My heart started pounding harder in anticipation.
But Will made no move toward me. Just started the car up, like he was going to drive me home. Really?
“So, how’d it go today?” he asked.
I slumped in my seat. “It’s my second first day of senior year. How do you think it went?” Thank God they’d allowed me to test out of the remainder of “my” junior year. Everyone was amazed at how well I’d done on the exams. Frankly, so was I, considering I’d learned most of the material a year and a half ago or more. But I’d been beyond motivated. Two more years of high school? Unacceptable.One was going to be bad enough.
“Any problems with ghosts?”
How funny that heshould be asking methat. Though he’d apparently been managing well enough without me over the last couple of weeks. As I’d always sort of suspected, once he’d let the spirits know in no uncertain terms that he was in charge, instead of the other way around, things had gotten better for him.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” I said. I could see spirits now, more than ever. My “vision” had come in fully after I’d returned to Lily’s body the second time. The light had passed over us before vanishing, and it was like some final connection had been made. I was now just as much a ghost-talker as Will.
“Good.” He signaled to join the line of cars waiting to exit the parking lot.
Seriously? He was actually going to take me home now?
“You’re awfully quiet over there. I feel as though I might get to complete a sentence.”
I glared at him. “Oh, shut it.”
“That’s better,” he said cheerfully.
Since there clearly wasn’t going to be any kissing at the moment—and why the hell not?—I thought I might as well freak him out all at once. Get it over with.
I thought of the folder full of paperwork I’d been carrying around in my bag for the last week or so, mentally flipping through the potential opening arguments I’d created. During my grounding, I’d had a lot of time to think about things. Future stuff. Will was going to Richmond Community College for his Gen Eds, and he would have his own apartment next semester. I couldn’t help but shiver at the idea of a place that would be ours. Well, his, but more ours than his mom’s or Sam’s—now that Will’s mom would be moving in there—or my home with the Turners.
We needed a plan. At least, I did—that was how I worked best. It was up to him, I guess, if he wanted to be a part of it.
“So…I’ve been thinking about the business possibilities of our gift,” I said carefully. “If you look at the ratio of people who need—”
“You want us to make money off people?” He pulled out of the line abruptly and drove to the edge of the parking lot, not far from the burner row, where he’d once parked.
“No, I want us to helppeople. And charge accordingly,” I snapped. I had this speech all worked out, if he’d just let me finish it. I took a deep breath. “Look, doctors don’t work for free, right? And they’re saving lives. We’re helping people complete theirs.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “No tricks, no funny business. If we can’t reach the spirit they want, then we don’t take them on. Period.” I wasn’t in this to cheat people. But I wanted a way to help them without trying to have a regular job, where, most of the time, I’d have to ignore the spirits I was supposed to be assisting. “We’ll keep doing some pro bono stuff, helping spirits without living relatives or friends to pay us, because that’s just what we do. But if you look at the profit Ed was making without being able to see other ghosts, you’ll see it’s possible, especially with two of us.” I dug into my bag for the folder and handed it to Will. I’d created a spreadsheet using the data I’d gotten from Ed. He’d made contact once he found his parents. He was living with them in Springfield.
“I see Ed found you, too,” Will said dryly. We’d given Ed a ride to the bus station that night after the party and shared some of our story with him. Well, we had had to tell him something when he saw me and knew I wasn’t his sister. We’d made quite the impression, I guess, and he wanted to stay in touch.
“For the first year or so I’d have to work for you,” I said.
Will raised his eyebrows.
“In name only,” I added swiftly, giving him a sour look. “As, like, an intern or something, until I’m eighteen…again.” So annoying! “After that, we’d have to restructure, probably as an LLP.” I paused. “Think of it sort of like a private detective agency, only with ghosts instead of guns and without a license. For now.”
He didn’t say anything, and I rushed to fill the silence. “We’re not going to be able to have the normal lives everybody else does, but so what? Why not use it to our advantage? You can major in whatever you want. I’m going with business, I think. Maybe marketing. I’m good at getting people to do what I want.” Except for Will, maybe.
Will looked up from the business projections and the logo ideas I’d affixed to the outside of the folder. “You’ve put a lot of time into this.”
“Hello, success doesn’t just happen, remember?” I folded my arms across my chest, struggling against the urge to pretend I didn’t care what he thought.
“So, you want to work together,” he said slowly, like I’d suggested we vacation on the dark side of Mars.
I stiffened. “It’s not necessary. I can do this on my own.” I snatched the folder from him.
“No.” He grabbed the folder back. “You’re not understanding what I’m—”
“Well, maybe if you’d try to be clearer about it,” I said.
He exhaled loudly in frustration, and I braced myself for the next round, already prepping the points I would bring up in response to his arguments. Besides, this hadto work. What else were we supposed to do? Go around pretending the last three months hadn’t happened? That made no sense, and the idea of it made my chest ache. I wasn’t who I’d been back then, literally, and I couldn’t go back. Nor did I want to.
I was distracted, thinking about all of this, so I didn’t notice him leaning over until he took my chin in his hand to turn my face toward him. “It’s a good plan,” he said, stroking my cheek. “You just have to give me more than ten seconds to think about it. So impatient…” Then he kissed me, slow and deep, until I felt like I might float away…or melt. Oh, hello.
I reached out and wrapped my hands in his T-shirt to anchor myself, but the feel of his warm skin only made things worse…and so much better.
“Okay?” he murmured after a long moment.
Yes, yes, definitely okay.I nodded but couldn’t stop myself from asking the question that had been nagging at me. “Why not before now?”
He shifted in his seat, pulling back slightly and dropping his gaze.
“I wasn’t sure,” he said cautiously. “I know you still have to go to school here, and if you want to fit in…”
I leaned over and pushed him back in his seat, enjoying the surprise on his face and the heat in his gaze. “Forget them,” I whispered, before pressing my mouth against his and doing my very best to make him feel as dizzy and out of control as he’d made me feel.
After a second, he reached out to clutch at my waist, and one of us—no, both of us were trembling. It was, quite simply, one of the best moments of my life—before or after.
“Making out in burner row. I’m a bad influence on you,” he said breathlessly when I let him up for air.
“Terrible,” I agreed with a smile. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.