Page 10 of The Spirit Key
“How could I forget? It scared the shit out of me.” He gave a wry chuckle. “You seemed to do that an awful lot.”
And now, the moment of truth. “It was caused by….” I took a deep breath. “A ghost.”
I wasn’t sure what I expected from him, but stone-cold silence wasn’t it.
“Tim?”
“Was it because of the drugs?”
Of course that would be the question he’d ask. “No, it wasn’t because of the drugs. The drugs were because of the ghosts.”
He pursed his lips. “I think I need more alcohol. I’m going to make a spiked hot chocolate.” He got up, tossed his bottle into the recycle bin, and went into the kitchen.
A weight had lifted from my chest as I told him the truth, but I wasn’t sure he believed me or if he thought I’d gone around the bend and never came back.
When he returned, he tilted his head toward the door. I got up and followed him outside. We sat on the bench I’d occupied earlier and said nothing as he sipped his drink. Finally, after about twenty minutes, he put his mug down and leaned back, his head resting on the bench.
“Why did you come back? Why now?”
I drew my knees to my chest, locking my arms around them, making myself as small as I could. This had the potential to go so horribly wrong, but I owed him the truth. “Your mom came to see me.”
The night became still. Crickets stopped chirping, frogs ceased to croak. Even the breeze that had been rustling the leaves stopped. The pure silence was broken by a gut-wrenching sob.
Tim leaped out of the seat and turned to me. Through the shadows of the trees, I could see his skin darken and his fists clench. “Get out.”
“Tim, please, I—”
“Get the fuck out of my house! I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re trying to play, but I want you to stay the fuck away from me. My motherdiedless than two weeks ago. You couldn’t be bothered to be there. You weren’t here when she was sick. When I watched her waste away, Ineededyou like I never needed anyone before. I’d lie in bed at night and cry myself to sleep, listening to her gasping for breath and hating you for what you did to me. I’ve done just fine without you for five years. I don’t need you now.”
He turned away, and I grabbed his wrist.
“Tim, I—”
“Get your goddamn hands off me. The only reason I haven’t laid you out is because we used to be friends. I want you out of here, and I don’t ever want to see you again.” The rage in his eyes was amplified by the coldness in his voice.
I released my hold, letting my hand drop down to my side. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“No, you’re a son of a bitch, and I hate you.”
Chapter Three
I STOODon the porch, staring at the door Tim had just slammed in my face. I had no idea what to do. Tim was pissed, and I couldn’t blame him. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I scrubbed a hand over them, wishing I had just stayed home. I could have remained ignorant of the fact my best—former—friend now hated my guts.
Taking out my phone, I called for an Uber. At the moment I wasn’t sure where I wanted them to take me, but anywhere had to be better than here. Deciding to wait on the curb, I walked to the street and sat down, my head bowed. I had no clue what I could do to make up pretty much my whole life to Tim. I’d screwed the pooch big-time where he was concerned, and the only person I could blame was myself.
A car turned the corner and drove slowly in my direction. I got up, ready to get the hell out of here, when the door to Tim’s house opened. I braced myself, thinking he’d decided that kicking my ass wasn’t a bad idea, but instead he came up behind me and grabbed my shoulders, spinning me around to face him.
His legs were planted wide, his eyes were narrowed, and his nostrils flared. Even when we were kids and fighting over who would win in a fight between Batman and Captain America, I’d never seen him this angry.
For the record, Batman every time.
“Why did you have to come back? I was doing okay. I was.” The anguish in his voice threatened to overwhelm me.
“I didn’t mean to screw up your life. It’s just… you know.”
No way was I about to say again that his mother had come to me. I was stupid, but notthatstupid.
“You don’t know what it was like, seeing you on the porch. I wanted to come up there and punch you, but….”
