Page 23 of Unruly
“Boring? Research is sometimes part of the job. Without it, where would you decide to go next?”
He blinks rapidly a few times, then huffs. “Won’t your tablet thingy tell you where it is?”
“Vaguely, but I’d rather not waste time chasing it around Boston if we can be more focused in our efforts.”
“Fine. That’s reasonable. Back to my place, then?”
“For now, yes. I hope it continues to choose objects and not people, though you saw the potentially dangerous outcome of that route.”
“I bet that’s scary as fuck.”
“For a mortal, yes.” I may have to do a bit of research on the Horror’s background, since it’s all just a vague memory for me at this point. “The more we can find out about it, the stronger we’ll be against it.”
“So, I guess we’re reading.”
“As best we can with torn pages.”
Borja grins. “That’s why we have the internet. Someone probably posted it somewhere.”
“A book on the internet? Fascinating.”
Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, he tugs me closer in a friendly hug. It’s slightly uncomfortable but strangely soothing at the same time.
“Just wait. I can blow your mind with what’s out there.”
“Something to look forward to, then.”
Borja’s gaze meets mine and he offers a soft smile. For just a moment I imagine what it would be like to know a man in the carnal sense, but quickly erase the folly. Borja is my colleague, and the very worst thing I could do is blur the line of professionalism. Besides, I’m here to guide him then we’ll go our separate ways. A moment of delight isn’t worth the fallout.
Chapter 6
Borja
Somewhere deep in the back of my mind, I know I should be scared or at least worried about this job after seeing what happened in the professor’s office, but that’s not what I’m feeling at all. I’m weirdly excited and pumped about hunting this thing down.
All the time I spent researching and trying to prove the existence of a spirit world, and I came up empty, but just one afternoon with Farnsworth and my world view is shattered.
We climb the steps to my apartment, but I stop when I see my door. “What are you doing here, Scotty?”
Scotty, my ex, looks up from his phone, a big smile spreading across his face until he sees Farnsworth behind me. He gets to his feet, his eyes flicking back and forth between us.
“Good to see you too, Borja.”
“Did you need something?”
“I did, yeah. Got a second alone?”
Farnsworth doesn’t budge from my side, and I’m not sure what to do. Do I want Scotty to think Farnsworth and I are dating? Yep. But I don’t necessarily want to drag him into my messy dating life.
Farnsworth’s hand lands in the center of my back as he leans in. “I’ll stay or go as you wish.”
I turn my head to look at him, locking on his gray eyes for a moment before blinking out of it. “Go inside. I just need a few minutes.”
He smiles softly and slips past us, taking the key from my hand and unlocking the door before going inside. I’m left standing awkwardly in the hallway with one of my least favorite people.
“What’s going on? Why are you here unannounced?”
“I seem to recall a time when you liked me showing up without warning.”
