Page 174 of A Curse On Black Lake
I clasp the back of her neck, hauling her lips to mine.
She stiffens and pushes on my chest.
I relent for an inch.
She scowls at me, and I chuckle, pulling her in again.
Her body relaxes against me, and she sighs into the kiss, tightening her fists in my sweaty shirt.
“Why did you do that?” she asks, a little breathless, and less irritated.
I release her and kiss her forehead. “Your attitude makes me hot.”
“You should get that checked out. Wait…”
I watch her put it all together. Ever since we met, something about the way she sasses me is endearing. I like her bite. Maybe that’s messed up. I don’t know, but now that I know her better, I recognize it for what it is. But those walls have dropped. I like that she’s being entirely herself with me. In my mind, it meansthisis real between us.
“And I thought I was weird,” she says.
I laugh and shake my head. “You are.”
She rolls her eyes.
“So do you want to see if they released your house?” I ask her.
“Would they be that quick?” she asks.
I shrug. “Depends. I doubt they found anything, and we found the Death Flower in the study, so I doubt they will put together that the location isn’t only a matter of convenience for the killer,” I tell her.
“Do you think they really believed me about the garden?”
“If they didn’t, I'd assume Wyatt would already be here asking questions,” I say.
“Fine, let’s go,” she sighs.
I reach for her hand. “And you’re sure you’re ready?”
“I probably never will be, but it needs to be done. I have to makesomemoney to keep the lights on.”
“I’m sorry … about all of it.”
“It’s not your fault,” she mumbles.
“And it’s not yours either,” I remind her.
“No, it’s just an angry woman from over a hundred years ago’s fault.” She glances at me, and her cheeks redden. “Sorry, I forgot she’s your…”
“It’s fine, Eliana. It’s not like I knew the woman, and itisher fault, to be honest.”
“I mean, I understand her anger. I probably would have done the same,” she says quickly.
“No, you wouldn’t,” I say.
“Do you really think all of this boils down to the curse?” she asks.
Black Lake is weird. It always has been. When I got out for training to be a Sheriff’s Deputy, I truly realized howstrangeit really is. And there’s no other explanation. It’s one thing to have coincidences, but coincidences over the course of more than one hundred and sixty years? No, not likely.
“Yeah, I think it has a lot to do with all of it. The Spirits told you that too.”
