Page 109 of The Curse of Redwood

I was surprised to find Zeke and Taylor deep in conversation when I looked over at them. I heard the wordsclassic literatureand knew they were talking about books like two nerds.

“I let C borrow my copy ofDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but I don’t think he read it,” Taylor said, then winked at me over Zeke’s shoulder. “He has no taste.”

“He seems to enjoy it when I read to him,” Zeke said, placing his hand on my leg beneath the table, even as he faced Taylor. “Though, he has a tendency to fall asleep. Have you read any of Mary Shelley’s works?The Modern Prometheus, orFrankensteinas it’s more commonly known, is among my favorites.”

“Dude, I love that one,” Taylor answered. “Did you read about how Shelley got the idea for that book? She was staying at a manor for the summer with Lord Byron and some other writer. Anyway, Byron suggested that each of them write a ghost story. But she was having troubleinventingan idea. Get it?” Taylor laughed like a goofball at his own joke. “Supposedly, the three of them had a conversation about electricity being used to bring the dead back to life, and then she had a dream about Frankenstein’s monster and started writing her story the next day.”

“Nerd,” I said, coughing.

“Like you’re one to talk,” Taylor countered. “When you get to talking about anime, I can’t shut you up either.”

When the waiter came to take our food orders, we made it simple by all getting the breakfast platter. Theo got extra bacon with his, then snorted a laugh when Ben asked if he intended to save any room for chocolate when they visited the bakery later.

“I always have room for chocolate,” Theo answered.

“We should visit the bakery as well,” Zeke said, leaning over to me. “For William and the other children.”

I smiled at his kind heart and looped my arm through his, resting my head on his shoulder. The clock on the far wall ticked down the time I had left with Zeke before we’d be tested more than we ever had.

Was this my last day with him? I held his arm tighter.

He kissed the top of my head and let his face linger in my hair. Savoring my touch, my scent. As if he was counting down those seconds, minutes, hours too. Knowing our time was limited.

My eyes watered again, and I glanced up to see Ben watching me. He gave me a sympathetic smile before glancing at Theo, who was reaching over to steal a grape from the fruit salad Taylor had ordered.

Falling in love with a ghost was the best—and most painful—thing I’d ever done.

***

Zeke laughed more that day than I’d ever seen him. He was so carefree as we walked down Main Street, exploring stores and eating so much food I thought I’d burst open. He’d wanted to try different coffee flavors, so we’d gone into the coffeehouse after breakfast, then once again after lunch so he could try the ones he wanted.

Then, we visited the bookstore. He went down each aisle, admiring the books and telling me about the ones he’d read. When he found a copy ofThe Ghost of Ellwoodon the shelf, he flipped through it in amazement.

“Ben has a way with words,” he commented, after reading the first page. “I’ve only started reading, and I’m already hooked.”

I grabbed it from him and walked toward the register.

“What are you doing?” he asked, trailing behind me.

“Buying you a book. Duh.” I placed it on the counter and pulled out my wallet.

“You don’t have to,” he said, resting his hand on my side.

“Iwantto. Now stop giving me lip before I bite it.”

“Tease.”

I could’ve asked Ben to give me a copy, but I wanted to support him. Plus, he and Theo were already in New York and buying the book was a spontaneous decision. I could afford the twenty bucks for the hardcover, so whatever. After purchasing it, the shop owner put it in a bag and handed it over.

“Enjoy,” she said. “The author comes into the shop sometimes. Seems like a nice man.”

“He is,” I responded, before heading for the exit. The bell above the door dinged as we passed through it.

“Thank you,” Zeke said once we were outside, grabbing my hand while holding the bag in the other. “I’m interested to see how the love story resolves in Ben’s book.”

“I wont spoil it for you, but just prepare yourself for tears.”

Zeke sighed. “That’s practically spoiling it, Carter.”