Page 33 of Shadows of Nightshade
That was interesting. “I thought you lived here?” Although I wasn’t sure why I’d assumed they’d lived together.
“I have a room here—Julian and Titus do too.” He nodded. “But commuting means more work, and I don’t have time for that.” Miles handed me my phone. “What’s your number?”
“Well…” This was awkward. “This isn’t technically my phone—it’s Finn’s. He has access to all my calls and texts. It was the only way my parents would agree for me to have one. They get paranoid about stuff, and they like him.”
You could have heard a pin drop in the following silence.
“I’m sorry.” I touched my fingers together. I felt like such a loser. “I’ve been trying to save money to do stuff for myself, but it’s hard for me to get a job without their permission.”
“What do you mean by that?” Damen returned to his seat by the fireplace. The light of the flames threw shadows across his face, making him seem so serious. “Aren’t you over eighteen? You don’t need a parent’s permission to do anything.”
“I don’t have a driver’s license, and I don’t know where my birth certificate or social security card might be,” I explained. “No one will let you work without papers, and honestly, I have no idea where to start looking.”
Damen rubbed his temples. Meanwhile, Miles was scowling as he typed into his phone.
What was—
“Does Finn know that you have no identification?” Damen asked. “How did you even enroll in college?”
They were getting tired of me already. After all, this waspretty pathetic.
“Finn knows,” I told him in a small voice. “He told me not to worry about it. He and my parents took care of everything. I only had to choose a major.”
Damen slid his hand down his face, and my heart clenched.
Miles’s phone lit up. He checked it before glancing at Damen. “He says we can meet for a late lunch.”
Who washe?
Instead of elaborating, Miles turned toward me. “Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this—and your ghost, too. In the meantime, since you can’t use that phone, we’ll get you another.”
“But…” I stared between the two of them. “You can’t just—”
“Shush.” Miles interrupted. “We can afford it.”
Yes, I might have suspected. But I couldn’t help but feel like a burden. It wasn’t right.
I wanted to cry.
“I get it,” Miles said, the corners of his mouth upturned as he touched my hand. “You don’t need to feel guilty. You’re not the type to accept something for nothing, right? We’ll make you repay it with some chores or something.”
“Really?” I asked. He was right, of course… but how did he know?
10
Crystal chandeliers hungfrom the restaurant’s ceiling, causing the gold-threaded wallpaper to shimmer under the soft light. I gazed around the room at the elegantly dressed patrons chattering at their small, square tables.
Miles and I sat together on one side of the table, with our backs to the entrance, while Damen took the open seat across from us. While they spoke in low voices that I couldn’t follow, I tried to come to terms with my luck.
Was it okay for me to patronize such a place?
I was completely out of my comfort zone, and not only because I wasn’t dressed appropriately. A quick perusal of the menu indicated that each dish was ridiculously priced, too.
Damen, however, had brushed off my whispered concerns. My debt was going to grow alarmingly at this rate, and I would have to keep an accurate account of what I owed. Yet, no matter what I ordered from this restaurant, my meal was going to be extremely pricey.
My focus drifted as time trickled by. A growing crowd wasgathering for a late lunch rush, yet there were still a number of open tables in the spacious dining area. Even with only a few patrons seated at our closest tables, being around others made my heart pound.
Was it my imagination, or were people looking at us?
