into the room. He lifted a hand, placing his empty beer bottle down on the counter. He had large hands. They reminded her of the invisible ones that had rescued her today from near death and another sheen of cold sweat broke out under her arms. “I’m fine,” she responded softly, clearing her throat as the last syllable came out a cracked whisper.
He smiled shyly, this crazy cute smile that should have made her knees weak but didn’t. “You know we’re only going to be a state away when we go to college. Maybe I could visit you sometime.”
Her heart fluttered in panic at the thought. “You’ll be way too busy to come visit me.”
Nick shook his head adamantly. “Not possible.”
Oh crap.
“I—”
“You looked beautiful at Prom, by the way,” he interrupted, grinning sweetly. “I never got a chance to say it to you that night.”
Ari frowned. “Probably a good thing since you had a date, Nick.”
“She was just a friend.”
Oh this conversation was going downhill fast.
“Ari! We need more chips!” Rachel shouted from the living room.
I love you, Rache . She shrugged, grabbing them up off the counter. “Duty calls.” She brushed past him, hurrying from the conversation as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels rather than a cute guy with a crush on her. What was wrong with her?
For the rest of the day Ari never made the mistake of being in a room unattended again. Nick gave her a hug when he left and she couldn’t stop herself from tensing in his arms. He noticed, shuffling back awkwardly from her and making her feel like the worst person alive. A.J. glared at her, the blow of that look softened by his girlfriend’s sympathetic smile and Rachel’s grimace that said ‘when will that dude take the hint?’ She was never so thankful to be left alone in her empty home. Well… almost empty.
“Ms. Maggie,” she called out, leaning against the front door. “You got a poltergeist friend who’s corporeal but invisible?”
Knowing the poltergeist was unable to answer only added to her frustration because she could not get what happened on that street out of her mind.
“Knock the phone off the side table if you do have a poltergeist friend who can touch me.”
Nothing.
“OK. Is there a poltergeist out there that can touch me who isn’t a friend?”
The phone clattered to the ground with a sickening thump. Ari’s stomach roiled, her heart racing hard and fast inside her chest. “Oh God,” she whispered. “Way to scare the crap out of me.”
The door reverberated against her back with three loud bangs and Ari yelped in horrified surprise.
“Ari!” Charlie’s concerned voice shouted from outside.
“Holy macaroons!” she yelled, pulling the door open. “You scared the bejesus out of me!”
A frown wrinkled the skin between his brows and his eyes washed over her looking for injury. He shoved past her, glancing around the hallway. “You OK? What’s going on?”
She slumped, suddenly feeling exhausted. It was too crazy to explain. He’d probably think she’d finally lost the plot. “I was just talking to Ms. Maggie. I wasn’t expecting anyone at the door.”
Charlie’s shoulders seemed to drop, relaxing as he shut the door. “I thought you were being murdered or something.”
“No. Ms. Maggie wouldn’t let that happen.”
“Yeah.” He curled his lip teasingly. “Thank God for Ms. Maggie.”
Now that her heart was returning to its normal rate it suddenly occurred to her that Charlie was here. At her house. Of his own accord. “What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, heading towards the living room, eyeing the empty beer bottles and chip packets. “Thought maybe we could watch a movie.” When he turned back around his dark eyes blazed, goading her to ask him why. There were two paths in front of her here. She could ask him and he’d start an argument and leave. Or she could just watch a damn movie with him. Easy answer.
“What do you want to
He smiled shyly, this crazy cute smile that should have made her knees weak but didn’t. “You know we’re only going to be a state away when we go to college. Maybe I could visit you sometime.”
Her heart fluttered in panic at the thought. “You’ll be way too busy to come visit me.”
Nick shook his head adamantly. “Not possible.”
Oh crap.
“I—”
“You looked beautiful at Prom, by the way,” he interrupted, grinning sweetly. “I never got a chance to say it to you that night.”
Ari frowned. “Probably a good thing since you had a date, Nick.”
“She was just a friend.”
Oh this conversation was going downhill fast.
“Ari! We need more chips!” Rachel shouted from the living room.
I love you, Rache . She shrugged, grabbing them up off the counter. “Duty calls.” She brushed past him, hurrying from the conversation as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels rather than a cute guy with a crush on her. What was wrong with her?
For the rest of the day Ari never made the mistake of being in a room unattended again. Nick gave her a hug when he left and she couldn’t stop herself from tensing in his arms. He noticed, shuffling back awkwardly from her and making her feel like the worst person alive. A.J. glared at her, the blow of that look softened by his girlfriend’s sympathetic smile and Rachel’s grimace that said ‘when will that dude take the hint?’ She was never so thankful to be left alone in her empty home. Well… almost empty.
“Ms. Maggie,” she called out, leaning against the front door. “You got a poltergeist friend who’s corporeal but invisible?”
Knowing the poltergeist was unable to answer only added to her frustration because she could not get what happened on that street out of her mind.
“Knock the phone off the side table if you do have a poltergeist friend who can touch me.”
Nothing.
“OK. Is there a poltergeist out there that can touch me who isn’t a friend?”
The phone clattered to the ground with a sickening thump. Ari’s stomach roiled, her heart racing hard and fast inside her chest. “Oh God,” she whispered. “Way to scare the crap out of me.”
The door reverberated against her back with three loud bangs and Ari yelped in horrified surprise.
“Ari!” Charlie’s concerned voice shouted from outside.
“Holy macaroons!” she yelled, pulling the door open. “You scared the bejesus out of me!”
A frown wrinkled the skin between his brows and his eyes washed over her looking for injury. He shoved past her, glancing around the hallway. “You OK? What’s going on?”
She slumped, suddenly feeling exhausted. It was too crazy to explain. He’d probably think she’d finally lost the plot. “I was just talking to Ms. Maggie. I wasn’t expecting anyone at the door.”
Charlie’s shoulders seemed to drop, relaxing as he shut the door. “I thought you were being murdered or something.”
“No. Ms. Maggie wouldn’t let that happen.”
“Yeah.” He curled his lip teasingly. “Thank God for Ms. Maggie.”
Now that her heart was returning to its normal rate it suddenly occurred to her that Charlie was here. At her house. Of his own accord. “What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, heading towards the living room, eyeing the empty beer bottles and chip packets. “Thought maybe we could watch a movie.” When he turned back around his dark eyes blazed, goading her to ask him why. There were two paths in front of her here. She could ask him and he’d start an argument and leave. Or she could just watch a damn movie with him. Easy answer.
“What do you want to
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