by Apryl Baker
I hear Ava say she’s going to call their dad and let him know Dan’s awake. I need to call Dan’s dad. I squirm just enough to pull out my phone and find Mr. Richards number. He picks up on the second ring.
“Mattie, what is it? Did he…?” His voice chokes and he can’t finish the sentence.
“He’s awake,” I say softly, my voice hoarse from the crying. “He’s awake and he’s talking.”
“Thank you, thank you, Dear God! I’ll be right there.”
I text Meg to let her know Dan’s awake. I plan on keeping my promise to Dan. I told him if he’d wake up, I’d forgive her and I will. For him, I’ll do anything.
He’s awake and he’s here.
He didn’t leave.
Chapter Twenty-Six
It’s hours later when the dust finally settles. Dawn is just breaking over the horizon. Dan’s parents left a few minutes ago, agreeing to drop Meg off at home, and Eli took Ava home. He needed a change of clothes, but made his father and Caleb stay until he returned. Both of them are currently camped out in the waiting room. The nurse shooed everyone out. She’d tried that with me, but found out quickly I wasn’t going anywhere. Mr. Richards told her to leave me be and she did—with a glare that would send even Silas cowering.
“You should be sleeping,” Dan says quietly while I sketch.
“I think you should take your own advice,” I snort back.
“I’ve been asleep for days. I’m wide awake.”
Again I snort because he follows that up with a yawn. “How are you feeling?”
Dan sighs and shifts. He can’t seem to sit still since he woke up. “I’m not sure, honestly. It’s weird.”
“Do you remember anything?” I ask.
“I remember everything,” he whispers. “I made a choice, Mattie. I chose to stay and I don’t know what the price is going to be.”
I nod. There’s always a price. It’s something I’ve tried hard not to think about since he opened his eyes.
“So I guess you heard me promise to be nice to Meg?”
He laughs and I think we’re both glad to shy away from the one thing neither of us wants to discuss. “Yeah, Squirt, I plan on holding you to that, too.”
“Figures.”
He ruffles my hair. “I heard you, too, Mattie. Every single whispered word.”
“Took you long enough to wake up,” I grouch. “You scared me, Dan. Don’t do that again.”
“I didn’t know how to wake up,” Dan says. “The Reaper who gave me the choice helped me get back to my body.”
“Wait, what?” I glance up. “How did he find you? Silas said he hid you from all Reapers, including me.”
“He said it was a miracle.” Dan shakes his head. “I didn’t believe in those before today.”
“I always believed in them,” I tell him. “Just breathing is a miracle. Don’t forget that, Dan. Every day we’re here, that we’re alive, it’s a miracle.”
Dan’s smile is soft and warm. “Very grown up words there, Squirt.”
“You said yourself I’m growing up,” I tell him. “I’m still selfish, but I’m working on it.”
“No, Mattie, you’re the most unselfish person I know,” he refutes. “You told me it was okay to go even though I knew it would hurt you in ways you’d never heal from. You were willing to let me go because it was the right thing to do and you know me. I always do the right thing. Usually.”
“Why didn’t you go?” I ask him. It’s something that’s been bothering me.
“You,” he says. “I stayed for you, Mattie. The Reaper told me that if I stayed it would cost others their lives and I discovered I was willing to risk all that for one very snarky, brave, little girl who means more to me than anyone in this world.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
“Come on, you need to sleep, too.” He scoots over and makes room for me.
“Nurse Grouchy won’t like it,” I whisper, but crawl up next to him anyway.
He laughs. “She’ll get over it.”
“Caleb’s demon-proofing your apartment,” I say. “Your parents’ house, though, that’s a little trickier.”
“I asked him to do my room there,” he says, absently rubbing my back. “Do you think I’ll start hearing ghosts like Mary?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
We hear someone clear their throat and look up to see my father standing just inside the doorway. He’s staring oddly at us.
“Something wrong?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Just a trick of the light.’
“Trick?”
“Just for a moment there, you two looked a little alike. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were related.”
Dan chuckles. “Dad tells us that all the time.”
I frown. The wheels start to turn even though I know it’s not possible. His mother was murdered and mine is still very much alive.
“How are you feeling, young man?” Zeke asks, coming over to sit in the chair Eli had vacated earlier.
“Better,” Dan answers. “Still tired and sore.”
“That’s to be expected, mon cher.” Zeke nods. “Head injuries are nasty business.”
“What are you doing here, Zeke?” I ask. It’s dawn. He should be in bed.
“I was up for an early breakfast meeting and thought I’d come by to check on you two. Nancy advised you hadn’t moved from this spot since Daniel arrived. You found him, oui?
“If oui means yes, then yeah, Mr. Malone and I found him.”
“How did you know something was wrong?” He leans forward, examining my face.
“I didn’t,” I lie. “I needed to swing by his place and get my sketchpad. I was working on a drawing and wanted to finish it. Mr. Malone asked if I could give him directions and I just hitched a ride over.”
“His father called you?”
“No, I’d called Eli and Mr. Malone asked about it while I was on the phone with Eli. He agreed to pick me up since he needed to see Dan. I knew Dan would bring me home.”
“Was the attack related to the case of the drowned girls?” Zeke looks at Dan this time.
“No, sir, not that I know of, but I haven’t had the opportunity to really speak to the detectives in charge.”
“I did and they don’t think so,” I say. “Your captain isn’t happy with you looking into a case out of your jurisdiction by the way, especially since you’re on a leave of absence. She’ll be calling you.”
Dan winces. He knows he’s in for it. No way can he explain his way around the white boards in his apartment with all the case details. I’m going to have to think hard to try and get him out of that one.
“Good, then there should be no problem in you attending the ball on Saturday, ma petite.” Zeke smiles. He can’t tell we’re lying. Whatever that demonic sigil was, it worked.
“I forgot!” I shoot up into a sitting position and cringe at just the thoughts of ball gowns. “I don’t have a dress!” Saturday was two days away.
“Meg can help you,” Dan says a little too quickly. “She wants to earn your trust back and I think this might be a good opportunity for you both to start trying.”
Meg, shopping…been there, done that. It is not a pleasant experience, but I don’t think I have a choice. She planned the event and she knows what kind of dress I need. Dang it.
“This is the same girl who wanted to press charges against my daughter?” Zeke asks, the frost in his eyes matches the tone in his voice.
“She wouldn’t really have pressed charges,” Dan assures him, but we both know she might have out of spite. “Meg was just angry because Mattie broke her nose.”
“You broke her nose?” Zeke asks, surprised.
I shrug. Meg deserved it.
“Mattie never apologizes,” Dan says and I can hear the censure in his voice.
“Nor should she,” Zeke nods. “She’s a Crane and we do not apologize to anyone.”
If nothing else, my father is definitely
arrogant. It almost makes me laugh. Dan, however, might not see Zeke’s response as humorous. His face has reverted to his best cop expression. It gives nothing away.
“Well, I must be off or I will be late for my meeting. Now that I know my daughter is safe from whomever did this to you, I can relax. Mattie, if you’re tired, you are more than welcome to come by the apartment and clean up. Your room may not be ready, but I do have a guest room at our disposal.”
“Thank you,” I tell him.
He stands up and gives me a kiss on the forehead. Caleb and Dan do the same thing. Weird.
“No problems lying to him?” Dan asks once Zeke has been gone a few minutes.
“Easy as pie.” I settle myself back down. I really am tired. I don’t think I’ve slept in three days. I may take Zeke up on the offer. He’s not going to hurt me, at least not right now. He’d have Nancy breathing down his neck in 2.5 seconds if I show up missing.
“Well, I can say I died for a good reason then,” Dan says lightly and I smack him.
“Don’t ever say that! You died because a demon decided to use you as a guinea pig for me! That’s on me. It shouldn’t…”
Dan puts a finger to my lips to shush me. “Mattie, you believe in God and that he has a grand plan for everyone?”
I nod.
“You also agree that it was my time to die?”
“That’s what the Reaper said.” I can see where this is going and I don’t like it.
“Then we agree, I died because I was supposed to. I did what I was meant to do—be your guinea pig. I’d do it again too, so stop it with the blame game. My purpose in life was to protect you. The Reaper and I just had different ideas about how long I was supposed to play your protector. You still need watching out for.”
“But…”
“No buts,” he says. “You can’t say you believe and then pick and choose which parts you believe in. It doesn’t work that way, Squirt. You and me, we got our miracle, so let’s leave it at that, okay?”
“Okay,” I say with a smile. Dan waking up is a miracle and I’m not about to question it.
Sometimes miracles really do happen.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Panic. That’s the feeling that’s overwhelming me. Sheer panic. Stilettos and I do not mix. I told Meg this, but she refused to listen to me. Now, as I try to walk in these stupid things, I’m wobbling. If I wear these heels, it’s a guarantee I will fall and break my neck.
“You’ve never worn heels before, have you?” Mary asks, a laugh bubbling out as she watches me from the bathroom doorway.
“Yes, I have worn heels before!” I yell back. “Just not six-inch heels. God, this is torture.”
“Did you buy a second pair of shoes that aren’t so high?”
“Have you ever gone clothes shopping with Meg?” I ask dryly. “It’s very unpleasant, and once she found out I had a credit card with no limit…” I shake my head in disgust. “She went nuts making me try on dresses.”
Mary laughs again. “Well then, I guess it’s a good thing I still have my shoes from last year’s Christmas formal, isn’t it?”
“You have shoes?” I turn and fall head first onto the carpet. Dang these dang-blasted shoes! I rip them off, not caring that they cost seven hundred dollars. They are torture traps. “Where?”
“Two-inch heels.” She pulls the shoes from behind her back and tosses them to me. “Think you can stay upright in those?”
The black, strappy heels fit perfectly and I not only stand, but walk with a barely discernable wobble. It’s been about two years since I wore anything but flats. Give me an hour in these, and I’ll be moving like a pro. “Perfect, Mary! Thank you so much!”
“So how did shopping with the backstabber go?” Mary asks, flopping down on my bed.
“I was nice.”
“That bad, huh?”
I sigh. I told Dan I’d be nice and I was. Problem was Meg knows me too well. She figured out in five minutes I might have been forcing myself to be nice, but that I wasn’t happy about it. She’d looked sad, but our relationship isn’t going to be fixed overnight. It’s going to take time. That hadn’t stopped her from making me endure six hours at South Park Mall. The dress came from a specialty boutique, but we went to the mall for everything else. My feet still hurt today.
“Can we not talk about it?” I ask.
“Sure thing.” Mary blows a gum bubble and it pops loudly. She’s a chewing gum nut. It’s a rare occurrence when she doesn’t have gum in her mouth.
“So are you accepting Caleb’s invite to the ball tomorrow night?” I ask, falling down beside her on the bed.
“Why should I?” she asks. “He’s only doing it because he wants to apologize for being an ass.”
“That’s true, but why let that stop you from going to the ‘party of the year,’ as Meg calls it? Go have fun, dance with some very cute cops.”
Mary sighs. She likes Caleb and it bugs her that he doesn’t like her back.
“Look, go show him that just because he’s blind, doesn’t mean everyone else is. How’s Caleb ever going to see you if you don’t show him what he’s missing? Besides, you might meet someone that puts Caleb to shame.”
“Oh my God, have you seen his abs? I don’t think there’s anyone who can put him to shame.”
She’s got me there. Caleb has a rock-hard body any girl would drool over. Caleb does nothing for me, though. Sad, really. “The point is to make him jealous, Mary. Who cares if the other guys have better abs or not?”
“I don’t have a dress,” she says. “And no shoes, now that you have mine.”
“Ah, but I have a credit card with no limit,” I remind her. “I can buy you a dress and a new pair of shoes.”
“Mattie, you hate having that card,” she reminds me. “Just the thought of using it almost makes you hyperventilate.”
“Spending it on myself does that,” I qualify. “Spending it on you? Different story altogether.”
“I call BS,” Mary says. “You absolutely hate even looking at it. I think you’d cut it up and flush it if you could.”
She knows me so very well. Then again, I think everyone knows I hate having that card. I don’t want Zeke’s money. I’ve lived years without it and using this thing now makes me feel weird. Everyone thinks I’m crazy for not being excited at having more money than I can spend in ten lifetimes, but that’s just not me. I’m Mattie, the girl who shops happily at Walmart and Payless. I don’t need fancy boutiques or shoes whose price could make someone’s monthly mortgage payment. It’s just not who I am and never will be.
“Okay, so I’ll admit I don’t like the money my father is doing his best to foist upon me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t buy you a dress and shoes. It’ll make me feel better if I spend it on other people, anyway.”
Mary laughs. “You try so hard to pretend to be tough, but you’re nothing but a big old softy.”
“Bite your tongue!” I scowl at her. “I am not a softy!”
Mary just laughs harder. She wants to play it like that, does she? I sit up and grab my phone from where it’s charging on the nightstand. She stops laughing and narrows her eyes at me while I scroll through my contacts. Ah, there. Tap. “Hey, Caleb, it’s Mattie.”
“Hi, Mattie. What’s up?” Caleb asks, his voice sleepy. I think I woke up him up, but too bad. I’ll get my little digs in where I can. I still haven’t forgotten he was rude to Mary even if she did get even.
“Don’t you dare,” Mary mouths at me.
I ignore her. “Mary decided she wanted to go the party after all. Pick her up at seven tomorrow night.”
“Why isn’t Mary calling?” Caleb sounds suspicious.
“Because she’s currently trying on dresses,” I tell him. “I said I’d call while she figures out which lacy bra she wants to wear with her dress. It’s really hard to find all the right accessories for a dress, wouldn’t you say?”
“Lacy bra?” Caleb sounds a little choked now.
“I am seriously going to murder you!” Mary throws a pillow at my head, which I duck.
“Don’t tell me I’m going soft again.” I laugh when she sighs dramatically. “When do you want to go shopping? We should probably go back to that little boutique where I got my dress. It has some nice stuff.”
“Um, Mattie, I saw the price tag on your dress.” Mary frowns. “Not sure I should let you buy something that expensive for me.”
“You can’t wear just anything,” I tell her. “It’s a masquerade ball based on an old-fashioned cotillion. You have to have a specific type of dress for this party. That’s the only place in town that sells them, so deal with it.”
She frowns again, clearly not liking me spending that much money on her any more than I like spending it on myself.
“Give me an hour?” she asks, finally caving. “I need to shower and make sure we put dinner in the crockpot for tonight.”
I snort. Whenever it’s Mary’s turn to cook dinner, it’s always throw it in the crockpot for eight hours and leave it. Not that the crockpot stuff isn’t delicious, but she puts no effort into it. I at least attempt to not burn the frozen dinners in the microwave. I wince thinking about setting the last frozen dinner on fire. Mary and her mom banned me from the kitchen after that. Apparently, you can’t set one on fire in the microwave, yet I managed to. A cook I am not.
“Sure,” I say. “Come get me when you’re ready.”
I stretch out on my bed when she leaves and try to relax. It’s been days since I’ve slept more than a few minutes at a time. With everything that’s been going on, it’s been next to impossible to relax. The very idea of the ball tomorrow scares the bejeezus out of me, but now that Mary’s going, I’m relieved. At least there will be one other person besides myself who wasn’t raised in wealth and can appreciate my situation. Selfish of me, I know, but it is what it is.
