Page 89 of The Curse of Redwood

An unexpected surge of emotion swelled in my chest, and I threw my arms around both of them. They had been so worried that they’d hung out at my house until I got home.

“I’ll tell you guys everything,” I said, pulling back and wiping at my eyes. God, I was such an emotional mess with all the crying I’d done lately. “But for now, I really need to sleep.”

“Of course,” Ben said, clapping me on the back. “Stop by in the morning. Theo is worried about you too.”

Shocked that Ben had mentioned his ghost boyfriend, I snapped my head toward Taylor.

“It’s okay.” He smiled. “Ben told me about Theo.”

“And guess who then wanted to rush over and meet him?” Ben said, bumping Taylor’s arm. “I think he fanboyed over Theo more than he did to me. Theo didn’t know what to do with himself with all the attention.”

Taylor blushed and flashed a lopsided grin. “Hey, I told you I had a crush on Thomas when I read Ellwood. Theo is basically him. I can’t help it.”

“Theo told me since he has fans now, I need to give him half my royalties,” Ben said with a light laugh. “He already gets my money, so the point is moot.”

“Thank you,” I said to them, becoming serious. And dammit more tears surfaced. “Having friends like you means more to me than I can ever say. Tonight was hard, and there’s more to come, but just… thank you for being here.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Taylor said. “Friends also let other friends crash on their couches.”

I snorted. “The couch is all yours, buddy.”

After Ben went home, I tossed Taylor a blanket and pillow before going up to my room. I undressed and slid between the cool sheets, waiting for the fear to kick in like it always did at night. But it never came. I wasn’t anxious or afraid. For the first time in a while, I didn’t even have to sleep with the TV on.

I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, feeling more at peace than I ever had.

***

I shut the car door and heaved my backpack over my shoulder before approaching the fence and climbing over. I dropped to the grass on the other side and kept going. The sun was out, adding warmth to an otherwise chilly fall day. I couldn’t stop smiling. It had been months since I’d felt so good. No headache, no knotting of nerves in my gut.

I had intended to get to Redwood earlier, but after I woke, Taylor and I had gone over to Ben’s and I’d told them everything that had happened the night before.

The mansion stood waiting for me as I walked through the backyard, past the gazebo and to the patio. Was Zeke waiting for me too?

I walked faster before breaking out into a jog.

The door didn’t even open. Zeke dashed through it and materialized in front of me before tugging me to his chest. I felt his desperation, his concern, as he held me in his arms.

“I’m okay,” I said, nuzzling his neck. I dropped my backpack to the grass and gripped his sides.

“I drove myself mad with worry,” he murmured into my hair. “You were not yourself when you left, and I feared the worst when you didn’t return.”

“I visited Callum,” I said, pulling back to look into his face. “He’s a witch, I guess? He said I’m possessed and he gave me a defense mark to keep the ghost at bay until he can perform a banishing ritual.”

“Banishment?” Zeke asked, and his arms fell away from me before he turned toward the garden. “I suppose it’s the only way.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“No,” he said, placing a hand at my lower back. He kept his eyes on the stone bench. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

My chest ached as another thought struck me. “Callum said if the final stage of possession is complete, then the ghost will have total control. He’ll technically be alive again.” I took a steadying breath before asking, “Would you prefer it if Philip took over my body? You two would be able to be together again and—”

Zeke grabbed my face and shoved me against one of the porch columns. Anger filled his eyes as he pressed his weight against me, caging me in. “What are you asking me, Carter?”

“I think you know what I’m asking. You could have Philip back.”

An uncomfortable silence passed as he stared at me.

Was he considering it? Possibly remembering the love he had for Philip and wanting it again? He had only known me a year. And we’d only just begun to truly feel for each other over the past few months. What he and Philip had was stronger.