.

This was bad. Soon they would all know what I had done. And when that happened, they’d think I was crazy. Plus, they would certainly be angry. Of course, they would; friends should always defend each other.

Titus frowned and reached for my shoulder and my heart stilled.

More touch. The very thing that had me terrified from the first moment I saw him. The edges of my vision blacked. So, I did the only thing left for a sensible young woman to do in this kind of situation.

I kicked him in the balls and hightailed it out of there.