'Til Grim's Light (A Grim Awakening Book 2)

by Michelle Gross

  “Get your head out of the door, it’s weird!” I yelled before shaking my head. No, that wasn’t all that was wrong with this situation. “And don’t come in the bathroom when I’m using it.”

  “But you were about to go all over the toilet lid.” His hands went through the door so that he could point. I looked down at the toilet. The lid was down. I bit my bottom lip in aggravation before I groaned. I wanted to smack him, but I couldn’t help that I was braindead in the mornings. Lack of sleep and ghosts—demons—this thing called my life, did that do a girl. Now I had Ryan as a ghost to make matters worse who was peeking at me through a door.

  “I see that.” I stopped being snooty and frowned. “Seriously, Ryan, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you go see your family and check on them? Not peek at me?”

  That stupid grin of his that I adored so much, disappeared. I hated to see it fade at the mention of his family. “I did.”

  Silence filled the room. I was surprised, I guess he didn’t stay here all night after all. “Oh?” was all I managed to say.

  “Yeah.” Then that frown disappeared and he perked up quickly, but it was unnatural and forced. “I’ll step outside so you can do your business.” And his head disappeared back through the other side of the door. “Raise the lid, okay?” I could hear the grin in his voice when he spoke through the door.

  I smiled for a moment until I remembered his expression. What had he seen at his house that made his smile disappear?

  _______

  It was weird seeing Tess drive her white Mustang to school. She would always drive with her brother in his truck, another example of how close the two of them were. It was already parked when I arrived, and I felt that awful lump form in my throat at how different everything would be from now on. She never drove it much but now she would have to.

  Ryan was always her protective big brother—by only a few minutes. He always looked out for her. Now that he was gone… who would be there for her as she sat alone in that empty house? That made me wonder if her parents were still home or were things already back to normal. Was she already being left alone?

  I parked my Ford Focus, stepped out, and walked up the path to the school entrance. I stopped and had to do a double-take at the tree by the school. My heart went out of rhythm, a few feet away from the apple tree was a table, and at the table sat Fred. I just stared at him a moment. That moment lasted too long and he caught me looking, but I couldn’t get myself to care like I always did before.

  What did that mean? Grim really wasn’t around…Fred wouldn’t be here if he were, right?

  He finally stopped staring at me and hopped off the table. He began to chase around girls. Things were back to normal.

  I felt a nervous trickle moving into my stomach. I was feeling scared. What if he wasn’t going to protect me anymore? What if he decided I wasn’t worth the trouble? Or some other reason. My stomach bottomed out.

  Oh, God.

  I secretly hoped that he was still around protecting me, just not showing himself. Now I knew he wasn’t. What was I more upset about? The fact that he stopped protecting me or the fact that I might not see Killian again? My thoughts were in turmoil. I grabbed my head and willed myself to calm down.

  But my thoughts grew darker. What if Killian didn’t survive like I hoped? No normal person could have survived that kind of chest wound.

  Or, maybe it wasn’t even that. Maybe it was because I so easily pushed him away when Vengeance’s puppets had gotten inside my head. Or how I pushed him away even before that, when I stopped whatever was happening between us when Ryan got hurt. I didn’t know anything, but I kept wanting to believe there was something between us. Something amazing. But I stopped it from happening and I doubted him over and over again.

  “So, that’s Fred.” Ryan appeared beside me, and I jumped out of my thoughts, startled. He was getting good at the whole ghost thing. I rubbed my chest to calm my heart. I saw the disgusted look on Ryan’s face as Fred stood in front of a girl, staring down her shirt. He shook his head. “What a creep.” I nodded in agreement.

  I saw him move in the corner of my eye and turned to face him. “Also, Tess had a rough night. I think she’s been arguing with Mike.”

  I held my hand up before he could say anymore. I already knew what he was trying to say and I smiled. “Don’t worry, I will talk to her.” He gave me a lopsided smile in return. Then I realized people were staring at me as they walked inside. I was openly talking to him out in the open, of course, I was going to get a few curious glances. I hid my face and stepped away from him, only to stop when I figured that was just as odd. I raised my head. “Now stop talking to me,” I whispered.

  I tried my best to act casual and normal as best as I could. I hurried up the steps and went inside.

  It was almost time for the first bell to ring so I quickly looked for Tess in the hallway. It didn’t take me long. I found her right in the open, standing in front of the bulletin board outside of the principal’s office. I slowed my steps as I walked toward her and eyed the board on the wall she was so focused on. The entire board was made for Ryan. It was a memorial of him.

  There were all kinds of pictures of him with friends, the football team, teachers—with everyone, doing anything and everything. He was just that outgoing. Encouraging words were written above the pictures. ‘In Memory of Ryan Jones’, there were words of missing him, going on about how amazing he was, and how much everyone would miss him, which was the truth. I wasn’t the only one that adored him. The whole school had loved him—the entire town was grieving. That was the way it was in a small town, everyone knew everyone and everything about you, but in return, they cared just the same.

  I stopped when I was next to her. Her face was stiff, eyes red from crying. I bumped my shoulder into hers, so she knew I was there. She looked up and smiled, it was sad but still a smile. It just showed how much courage and strength it took for her to come to school today, knowing that all of this would be waiting for her.

  “Hey, Tess.” Jim, a guy on the football team grabbed Tess’s shoulder as he walked by. “I’m sorry about your brother. He was a great guy. I’m going to miss playing with him on the field.” And he trailed on down the hall. She barely nodded, holding her lips together tightly.

  On my other side, there was Ryan who just stepped up to see the board. I turned just enough so that I can see him. He looked conflicted with so many emotions—just what was he thinking? He tilted his head at me. He brought his mouth up into a smile, but I could see that it was forced. Then he saw his sister.

  Another person came to Tess at that time, it was Stephanie, someone Ryan used to date. She was already crying when she went to Tess. She hiccupped before saying, “I can’t believe he’s gone.” Tess looked down, around, and wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  It only got worse, people steadily approached her about Ryan. Girls were crying everywhere, literally. Ryan had that way about him and as the girls approached the board, they would tear up but wouldn’t approach Tess. A lot of them didn’t like Tess and she didn’t care for them either.

  She needed away from the board, people kept coming and I could see that Tess was at her breaking point. I heard Ryan swear before he said, “Just tell her I’m here.” I turned around and gave him a horrid look. Was he crazy? Tess knew I could see ghosts, but it was one of those things where I didn’t know if she actually believed me or just went along with it.

  “Let’s go.” I grabbed Tess’s arm just as the bell rung. I heard her sigh in relief, and we went to class.

  Ryan had been right. Something was still off between Tess and Mike. At lunch, we sat alone. I watched as she stared at her tray for a long time before she finally tore off a piece of cornbread and placed it in her mouth. I made myself eat as well. I looked at the football players until I found Mike. I caught him glancing our way until he saw that I was staring and looked away.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I knew she would know what I talking about when I ask
ed.

  She sighed. “What’s to talk about? He cheated on my ass with Haley.” My eyes found Haley sitting with the cheerleaders. She was laughing about something, all cutesy as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. How did some girls look beautiful while doing everything? “Stupid whore,” Tess muttered as she glared in her direction. I didn’t care for her either. Haley had made it her lifelong mission to point out how different I was from everyone else over the years.

  I took a bite of my food. “How do you know?”

  She looked into the distance several seconds before finally shrugging her shoulders. “He never denied it,” she said casually as if it didn’t bother her, but I knew better.

  I placed my fork down and took a deep breath. “Maybe there’s more to it than that.” I sounded hopeful. I knew it wasn’t the right thing to say when she gave me a moronic look. I frowned looking down at my plate. If Mike had cheated on Tess, then that meant the puppets were telling the truth. Which meant what they were saying about Killian…

  I shook the thoughts away immediately, afraid of them.

  “He hasn’t talked to me since our fight. If he wasn’t guilty, why does he keep avoiding me?” she said, looking his way. Wasn’t that something all couples did, though? No one wanted to be the one that caved first.

  _______

  After school, I picked up Alex and we went home. Mom was—as usual—crawling out of bed when we walked through the front door. She yawned as she slid her feet across the floor still half asleep and gave us a smile as we entered. She made her way to the window beside the front door and looked outside. Her hair was a tangled mess as she scratched her head and slid the curtain open. She stepped away from it a moment later, rubbing her arms. “Seems like fall is finally here.”

  “Yeah,” I answered as I climbed the stairs to disappear into my bedroom. Alex went toward the kitchen.

  Once I was at the top, she asked, “Do you guys want to eat out tonight?” I knew it was her way of trying to comfort all of us after Ryan passing away, but I didn’t have it in me to go anywhere. I just wanted to disappear into my room. I shrugged my shoulders and hurried to my room.

  _______

  The next day, I was amazed that everything felt so normal despite the fact that Ryan had just died. The ghosts were back. Fred was as charming as never. The prom couple was back to making out at everyone’s lockers. There weren’t any signs of demons. It had been six days. I didn’t know whether to be glad or worried.

  If Ryan wasn’t standing next to me—as a ghost—everything would have been like before my eighteenth birthday.

  “What is it?” Ryan asked as he walked with me as I left fourth period.

  I shrugged my shoulders. I checked to make sure no one was looking my way before I spoke to him. “It’s just, everything’s so…normal. I don’t understand. I thought for sure Fear would already have them after me by now.” I opened my locker and switched out my books.

  “Maybe he’s left you alone. Don’t worry about it so much. It’s a good thing, Melanie.” His words were meant to comfort me, I know… I just didn’t share his positive outlook. After meeting Fear, I knew he wasn’t someone to just give up on something that he desperately wanted. He was planning something and I was afraid to know what. “What about Grim Reaper? Still no sign of him?” he asked.

  I shook my head with a sigh. “No, and it’s almost been a week now,” I replied.

  “Melanie?” Tess’s questioning voice drifted behind us and I jumped. How long had she been behind me? Had she caught me talking to myself—err, not actually… but to her and everyone else that was always what it looked like. When I turned around she was giving me a funny look.

  “Tess,” I squeaked, “I didn’t hear you behind me.”

  She arched her eyebrow at me. “Melanie, are you talking to them now?”

  I laughed hysterically. “Ha, what? No.” It was very apparent I didn’t know how to lie when under pressure.

  Ryan tossed his head back and groaned. “Melanie, will you just tell her! It will make things so much easier.”

  I ignored him and turned back around to shut my locker. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked, opening her locker next to mine.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just having a conversation with myself, everyone thinks I’m crazy anyway.” I tried to laugh the whole thing off but I was doing a crap job.

  She shut her locker after grabbing her book. “We still have each other, ya know?” She paused. “Even without my brother, I mean, I still have my best friend.” She smiled.

  I smiled back and grabbed her hand. “I know. I know.” I felt a pang of guilt as the words fell from my lips. I still had her brother, for now.

  ______

  Something was causing a ruckus in front of the school after my last period. Tess and I exchanged curious glances before following the others outside to see what was going on. I could feel the cold air as we got closer to the door and pulled my thin cardigan around me tighter as I pushed open the door. The frigid wind slapped me in the face as we stepped out.

  The girls on the steps were giggling and whispering, pointing toward the road. My eyes followed—wanting to know what they were acting so girly about. But as I did, my heart did that crazy flip—fluttering in the stomach, and oh-crap I’m being a girl like the rest of them when I saw what the big deal was. No wonder he was catching everyone’s attention; there he was propped up against a shiny and new black Corvette looking perfect and uninjured.

  Chapter Four

  Killian had his arms resting over his muscular chest. He leaned against the car—that looked tiny in comparison to him. He still had that alarming amount of danger emanating from him. I didn’t know what it was that made it look so… lethal. Was it the dark eyebrows and how they furrowed together even when his expression was relaxed? It didn’t seem to matter with the girls, they devoured him with their eyes as he waited… but his dark eyes found mine instantly and gave me a sexy-as-sin smile that left me grabbing my neck and trying hard not to blush.

  Everyone seemed to turn at once to see who the mystery person was smiling at. I wished the eyes of others didn’t make me want to disappear but it did. I only wanted to fade away under all these glances. “Isn’t that the guy from the football game?” Tess asked.

  I nodded. My nerves were dancing along my skin as I looked at him. A rush of relief, excitement, and happiness swept over me. He never made a move or gesture for me to come to him as he pushed himself off the car and turned around to open the passenger side door. He didn’t even turn around to see if I was coming to him. He tapped his knuckles against the top of the car and waited as if he knew I would come.

  “I see he’s back.” Ryan appeared next to me. I turned to see the scowl planted on his face as he looked at Killian. “Is he waiting for you?” he asked, but there was no way I could answer him with Tess standing next to me.

  “I’m going to see what he wants,” I told them both. I could see the shock on Tess’s face before I started down the steps. I cut through the grass to get to him quicker. His leather jacket couldn’t hide the muscles that defined his back. I stopped once I was standing behind him, his knuckles stopped tapping against the car, then a second later he was turning his body around to face me.

  Crap.

  I must have forgotten how good looking he was. Or maybe I just let myself ignore it, but my mind wasn’t doing that anymore. His hair whipped back wildly from the wind—and matched the dark magic of his eyes. He was still the same guy. He was freakishly tall and just big—and imposing. I knew how thick those arms were underneath his jacket and that he had to be packing six or eight pack abs underneath that skintight, black t-shirt. His jaw line was sharp and chiseled to perfection. I shook my head. Why was I only noticing these things now? Or more like, why in general, was I letting myself swoon over him the moment he appeared in my life again?

  But I couldn’t ignore the way my body was appreciating every bit of him like he was setting a torch inside me. He was truly m
arvelous. I had every reason to be afraid of him when I first met him, but what should I feel now? I don’t know, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew that he was just as dangerous as he had always been, but those feelings were only doing the opposite to me now. A fire was starting in my stomach, dipping between my thighs the more I stood here letting myself stare at him.

  A slow grin was spreading across his face as I finally lifted my eyes to meet his. He knew what I was doing, the grin said it all. I stopped drooling long enough to cross my arms over my chest. I was wearing one of my baggy t-shirts but even still, Killian’s eyes drifted to my breasts as if I pushed them up for him to see. His gaze felt charged with heat or maybe it was just me, I didn’t know. He just stared and I felt so out of character.

  He wasn’t hiding the way his eyes ran over me. They drifted down to my hips, thighs—over my long legs before finally going back up to my eyes. Something weird was happening here. My breath caught as his smoldering gaze drilled into me. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t even being playful…no, his face was warped with desire. I might be new to this, but I was standing in front of him, so that look was being directed at me.

  My face was on fire and I knew my flaming cheeks were probably on full display. I looked away from him, not sure what was going on. Killian had a way of making me feel what no one else could, but this… this was different. I couldn’t figure out why I was burning on the inside. I wanted him. The sexual tension had my brain foggy. He was my only focus.

  What was wrong with me? I tried to concentrate on what I should say to him. I wasn’t like this before, or at least I wasn’t this way before I met him, was I? “I see you’re still alive.” I was glad my voice didn’t seem to give away what was going on with my body in his presence.

  “Ah.” He tipped his head up. “I see you care so much,” he replied to my harsh words. I hadn’t meant for them to sound so care-less, but I was only trying to hide what I was feeling.

  “What are you doing here? It’s almost been a week and nothing’s happened.” I tried to play it off like I didn’t need him anymore.