by Russo, Jessa
“Good. ‘Cause we have to go. We should keep moving until it’s time to rest.” He stood, then took our trays back to the counter, and upon returning to the booth, he extended his hand to help me up. I placed my hand in his, and he pulled me to my feet. He looked down at me, his eyes lingering a bit longer than necessary, making my heart pick up its once-steady pace.
My skin prickled, and I wondered if this was a new reaction to Toby. Something like the excitement I used to feel, only slightly stronger and a bit…off. Maybe this was my body warning me I was too close. Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!
Toby stepped closer, and I held my breath as words spiraled through my mind, none of them willing to form an intelligible sentence. Before I could think any further on my ridiculous reaction to Toby’s closeness, or come up with something witty to say regarding his unwelcomed familiarity—or even figure out what my hand was still doing in his—Toby’s gaze shot behind me, to the front door of the restaurant.
“Shit. We’ve got company,” he whispered low enough that only I could hear him.
I started to turn around, but he pulled me to him so I was unable to look behind me. I didn’t have time to question him. In one quick movement, my back was pressed against the wall behind our booth. On one side of me, the mounted digital jukebox pressed into my shoulder—the newest bit of technology in a restaurant that hadn’t been redecorated since Wyatt Earp was still king of the Wild West—and on the other side of me, the length of Toby’s body pressed against mine.
I froze. Who thinks of Wyatt Earp at a time like this? Toby’s face was pressed into my neck, his breath doing funny things to my skin and causing my heart to jump up and down like a freaking trampoline had been installed in my chest. I closed my eyes, unable to see anything past him anyway, and frankly, I needed to compose myself. I was torn between running my hands through Toby’s hair, or pushing him back and slapping him across his face for pressing up against me like this, without any invitation from me.
Then I remembered his words. Just seconds before he’d crushed me into the tiny crevice between the booth and the jukebox, he’d said we had company.
Seekers.
This intimate moment between us wasn’t intimate at all, thank God. Toby was simply trying to hide us from whoever had just entered the restaurant. Well then. I guess I could let it slide, just this once…oh, who was I kidding? The close contact with his body—all long and lean—was making my mind feel like mush and my heart skip around like a broken record…just as it always had before.
Wyatt Earp could have walked in that door and had a shootout with the ancient cowboy behind the counter, and I wouldn’t have known the difference because all I could think of was the way Toby smelled, and the strength in the body that now covered me protectively.
Toby pulled his head back a few inches, and his eyes were dark and slightly hooded. His gaze fell to my lips, then flicked back up to lock with mine.
“Don’t kill me,” he whispered.
Then his lips were on mine, and I almost gasped into his mouth. I stood frozen as his mouth gently moved over mine, and warning bells shrieked within my brain. Stop! This is wrong. All wrong! What is he doing? Toby couldn’t just waltz into my life and kiss me again like nothing had happened between us. He’d have to be out of his mind to think I’d be okay with this!
Toby deepened the kiss slowly, as if waiting for me to respond with some indication of yes or no, when all I could do was stand there like an idiot and listen to the wise little voice in my head screaming at me to stop.
My lips woke up from their stupor before the rest of me did, completely on their own and definitely without permission, but as our mouths moved together, every single nerve-ending in my body responded, waking up as if they’d been dormant for months. My hands found their way to his chest, and my lips moved in sync with his.
All without my permission. I swear.
Toby responded to me by deepening the kiss even further, and his fingers squeezed my hip. I hadn’t even noticed his hand there because I’d been so focused on not kissing him. Damn it all, who am I kidding?
As we kissed for a few long moments, I realized that when we were alone like this, it was like no time had passed.
I recognized something in that kiss, something that had been off between Frankie and me. We never lacked for love or friendship, or even intimacy…but this fire was never present between us.
Frankie was right. Something had been missing.
And this was it.
When Toby broke the kiss, pulling back a few inches again, his eyes were wide and dark, smoldering with the surprise and hunger that I’d just felt. His chest rose and fell as quickly as mine did, and I realized he was out of breath as well. His mouth twitched, and he opened and closed it a few times as if trying to find something to say, but in the end he opted for that amused smirk I knew so well.
“So, I take it you’re not going to kill me?” he whispered.
My mouth dropped open, but I realized I had no response. What could I say when I’d responded to his attack so eagerly? He winked at me, and slowly looked around the restaurant. His body was still pressed against mine and the pressure and closeness of it made me feel all sorts of things—all of them good, some of them familiar, and none of them fear. But as I watched him survey the dining room, I realized fear was the only thing I should be feeling.
A Seeker had found us, and I had no idea how close it was or if it was still here waiting, and here I am, a ball of mushy, weakened limbs, my chaotic brain analyzing what was missing between Frankie and me. Idiot!
“I don’t feel it anymore, and we have to get out of here now, but I don’t want to be ambushed at the door. Let’s go toward the bathroom and see if there’s a back door, or a window, or something we can use.”
“What do you mean, you don’t feel it? Like, cold air or sulfur smells, or something?”
“Did you feel cold around Frankie?”
“No. But that ghost at the Queen Mary made me feel cold.”
“She wanted you to feel cold. It’s just like when you see them, Ev. They want to be seen. A Seeker doesn’t want to give off any clues about its presence because it’s the hunter, not the hunted. So it usually won’t. I don’t know why I could sense this one coming, but I don’t want you to think you can rely on something to warn you of their presence, okay?”
“Okay,” I said with a shrug.
“And sulfur is only an indication of a demon presence.”
“What?”
“I’m kidding. Demons aren’t real…at least, not in the way you’re thinking. Sulfur, cold spots, it’s all television stuff. Hollywood’s finest. Yes, these signs are based on truths—I’ll give you that much—but it’s nothing I want you to be tricked into believing, because the truth of the matter is that they can show up at any time, without any warning at all. Or, depending on who you’re dealing with and what kind of mood they’re in, your mirror could ice over and crack from sudden intense cold.”
“That’s ridiculous. So, your saying Seekers can do all the things I’ve seen in movies, but probably won’t—unless they feel like it, but that depends on the Seeker—so basically I can rely on nothing?”
“Basically, yes. Sorry”—Toby cringed—“and it’s not just Seekers. All ghosts can do those things and more, but probably won’t. Unless—”
“Unless they’re in a playful mood. I get it.”
“Okay. Now, let’s see if we can get out of here without drawing attention to ourselves.”
I nodded and allowed him to lead me to the back of the restaurant. I received a very knowing wink from the old man behind the counter when I glanced over at him, and I heated up from embarrassment. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that he’d probably seen the entire intimate moment between Toby and me. Hell, I’d been so floored by Toby kissing me that I’d been thinking about Wyatt freaking Earp! Talk about turning my brain to mush!
There were no windows in the bathrooms, and no side door that we could see, because
that would have been far too easy. There was probably a door in the back through the kitchen, but that didn’t seem like the best way to not draw attention to ourselves. Toby and I made our way to the front door, and then outside, bracing for the worst. Well, I was bracing for the worst. He seemed as cool and confident as ever.
Which worked out fine because we weren’t met with anything once outside, and we made it to the car without incident. Toby quickly opened my door, then locked and shut it behind me after I sat down inside. As he made his way to his side of the car, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as if someone ran an icy finger up my spine.
“Hmmm,” a slightly-familiar gravelly voice said from the back seat.
I whipped around to see the same Seeker from the hotel room in Mexico. I scooted back, so I was almost off the seat, my shoulder blades pressed against the glove box. I heard Toby’s key slide into the lock on the driver’s side, but the latch wouldn’t turn.
“Shit! Ever!” Toby bent to look in the window, eyes going wide as he spotted the ghostly Seeker in the back seat.
“I’ll be but only a moment,” the Seeker said to the window. As he spoke, the glass iced over, right before my eyes.
Toby continued to jiggle the handle and punch the door of his car. “You stay away from her!”
“Parlor tricks, my dear. Simple parlor tricks, nothing more.”
“You were listening to us?”
He waved his hand in the air, dismissing my question. “You’re not very hard to find, Eleanor. I’m surprised I am the only one who’s located you thus far. And twice even.”
“Well, here you are. What are you going to do with me?”
His ghostly mouth turned up at the corners, deepening his predatory grin. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger over his chin, contemplating an answer.
“What am I going to do with you? I like you, Eleanor. You’ve got spunk. Here’s what I’m going to do…”
He disappeared at the same second that Toby finally got the door open. Toby flew into the car, reaching across for me—to pull me out his side of the car, I guessed—but I stopped him.
“Toby! He’s gone! Look!”
“What?” His dark eyes searched the back seat, then turned back to me, searching my face. “Are you okay? What did he say?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied. I shook, but I couldn’t ignore what the Seeker said. “He said he likes me.”
“What?”
“He said, ‘I like you, Eleanor. You’ve got spunk.’”
“Spunk?”
“Yep.”
“Weird.”
“Yep.”
“And then he left?” Toby asked.
“Yep.”
“Just like that?”
I nodded. “Are you going to get in and close the door?”
Toby shook his head as if shaking away confusion, and got all the way into his seat, closing the door behind him. He buckled his seatbelt, then turned in the seat to face me. He tilted his head to one side, as his lips curved up a bit on one side.
“You do have spunk.”
“Thanks?”
“And you let me kiss you.”
I looked down at my hands clenched in my lap. “I did.”
“You did. Why?”
“We were in danger. I didn’t have a choice.”
“You kissed me back.”
“I did.”
“Why?” He reached out for me, settling his fingers on my chin, then pulled my face up. Those sapphire eyes were mere inches from mine.
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly feeling swollen and my heart racing in my chest.
“Why did you kiss me back, Ever?”
“Because I wanted to.”
“Good answer.” His fingers moved slowly from my chin to my cheek, spreading sensation through my face as they made their way to my hair. He brought his other hand up to my cheek, so both hands cupped my face. His eyes bore into mine, and I watched his mouth as he licked his lips.
“Don’t kill me,” he whispered.
His lips found mine, though this time I was much less caught off guard, since I’d heard the warning before and this time knew what it meant. I’d also been watching his eyes look from my eyes to my lips and back again, which was more warning than anything else he could have done or said.
I kissed him back, sighing as the feelings I used to have for Toby—or apparently still had—rushed to the surface. I felt little sparks of excitement all over my body, like a blanket of heat and electricity coated me. He pulled back way before I was ready to stop kissing him.
I exhaled a breath, much louder than I’d like. Damn it all. I have no self-control.
“We should get going,” he said as he glanced at his watch. “We need a place to stay for the night, and I’d like to call Greg and Ted to see if they have any idea why this Seeker just let you go like that. It was very…out of character.”
“Okay,” I said as I settled back into my seat and looked out the window. I couldn’t shake the smile from my face, even though my mind still tried to reason against letting Toby kiss me.
I couldn’t let that happen again. It was too soon after saying goodbye to Frankie, and there was far too much history between Toby and me to just pretend issues didn’t exist. We’d been through too much, and I couldn’t see a relationship between us working out anyway. He’d lied to me. He’d caused so much drama in my life, in my family’s life.
But, had he? I wondered. I mean, really? Hadn’t it been Ted who started all of this, twenty-something years ago? Before I was even born? Was any of it Toby’s fault at all?
It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be kissing me again. I couldn’t allow that.
“Thanks for letting me kiss you again,” Toby whispered.
I sighed. If he only knew that was exactly what I currently battled myself over.
I’d always thought Northern California would be fancy and wealthy and green. Like, big forests on cliffs overlooking the ocean, green. But we ended up in a small Best Western in Sacramento, and the landscape was just as brown as Los Bathrooms had been. The area seemed much more populated, I’d give it that, but it wasn’t the beachy, oceanfront landscape that I’d imagined. I mentioned as much to Toby, eliciting barely-restrained laughter from him.
“You do understand that we’re inland, right? California is huge.”
“Yeah, I get that. I just always thought it was green up here. Like forests and stuff.”
“Well, that’s more Oregon and Washington. California is mostly brown.”
It was just after nine o’clock, and I wasn’t really tired. I’d stretched out on one of the double beds, watching random old television reruns, and feeling antsy. I got up and decided to change into my pajamas. At least it would give me something to do so I could feel less anxious for a few brief moments. The inactivity was torture. My limbs felt restless and achy, and my stomach turned. I couldn’t sit still.
While I changed my clothes and brushed my teeth, I heard Toby make a few phone calls. I found myself listening to his voice, though I wasn’t actually registering his words. As I finished up my routine, I realized what was going on with me, and why my stomach flip-flopped all over the place. Aside from the fact that I was on the run, which would make anyone nervous, I was in a hotel room with Toby.
Which would make any girl nervous. I shook my head at my reflection. Silly girl.
I was relieved to find the comfy shirt and pastel striped flannel pants I’d had on earlier, not some lacy thing Jessie snuck in by accident—or possibly not by accident at all, knowing Jess.
I exited the bathroom, trying to appear as cool as possible, though when Toby’s eyes roamed freely up and down my body as I made my way to the other side of the room, I felt anything but cool. Nervous and awkward, yes. But cool? Not so much.
I slid in between the sheets so he’d stop looking at me in my jammies, and tried to focus on the television screen.
He cleared his throat before he spoke.
/> “Well, it seems like no one knows why that Seeker did what he did. Or, they’re not telling me something. Either way, I think there’s more to this than we know.”
“Huh. I’d say Google it, but that got me nowhere.”
“What do you mean that got you nowhere?”
Whoops. Better to just be honest, I guessed. “I Googled you.”
“I’m sorry,” he said with a laugh, “did you just say you Googled me?”
“Stop laughing! I didn’t know what else to do! You’d just told me you were a freaking soul collector, Toby! What did you expect?”
“Um. Not that, I guess…so, what did you find?” His laughter bordered on annoying.
“Nothing.”
“Hmm. Well that’s surprising.”
“Really?” I turned to look at him.
“No.” More laughter. “Not surprising at all.”
“Jerk!” I threw a pillow at him, which he caught and used to prop himself up on his double bed. I’d probably not get it back now either. Hmph. Fine. I could make do with one crappy pillow anyway.
“We’re meeting up with your mom and Ted tomorrow night.”
“Really? Where?”
“Portland.”
“Portland? Oregon?” I wondered how long it would take to get there. Then I wondered where we’d be headed to after that.
“Yes, that’s the correct Portland.” His eyes still sparkled with amusement.
“So, is there an end goal in all this? A stopping point?”
“Aside from keeping you alive? Ted knows a guy in Seattle who we’re going to see. Maybe he’ll have some answers. That’s what Ted’s hoping anyway.”
“Ted and my mom”—I shook my head—“I still can’t wrap my mind around them…them being together at some point. It’s…it’s just so gross.”
“I know, babe. And I can imagine how shocked you are about Ari and everything, but I don’t know, something about the way your mom and Ted acted around each other…it just felt—”
“Natural?” I couldn’t believe I voiced the word aloud.
Toby cringed. “Yeah. Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I saw it, too. It was like…” I paused. I didn’t want to finish that sentence, or the thought that preceded it. I didn’t want to admit that seeing my mom and Ted together felt like two halves becoming a whole. The way they looked at one another, and their body language… “Everything looked so natural between them,” I admitted not just to Toby, but to myself as well.
