“And you,” I added.

  That comment he ignored and continued, “If I had it my way you’d never return to that house and all that goes along with it. As to living in my own dimension, I am exactly where I belong. One day you’ll see things as they really are, but I’m sure as hell going to protect you from this shit for as long as possible.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing, M. The point is you know you always have my support. As to staying away from you,” he snorted, “that’s never going to happen. Besides, you’ve not turned me away once since you’ve been here.” Shit, he was right. Here I was telling him to move on and then practically throwing him into my bed at every opportunity he presented me.

  Facing him I smiled. “I appreciate your support, I do. And I accept my share of the responsibility by sending you mixed signals by way of—”

  “Fucking me,” he interjected between bites.

  Rolling my eyes, I ignored his interjection, however accurate it might be. “May I remind you that you did agree that if I was going to make it here I need some space from all of you? Being caught talking to thin air never bodes well.” He didn’t respond as he leaned his head back, dumping the remaining crumbs in the bag into his mouth. He was shutting down. That’s exactly what he always did when things got complicated.

  “What did the lawyer say?” He changed the subject.

  Blowing out a breath I got up from the table and slid my laptop into my computer bag. “Nothing really, just that the reading of the Dad’s will is taking place Friday before the funeral instead of afterward as requested by Step Monster.”

  “Damn, she can’t even wait to get him in the ground before she takes everything he has.” Levi got up, wadded up the bag and tossed into the wastebasket. Our eyes met. He and I both knew Dad wasn’t in the ground. Opening my mouth I started to ask if he’d seen him but he spoke before I could bring myself to speak. “He isn’t on this side, M. He crossed over instantly and never looked back.”

  Nodding, I swallowed the lump that had appeared in my throat. As close as Levi and I were there was always something that kept us from completely connecting. He was holding something back and I’d spent years trying to figure out what it was. He always acted aloof when I’d bring up the subject.

  My brow beaded up with sweat at the exact moment there was a knock at the door. The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees, and between that and my sweating I didn’t have to open the door to see who it was. There was no time to freak out about this new development. My life was full of weird shit, and as usual I’d been put in this predicament and forced to deal.

  Levi’s body began to evaporate into a black fog and the temperature in the room dropped twenty more degrees. “Levi, no!” I warned sternly. He wasn’t listening to me. The room filled with venom and hate so strong that I could taste it. Damon wouldn’t stand a chance with Levi in this state. Dammit, Levi was about to force me to do something that I hated. I bolted for the door just as Levi’s essence dissipated. I had mere seconds to save Damon’s life.

  Jerking the door open, I reached out blindly for purchase on anything solid. Grabbing hold of Damon’s shirt I pulled hard, his body slamming into mine. Wrapping my arms around him, I shielded his body with my own. Surprising me, his arms came around my waist and we switched positions as he put himself between Levi and me. Levi’s roar was so loud that the windows began to rattle and I feared that someone might call the police.

  Acting quickly, I shouted at Damon, “Get behind me!” I shoved him into the kitchen as I closed my eyes and focused. I hadn’t used this ability in years and wished I hadn’t been forced to today. I hated it. Forcing my mind’s eye to travel beyond the scope of my own body I searched for signs of Levi and found him coming toward me almost immediately in a black cloud. He understood what I was planning to do and I could see the shock on his face. He began shaking his head vehemently. “Don’t do this, M. You don’t understand. He will change you and you’ll never be able to go back!” His jealously was spinning out of control.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “You left me no choice. Damn you for forcing me to do this.” Reaching out I stroked his face that was now visible to me in the black fog, hoping to calm him. I detested causing us both so much pain. His eyes were no longer focused on me. “Oh Levi.” He was frantic and furious; his essence began to churn with fury, which meant he was out for blood. Damon was in serious danger. “Please, Levi!” I choked over the lump in my throat. “Stop!” He charged past me, forcing me to shut my eyes and whisper, “Be gone,” followed by a sob I could no longer hold back.

  “M, noooo!” His voice faded into the distance, as did his essence. Fighting the urge to go after him I opened my eyes, trying to focus on my surroundings. The more times I used this ability the harder I found it to return to normal. I’d lost myself for a long time as a teen while experimenting with my abilities.

  When I opened my eyes Damon was in front of me, stroking my cheek. I thought I heard him whispering Come back to me. “Molly?”

  It took me a minute to focus on his face. I smiled weakly. “Hi.”

  “Hi yourself. Are you okay?” He shook his head. “That’s an idiotic question—of course you’re not okay. I got your email about your dad. I’m so sorry.” He hesitated, then wrapped his arms around me. He didn’t make any mention of the events that had just transpired.

  Standing there I wondered if my odd behavior had been passed off as grief. Yes, it must have. People did crazy things all the time when dealing with the death of a loved one. I’d seen it happen dozens of times at home with grieving widows and children. I patted Damon’s back and then separated myself from him. I might have saved him from Levi’s wrath this time, but I may not be successful in the future. The best thing he could do was get himself as far away from me as possible and stay there.

  “Thank you for your concern, Damon. I’ll be okay. I’m leaving shortly to start the drive back home so I really need to finish packing.” I began walking toward the door with the intention of showing him out when he took a seat on the sofa.

  “Before I go—and this probably isn’t an appropriate time to have this discussion. However, I just feel the need to apologize again for invading your privacy and ruining what could have been a marvelous first date.”

  God, this guy just couldn’t take a hint, and after hurting Levi the way I did, not to mention having to return home I was not in the mood to deal with this. Being mean didn’t work; perhaps I should try a different approach. A dose of brutal honesty should do the trick. I went and perched on the arm of the chair where I could face him and rubbed my face with my hands briefly before allowing them to drop onto my lap. “Listen, Damon, you’re a nice guy so I’m going to shoot straight.”

  He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Please do.” Was that excitement I sensed in his eyes along with the weird color change? He blinked and then it was gone.

  Shaking my head I began, “You read my file. You know I spent most of my childhood in and out of therapy. And it’s no wonder, being raised in a funeral home around the dead all day long.” He didn’t even blanch. Shit! “My backyard is a cemetery, Damon. While other little girls were playing with dolls I was playing in the crypts and talking to the dead and was completely comfortable with that. I’m a freak of nature, Damon—most days I can’t even put one foot in front of the other and I like my solitude. That’s why I’m devoting my life to helping those like me.” Feeling confident that that should run him off, I stood. When he didn’t budge I sat back down, dumbfounded. I had never run into this problem before. He seemed fascinated. “Do you know what is a few short blocks from my house—which as I mentioned is a funeral home?” He shook his head, smiling. He was starting to creep me out a little and that was hard to do. “Ever heard of the Georgia State Sanitarium in Milledgeville?”

  “Of course. I’ve never visited the hospital—I would like to.” He sat back on the sofa and propped one arm across the back of it. This guy was something else, and what the something else was was unclear at this point. Studying his posture, I realized he certainly was taking me in and studying me.

  Then a thought hit me. “You already knew all of that, didn’t you?” He didn’t respond. I laughed, “All the pieces are falling into place now. You want to study me. I fascinate you.” As insulted as I was I didn’t show it. If I came across someone like me I’d want to study them too. It’s how we learn.

  “Molly, I have absolutely no interest in studying you. Well, in the clinical sense anyway.” His eyes roamed over my body with such intensity that I could almost feel the heat.

  I folded my arms across my chest, blocking his view. “Damon, I’m flattered, truly. But being attracted to me after knowing what a freak I am makes you just about as screwed up as I am.”

  He smiled. “Perhaps there is more to me than meets the eye. We could study each other.”

  Rolling my eyes to show I wasn’t a bit amused, I replied, “Yeah, as attractive as that offer is I’m leaving in about twenty minutes to go and bury my father.”

  He stood. “Shit. I’m an ass. Please don’t take offense.”

  Walking him to the door I said with no inflection at all, “It’s fine. I’ll speak to you when I get back, okay?”

  “Look, I’m bad at this as I’m sure you’ve noticed. What I’m trying to convey to you is that I’m here to help you. Should you need anything, please call.” With that he gave me a nod and left. Closing the door behind him, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

  “Damn, I thought he’d never leave.” Jewels said from the kitchen. “Who ate the last bag of bacon crisps?”

  “Levi,” I mumbled absently before a stab of pain struck my heart and I sat down hard on one of the dining chairs.

  “Ohhhh, Levi did.” She shut the pantry and pulled a chair next to me, turning it around to straddle it and rest her arms on the top. “What else did Levi eat while he was here?” She winked at me.

  “Jewels.” I rubbed my head. “Something’s happened.”

  Her tone changed instantly. “Oh no, what?”

  “Dad died and I have to go home. I want to cry for him—I just can’t.”

  “That’s because he was an asshole and never cared enough to get to know you, the real you. He could have, you know. Remember what your grandmother told us before she passed? She said that the gift ran in your family and your father was raised to understand it so he could help his children adjust if they were to receive it.” Laying my head on her shoulder, I barely remembered my Gran. She’d died when I was so young.

  “I wish she could have lived longer. She would have helped me understand all of this. She never ran—she helped those confused and stuck in this dimension. Everyone thought she was a crazy old bat.” I laughed, “I suppose that’s what I’ve got to look forward to.”

  Jewels looked me straight in the face. “There is more to this than either of us understand, Molly. Your Gran made her choices and you have to make yours.”

  “I just want to be normal,” I mumbled against her shoulder.

  She squeezed me tighter. “Remember what Marilyn Monroe says. ‘It is better to be crazy than absolutely boring’.” Jewels had been so fascinated with Marilyn Monroe that she hunted her down on the other side just to say hi. “Besides,” she continued, “who defines what’s normal behavior? A man, not God, wrote the books that you study over so religiously, hoping to make sense of this world. What the hell do they know? Let them spend a day in my shoes, then I’ll read that shit they scribble down to make a buck.”

  Lifting my head I smiled “You know Jewels, sometimes I am in complete awe of you.” I took her in with her green highlights that were an exact match to her eye shadow.

  She stepped away, laughing my compliment off. “Only sometimes?” She smirked. “Where is Levi? I can’t believe he’d leave you alone with Hot Ass, and after today I’m not so sure you should hang out with him at all. He puts off some strange heat waves.”

  “You noticed that too? I thought I was imagining it because it dissipated so quickly.”

  “No, I picked up on it right away. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She looked around. “Where are your bags? I thought you were packing.”

  “It’s just the one bag, and it’s in the bedroom.”

  “I’ll get it for ya. Let’s hit the road, babe!”

  Smiling I asked, “You’re going to ride with me? You don’t have to do that. I know how you get antsy on long car rides.”

  “No worries there—I’m not riding all that way in your cramped little car. You’re going to ride with me. I got a new bike.”

  Oh boy! “Is it from this dimension?”

  “No, I promised I wouldn’t do that anymore.” She laughed, “But you have to admit it was a riot watching all those fools freak out seeing you cruise down the highway holding on to thin air.” We’d tested the limits on just about everything when we were teens. We found out that I could ride around in vehicles from their dimension and would be as invisible to those in our dimension as they were. It’d been a real high riding around being able to drive straight through other cars like they weren’t even there. We never did figure out why I was able to do it. We also found out that Jewels could manipulate matter here in this dimension, which she rarely did because it took too much out of her. She slept for three days straight after the little stunt we pulled. That was around the time I lost myself for a while. Shoving that out of my head, I laughed.

  Rolling my eyes I smiled. “Yes, it was funny.”

  “Fucking A!” she laughed.

  Chapter 4

  “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”

  ~ Elbert Hubbard

  By the time we made it to Milledgeville my ass was completely numb and I was walking bowlegged. Jewels was perfectly fine, a perk to being dead. She was wiping down her two-tone cranberry and phantom black Triumph Rocket III Touring while I was stretching my legs. Bikes are not my thing. I only know what kind it was because she kept repeating it over and over while we rode. I didn’t even know they had those new helmets with Bluetooth in them.

  “Your ass still asleep?” Jewels popped me with the towel she’d been using to clean the bugs off her ride.

  “Yes, but that still hurt!” I shouted at her, rubbing my rump. “If my legs weren’t so sore I’d kick your ass.” A woman walking her dog gave me that peculiar stare I was so accustomed to.

  Raising my hand to my ear I said, “I’m sorry, you’re breaking up. I’ll have to call you back.” I smiled and waved. She sped up.

  Jewels came to stand beside me as I looked down the street that led to my childhood home. The well-established neighborhood was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Slowly I began walking down the sidewalk like I’d done a million times as a child.

  “Hey, what happened to your rubber band?” Jewels pointed to my bare wrist.

  Shrugging, I smiled. “Didn’t work for me like I hoped it would.”

  Jewels laughed and I laughed as we walked shoulder to shoulder down the street. “Do you feel that?” Jewels shivered next to me, which was odd. She wasn’t usually susceptible to the cold like I was. “Here.” She handed me my bag, which held my laptop and a couple changes of clothes. I slid it over my shoulder. Not having any intention of staying here a moment longer than necessary, I’d packed light.

  Oh no. “Um, Jewels I forgot to mention something to you.”

  “Yeah?” She slowed her stride, an eerie expression upon her face that had me a bit concerned.

  “Well, Levi kind of lost it when Damon showed up and—”

  She grabbed my arm, turning me to face her. “You didn’t!” I scrunched up my face in response. “Shit balls, Molly! How could you? He’s going to majorly flip out now.” She looked terrified. “This is bad…. This is so effing bad.” She began to shake.

  Grabbing her by the shoulders I assured her, “Calm down. He’s not going to hurt you.” She was peering around wild-eyed. The sun was beginning to set, and even from this far away a dark fog was visible and it could only be residing in one place. My house.

  “I’ve got get out of here.” She chewed on her fingernail.

  I smacked her hand away. “Stop that. I’ll fix it, okay? He loves you—he wouldn’t dare hurt you.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Molls—the only person he’s ever loved is you.” She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I hate to leave you to deal with the Step Monster alone but I just don’t have any choice here. I’ll come back when the shit storm has settled—or better yet, summon me when it’s safe to return.”

  “I think you’re making too much of this. And summoning you is out of the question—you know that.” I shook my head.

  “And you know how much I hate going back to the other dimension. Just this once, please?” The desperation on her face broke me down.

  “Yes, yes, okay.” I nodded, “Just this once.” She was gone.

  Dammit, Levi! It infuriated me that he was being this way at a time like this. What I’d done was horrible, and I got that. However, he wasn’t the only one that had to deal with the pain. Besides, didn’t I have enough to deal with without him being a pain in the ass too? I initially felt bad for what I did, banishing him. After seeing Jewels petrified by him I was pissed. She had enough to overcome without him added to it. Picking up my pace I headed directly toward that frigid black fog. Thunder sounded overhead; he was messing with the atmospheric pressure again. Last time this happened we had the mother of all storms with damaging winds and hail that destroyed half the town. That’s been six years ago when I’d decided to try and go out with a regular living boy. It was a nightmare; that poor boy had been terrified when he crossed over, and Levi wasn’t the least bit remorseful either. He’d blamed me. We were apart for a month after that. It had been the longest we’d gone without contact.

  The rain started to fall, and fearing for my laptop I began to run. It was pouring by the time I made it to the house and I looked like a drowned rat. He was so going to pay if my computer was ruined. Despite this the sight of the house stopped me in my tracks. I could hear my grandmother’s voice as clearly as if she was standing here beside me. You’re lucky, Molly, to live in that house. You know, the Queen Anne house was originally a bungalow with hand-hewn beams. The merchant and landowner that bought the house added a second story along with two-story cross gables, a tower and the wrap-around porch. Even in the pouring down rain it took my breath away. I never realized until this very moment how much I was drawn to this place. I’d spent my entire life trying to get away from it. Now with Dad gone I’m sure my Step Monster will put it immediately on the market. She’s hated the funeral business almost as much as I did. Maybe a family would move in and finally make it a real home. That thought comforted me. Happy children should live here.

 

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