Page 59

KEENE

A bout two hours after leaving Waverly at the library, I sat at my kitchen table and repeatedly tapped the end of my pen against my legal pad with an excess of unspent energy flooding my veins.

I was supposed to be taking notes for my daily reading assignment in Nursing Fundamentals, but…

I kept glancing at the time, hoping maybe Waverly would surprise me—despite telling me she had homework tonight—and show up for some happy mattress time.

But it was already half an hour past when she would’ve clocked out, and she wasn’t here.

My knee started to bounce in rhythm with my pen before I gave up all hope of concentrating on the last two slides, and I tossed the pen down to run my hands over my exhausted face. I should probably go to sleep, but I felt too fucking wired. Something was just…off.

When Xander entered the kitchen, paying no attention to me as she typed on her phone, she went directly to the fridge to get one of her gross health drinks.

I was about to say hi, or just anything to get her attention because talking suddenly felt like a good idea, but I shut my mouth when she hissed, “Yes. She’s still awake. Thank God.”

And dialing a number, she pressed the phone to her ear.

A second later, she closed the refrigerator door with her hip and started back out of the kitchen.

“Frankie,” she ground out in disgust as she strolled through the exit.

“This literature paper is kicking my ass. It’s due Wednesday, and I still haven’t gotten past the first paragraph. It’s?—”

“That’s Waverly?” I interrupted, diving off my chair and hurrying after her. “I want to talk to her.”

Xander flipped me off over her shoulder, telling me that wasn’t going to happen, and she didn’t even slow her pace as she continued on across the expanse between the kitchen entrance and stairs.

“I know! I’m an awful procrastinator but—hey.” She paused on the bottom step that went up. “Are you okay? You sound shaken.”

Shaken?

Alarmed by the concern in Xander’s voice, I shot forward. “What do you mean, shaken ? What’s wrong with her?”

Xander held up a finger to pause me, even as she pulled her foot back off the step and half turned in my direction.

“Oh my God,” she exclaimed a moment later. “How—What—Are you okay ?”

When her worried gaze rose to me, I lifted my hands and demanded, “What?”

Xander covered her phone briefly with her fingers. “She said there was some kind of incident at the library.”

When she shook her head to signify that’s all she knew, I furrowed my brow and echoed, “Incident?”

Xander removed her hand and spoke into the receiver. “Did you have to go to the hospital?”

“The hospital ?” I shouted.

Why the fuck would Waverly have to go to the hospital?

“What the fuck happened?” I roared.

Hissing out an irritated breath, Xander scowled. “She’s fine. She’s at home, and?—”

Home. That’s where my woman was. So that’s where I was going.

“I’ll be back,” I announced, not even letting Xander finish her explanation. I’d learn it all for myself soon enough.

Whirling away from her, I hurried into the kitchen and grabbed my phone off the table as I darted to the back door.

Ten minutes after that, I found my way into the alley behind the house that I’d followed Waverly to the Friday before. When I saw her MINI Cooper sitting in the backyard, I circled around to the street to find the front of where that house should be.

Parking in the driveway, I pocketed my keys and hopped from the Jeep.

I glanced up at the dark blue two-story with white trim and a pale stone wainscot and belatedly wondered if the rest of her family was asleep. But there was a light gleaming from the second-floor window, and a dimmer one glowing from deeper inside the first floor, so that was good enough for me.

I jogged up the steps and under the covered porch before rapping on the front door and then pressing the doorbell.

Seconds later another light on the first floor flipped on and I could see a feminine figure shuffling out into the hall and pulling on a robe as she approached.

Realizing I was about to meet the mom, I did a quick glance down and cursed before dusting off some chip crumbs that must’ve fallen on my sweatshirt earlier when I was snacking.

I really should’ve thought this through before racing over. But I needed to see Waverly, and the door was already slowly coming open.

So I pasted on a big, cheerful smile I used mostly to charm my grandparents, and I started to wave.

“Hey, I’m—holy shit.” I blinked to make sure I recognized the scowling woman.

I pointed. “Ms. Breeker ?” My smile returned, even bigger than before.

“Wow.” Opening my arms as if to welcome her into a hug, I shook my head and admitted, “I was not at all expecting to see you here.”

“I can say the same for you, Mr. Dugger,” my old high school counselor grumbled in that familiar, why-do-I-have-to-deal-with-this-kid-again voice as she pulled her robe tighter around her, not at all pleased to receive me. “What’re you doing at my house? At this time of night?”

I winced. “Yeah. I’m sorry about the hour.

I wasn’t paying attention to the time. I just heard—wait.

This is your place?” I took a step back to check out the outer walls.

Nodding my approval, I murmured, “Damn, Ms. B, nice digs. But yeah, I must have the wrong address.” I glanced around, wondering which other place matched the back of Waverly’s house better than this one.

But…none of them did. With a rueful cringe, I said, “Do you happen to know where the Franks live?”

Ms. Breeker’s expression immediately changed from confusion to leery regard, and her back went up. “Exactly which Frank are you looking for? At this time of night,” she felt the need to add as if I’d forgotten how late it was.

Biting my lip, I eyed her hopefully. “Waverly.”

“Oh, dear God,” she breathed in horror. “How do you know my daughter?”

“Daughter?” I echoed in surprise. “No fucking way. You’re her mom ? That is so wild. I had no idea you even had kids.” She’d never had personal photos in her office.

“Yes.” She appeared to be vaguely ill to admit as much. “Two. And a husband as well.”

“Sweet.” I shook my head in wonder. “I think I just learned more about you in the past minute than I did throughout all four years of high school.”

“Hmm,” she murmured vaguely, still looking displeased.

But she’d always looked at me with disapproval.

Her glares had become like an inside joke between us by the time senior year rolled around.

She glared, I charmed, she gave me detention, and I kept coming back, more determined than ever to find my way into her good graces.

She’d been one of my favorite faculty members at Northside.

“Do you share…a class with Waverly?” she asked suspiciously.

“Hmm?” I asked, still remembering some of the impressive lectures she’d given me. “Oh. No. We met at the library, actually. And I just heard that she had some kind of…incident there. I don’t know. But it didn’t sound good.”

I paused to give Ms. Breeker time to tell me what had happened.

She didn’t say a word.

Clearing my throat, I added, “Anyway, I thought I’d just pop by to check on her; see for myself how she’s doing.”

Ms. Breeker’s eyes narrowed. “Why? Were you involved in the incident?”

“Huh?” I blinked in confusion. “No. I have no idea what even happened. I just heard she might’ve gotten hurt, so I came.” When Ms. Breeker said nothing, I lifted my brows and asked “So? Is she okay?”

Ms. Breeker pressed her lips together primly before answering, “Waverly’s had quite a scare and needs her rest. And it’s very late. But thank you for stopping by to check on her.”

Which didn’t answer my question except to reveal that Waverly wasn’t okay. Guilt sliced through my gut.

Dammit, this had my mother written all over it. Mom had gone after her with books again, hadn’t she?

Shit, shit, shit.

How was I going to stop a freaking ghost from hurting people?

“How bad off is she?” I pressed, not giving up.

Ms. Breeker finally nodded. “She’ll be fine.”

I released a relieved breath. “Thank God.” Trying to glance past her into the house, I asked, “Can I see her?”

“I just said , Mr. Dugger,” she repeated through gritted teeth. “She’s resting right now. She’s not accepting visitors.”

“But you could at least let her know it’s me that’s here. Maybe she’ll?—”

“Trust me, I’m not waking her up just to see you.”

“Are you sure she’s really sleeping, though?” I argued. “Because she was just talking to my roommate on the phone before I headed over, which was like only ten or fifteen minutes ago.”

“Your roommate?” Ms. B shook her head, confused. “Who’s your roommate?”

I swallowed, suddenly thinking I’d messed up. Easing a cautious step back, I answered, “Xander. Xander Union.”

Ms. B drew in a quick breath, and her eyes darted quickly back and forth as she put the pieces together before searing me with an accusing glare. “You live with this new friend of Waverly’s?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes, ma’am. I mean, we don’t live together -together. We each rent separate rooms there. Xander’s is upstairs, mine is down. And there’s three other roommates too, so…” I shrugged as if it were no big deal. “It’s basically a step above a college dorm.”

But that was the wrong thing to say; I could tell.

Even more upset by my revelation, she pinched her mouth tight, and her nostrils flared big as she breathed proverbial fire at me.

What’s worse; her voice was coolly controlled, which told me just how livid she was.

“Mr. Dugger,” she said with that ever-so-polite, go-fuck-yourself smile of hers. “I really don’t think Waverly is the type of girl you’d be interested in.”

Fuck. First girlfriend ever, and I’d totally just blown it with her mother. Wasn’t that awesome? I was really nailing this boyfriend thing.

Lifting my chin with a pride I didn’t feel, I asked, “Just what type are you talking about?”