She unbuckled her seatbelt and wrapped her arms around him. “It’s going to be all right, Logan. Take some deep breaths for me.”
He did as he was told, dragging in a shaky breath and blowing it out slowly.
“That’s good.” Allison’s voice was warm and reassuring. “You remember the meditation I taught you?”
“Yeah.” He forced a whisper through the thickness of his throat as he nodded his head and tried to breathe.
“Okay, let’s do it now. Visualize the light from the universe filling you up.”
He grunted and dropped his head back against the seat. “How can a bubble protect me, when it’s all in my head?”
“Forget about the bubble. Just focus on the light. Let it fill you up. Can you feel it?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Just focus on that and breathe.”
She rubbed his back, and he imagined the damn light like she told him to. After a few moments, his breathing became deeper and more rhythmic. His mind was letting go. Slowly the morbid thoughts began to slip from his brain, and his body began to relax. Within a few minutes, he felt like he was in control again. He straightened his spine and turned to Allison.
“That’s incredible. How do you do that?”
“I didn’t do anything this time. It was all you.” She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Are you okay now?”
“Amazingly enough, I am. You had to have done something. I can’t get over an episode that fast.”
“Obviously, you can. Other than coaching you on what to do for yourself, I didn’t do a thing. I promise.” She bit her bottom lip and looked into his eyes. “Have you ever tried to get help for your OCD? Therapy works wonders.”
“I don’t have OCD.”
“Really? How many times have you reorganized your CD collection? And the way you keep all your food separated…that doesn’t provide you with any kind of comfort?”
“You’re too damn perceptive. All right, maybe I might have OCD, and no, I’ve never gotten help for it. It’s embarrassing.” He crossed his arms and stared out the window.
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s not like you did anything to catch it. It just happens to some people.” She tenderly stroked the back of his neck until he jerked his head toward her.
“You have no idea what it’s like, Allison. To have a meltdown in the middle of a meeting, and then Trent has to cover for me when I run out of the room. It’s humiliating. He makes up excuses for me all the time: food poisoning, emergencies, hangovers. I don’t even drink, Allison. I don’t drink, because I can’t stand to lose control. Control’s the only thing that keeps me from going insane. Jesus! I can’t believe I’m telling you all this.” He took a deep breath and raked his hand through his hair. “Are you thinking twice about staying with me now?”
She put her hand on his cheek and turned his head toward her. “Of course not. I love you, Logan. All of you. Every part, okay?”
“I’m damaged, Allison. I’ve got issues.” He put his hand on hers to hold it to his face. Why the hell was he trying to convince her to leave? It was the last thing he wanted, but maybe it was best for her if she did.
“We’re all damaged. Everyone has some kind of issues. And you know what? You just controlled it, didn’t you? You started to have an episode, and you stopped it.”
“With your help.”
“So? You’re still learning. And I’ll always be here to help you. Always. Because I love you.”
“I love you too.” More than she could even begin to imagine. How did he get so damn lucky? He took her face in his hands and kissed her. “What would I do without you?”
“I hope we never have to find out. Are you okay? We can do this another time if you’re not ready.”
“Are you ready?”
“I already told you I am.”
He nodded. “Then, enough about me. Let’s go bust a ghost.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“What’s the salt for?” Logan sat on the top step and watched Allison taking supplies out of her bag. She had candles and crystals too. He’d never seen her use anything but her mind to do her psychic work, and he picked up a crystal to examine it.
She smiled and took the crystal from his hand. “It’s just a symbol. We’re going to create a circle of protection, kind of like the bubble method I taught you. The salt is symbolic of that circle, and the spirit won’t be able to cross it. As long as we stay inside the circle, she can’t hurt us.”
“And she won’t be able to get inside your head again like last time?”
She lit the candles and set the crystal near the window at the top of the stairs. “Not as long as we don’t break the circle. And pouring the salt is like a ritual. It helps to strengthen the circle.” She took his hand and led him a few steps away from the stairs.
“Do we have to do it right here? By the window?”
“Stand still.” She poured a circle of salt around them and then took his hands. “It’s where her energy is strongest, because this is where she spent her last living moments. We have the best chance of helping her cross over here.”
He held her gaze. Her hands were dry and warm, while his went slick with sweat. “I’m scared, Allison.”
“I am too, but I know we can do this. Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’m going to be.” But he wasn’t. He wanted to sweep her in his arms and carry her out of that house. To get her away from it all and just start over. But she needed this, and he needed to help her.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, so he followed her lead. A prickling sensation ran over his skin as his energy joined with hers, and his entire body relaxed into a meditative state. Fast and powerful, it felt like a sudden wave crashing over them, leaving behind nothing but serenity as it retreated to the ocean.
“We have created a circle of protection. Nothing uninvited may enter this circle. We call on the spirit of Lily. You may not enter our circle, but please come forward and show yourself to us. We’re here to help you, Lily. My name is Allison, and this is Logan. We want to help you.”
The air grew cold as the energy in the room shifted, becoming heavy and thick as Lily made her presence known. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel a static charge forming outside their circle.
Allison squeezed his hands as she spoke. “She’s here, Logan. Open your eyes and look. Do you see her by the window?”
He hesitated. He really didn’t want to see her, but he turned toward the window and opened his eyes. “It’s her.” He expected to see a wispy spirit-like presence, but Lily looked solid. She looked alive.
“Have you seen her before?”
“Yeah…Well, no. I’ve seen her in my head. She looks just like I imagined her.”
“That’s because you didn’t imagine her. You saw her with your mind’s eye. Are you ready to help her cross over?”
He took a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s do this.”
“Okay. Look at the crystal. I want you to imagine a beam of light passing through the crystal and up through the universe. That’s the portal. We’re going to help Lily go through the portal, so she can cross over to the spirit world.”
He looked at the crystal and imagined the light. Focusing his energy was so much easier with Allison’s help. Her energy flowed through him, warm and kind and loving, as they created the portal together.
“Alex, no!” Blood ran down Lily’s face as tears flowed from her eyes, splashing to the floor, leaving pink puddles around her bare feet.
He squeezed Allison’s hands tighter. “She looks so real.”
“She’s not. She’s just energy, and we have to help her pass…Lily? Do you see the portal we created for you? If you will step into the light, you’ll be free from this world. You can be where you belong.”
“No,” Lily whispered. “I won’t leave you, Alex.”
“He isn’t Alex, Lily.” Allison’s voice was stern. “His name is Logan, and he’s mine. You can’t have him, so there’
s no reason for you to stay. Alex is gone. He moved away. Logan lives here now, and you have to leave his house.”
Lily sobbed into her hands. “But I love you, Alex. I’m your wife. Don’t you love me?”
“No.” Logan’s voice was strong and sharp. “I don’t love you, Lily. I love Allison.” The energy in the room shifted again. The hairs on his arms stood on end as Lily drew in more power and threw open the window. She climbed on the ledge and turned to look at Logan.
“I love you, Alex.”
“No! She’s going to jump!” He rushed toward Lily to stop her.
“Logan, she’s a ghost. It doesn’t matter.” But it was too late. The circle was broken, and Lily took her chance to get rid of the other woman. With a heavy shove, Lily sent Allison tumbling down the stairs. She flipped over backwards as she rolled down, and her head hit the marble floor below with a loud whack.
“Allison!” Logan raced down the stairs and pulled her limp body into his arms. “Oh, my God. Allison? Allison, wake up! Come back to me, baby. Please.”
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he held her to his chest. This was his fault. She trusted him to protect her, and he failed her. He broke the circle. He caused the accident. He was a fucking idiot! Trying to stop a ghost from jumping out of the window. What the hell was he thinking?
“I’m so sorry.” He pulled out his phone and dialed 911.
“An ambulance is coming, baby. Just hold on.” Just as he leaned down to kiss her, her eyelids fluttered open. “Allison! Talk to me.”
“Logan?” She reached up and touched his face, confusion clouding her eyes. “What happened?”
“It’s all my fault. I broke the circle. I was stupid. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I thought she was real once too.” She snuggled into his arms and closed her eyes.
He sat her upright and pulled her into his lap. “Wake up, baby. You can’t go to sleep right now. An ambulance is coming. We’ll get you to the hospital and get you checked out.”
“I don’t need to go to the hospital. I’m fine. Here, just help me stand up.” She struggled to get to her feet, but he held her tight.
“We’ll let the doctor decide if you’re fine or not.”
“No, Logan. Please. I can’t afford to go to the hospital. I don’t have insurance. I’m fine, really.”
“You’re not fine. You fell down the stairs, and you were knocked unconscious. Don’t worry about the money; I’ll pay your doctor bills. It was my fault, and I am so sorry.”
“You can stop apologizing. I don’t blame you. It was an accident.”
“An accident that could have been avoided if I’d listened to you and stayed inside the goddamn circle. I will never forgive myself.”
The doorbell rang, and he slid Allison out of his lap and leaned her against the wall. “That’s the EMT. Stay right here while I get the door. Don’t move.” He jumped to his feet and jogged to the front door. “She’s in here.”
* * *
The same EMT who’d helped Logan the day before rushed in carrying a big, orange medical bag. “You two are having some pretty bad luck lately.” He pulled out a small flashlight and shined it into each of Allison’s eyes. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“I lost my footing and fell down the stairs.”
“Are you in any pain? Did you hit your head?” The EMT counted her pulse as he looked at his watch. Then he took her blood pressure.
“I’m a little sore, but I’ll be fine.”
“She hit her head,” Logan said. “And she was unconscious for a couple of minutes.”
“Well, Ms. Gray, since you were unconscious I’m going to recommend you go to the hospital to get checked out. You may have a concussion.” The EMT shoved his instruments into his bag and rose to his feet. “I’ve got a wheelchair in the ambulance; let me go get it and I’ll take you there.”
Allison sighed and shook her head. “Can’t Logan just drive me? I don’t think I need to ride in the ambulance.”
“Between you and me,” the EMT said, “if I take you, you’ll be seen right away. If you go in your own car, it could take hours.” He shrugged. “Think about it. I’ll be outside.”
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. She sure didn’t want to spend the entire day in the hospital, and Logan wasn’t going to let up until she got checked out. When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her, his hands clenched into fists. Anger rolled off him like a thick, burning wave.
“Are you mad at me?”
A pained looked flashed across his face, and he knelt down beside her. “No, Allison. I’m not mad at you.” He brushed her hair away from her face and cradled her chin in his hand. “I’m mad at myself for letting this happen. You could have been killed.”
“But I wasn’t. And I’m fine.” She got to her feet and swayed as her head spun. He put his arm around her waist.
“You don’t seem fine to me. I’m selling the house.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I’m not putting you through this again, Allison. The house is gone.”
She sighed. “We can argue about this later. Right now, I think we need to get outside before my ride leaves. Will you follow us in your car? I don’t plan on being there long.”
“Okay, but we’re not going to argue about it later, because there’s nothing to argue about.” He slipped his hand beneath her knees and cradled her in his arms, picking his duffle bag up off the couch on his way out the door.
“What do you need your bag for?”
“We’re not coming back here. And you’re not spending the night alone when you have a concussion.”
“I might have a concussion.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “And thank you for taking care of me.”
“You’re welcome.” He pulled the front door shut with his foot and carried her to the ambulance.
The EMT opened the back door.
“I think I’ll take you up on your offer of a ride,” Allison said.
“Good decision. You’ll have to lie on the stretcher, though. It’s the rules.”
“Okay.”
Logan lifted her into the vehicle and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She watched him trot to his car and climb inside before the EMT closed the doors and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm.
He put the familiar claw monitor on her finger and fiddled with a few of the gadgets on the wall. “What’s he like?
“Pardon?”
“Logan Mitchell. I’ve read about him in the papers. He seems like a cool guy. But what’s he’s really like? Most celebrities put on a show for the cameras.”
She giggled. “I wouldn’t call him a celebrity.”
“He’s famous enough that people recognize him. That makes him a celebrity in my book.”
“Hmm… I guess it kind of does.”
“Is he really as cool as the papers make him out to be? Always giving money to charities and stuff?”
“I don’t really read the papers, but I think he’s amazing.”
The EMT chuckled and shook his head. “He really seems to care about you too.”
She lifted herself onto her elbows. “Why do you sound surprised?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I guess Detroit’s Most Eligible Bachelor isn’t so eligible anymore.”
“Most eligible? What are you talking about?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You don’t know?”
She shook her head.
“Two weeks ago, Detroit City Magazine named him this year’s Most Eligible Bachelor. They did a whole write up on him, interviewed him and everything. I guess I was surprised because when they asked him what he was looking for in a woman, he said he wasn’t looking to settle down.”
“I guess I should read more.” Pressure mounted in the backs of her eyes. Why on earth would she cry about something so silly? She tried to blink back the tears, but it was no use. They rolled down h
er cheeks, and she wiped them off with her sleeve.
The EMT looked at her with sympathy in his eyes. “Oh, man. Don’t listen to me, I’m just babbling. He really does care about you. I meant that. You can tell by the way he looks at you. Don’t cry.”
She sniffled. “It’s okay. I don’t know why I’m crying; it’s no big deal. Do you happen to have a copy of that magazine?”
“I think I might.” He knocked on the window to the cab of the ambulance, and a blonde woman slid open the glass. “Hey, Jenny. Do you still have that Detroit City Magazine up there?”
“It’s right here.”
“Do you mind if I give it to our patient?”
“Sure. I’m finished reading it anyway.” She passed the magazine through the window and then slid it shut.
The EMT handed the magazine to Allison. “It’s all yours.”
“Thanks.” She gave him a half smile and looked at the cover. Logan stared back at her, wearing a huge grin and an expensive suit. She closed her eyes and sucked in a shaky breath. She didn’t want to read the article, but she had to. She had to see it for herself, and find out what else he told the magazine about his personal life.
The EMT slipped the blood pressure cuff off her arm. “Here we are. My partner and I are going to take you in on the stretcher, and the nurses will take you from there. I hope you have a better day tomorrow. And don’t take that article too seriously. People always put on a show for the media.”
She watched the lights in the ceiling go by as they wheeled her into the emergency room. Why was she so upset? She knew what Logan’s reputation was like. She knew what everyone else thought of him. So why did it bother her so much that he was named Detroit’s Most Eligible Bachelor? He was hot, rich, and single. Those were the only criteria she knew of, and she knew all those things about Logan before she even met him.
It wasn’t the title that bothered her. It was what he said in the interview.
He wasn’t looking to settle down with anyone. But he told her that, didn’t he? And she’d told him the same thing. But saying it and putting it in writing were two different things. He told the world he didn’t want a girlfriend. Had he really changed his mind, or was he just swept up in the passion?
To Catch a Spirit Page 22
