She backed away from him. “Can’t…touch you right now,” she croaked out.
Did she fear him, too? Or did she simply crave the blood that covered him?
“Oh my God!” Principal White pushed his way through the crowd and peered down at Tucker’s motionless form. “What did you do? What the hell did you do? Someone call 911.”
Victoria shook her head, seeming to drag herself out of her stupor, and shouted, “No one move,” in that husky voice of hers. Power hummed from her. “Hear me and obey. Except you, Aden.”
Everyone froze. Including Shannon, who now stood in the crowd, stopping midcough. No. Shannon had been kind to him these past few days, and they’d had each other’s backs. Aden hated that the former dreg had seen him like that, bloody and vicious, hated that Victoria now had to use her vampire powers against him.
“A tall, blond stranger came onto campus and fought Tucker,” she said, and everyone nodded. “You all saw it. Then you watched as that blond stranger ran off. You didn’t follow him because you were too concerned for Tucker. Now go about your day. Principal White will handle things from here.”
When she lapsed into silence, everyone started moving at once, backing into the shadows. The kids mumbled fearfully about “some blond stranger,” Shannon sneaked away, probably wanting no part of the interrogation that would come, and Principal White bent down and cradled Tucker’s head in his lap, feeling for a pulse.
“He’s alive,” he said with relief.
Aden’s shoulders sagged. He hadn’t killed him. Thank God.
Victoria cupped his face, forcing his attention on her. “Meet me in the parking lot. I’m going to convince your last three teachers that you are in class, even though you won’t be.”
“No,” John said, suddenly beside him again. “I put the polish in your backpack. Pink, glittery and brand-new. You have to find Chloe now.”
Aden flicked him a glance, took in his panicked expression, before turning back to Victoria. She didn’t act as if she saw the ghost. “I’ll be a few minutes. There’s something I have to do first.” He didn’t give her a chance to ask what. He bent down, kissed her hard—she licked his lips, eyes closed in surrender as the flavor of blood hit her tongue—and raced toward the cafeteria.
“Stop in the bathroom and clean up first,” John demanded at his side. “You’ll scare her.”
Aden quickly obeyed. There was no ridding himself of his bruised nose and hands, so he simply mopped up the blood as best as he could. When he finished, he resumed his journey. Word of the fight was spreading fast. He even heard kids on the phone with their parents, telling them about the unidentified man. Those parents were probably on their way now, meaning to take their precious children home to safety. Would news stations come out? Interview witnesses?
Aden gulped.
Everything will be all right, Elijah said. You won’t be sought and Dan won’t be worried.
You’re only encouraging his bad behavior, Eve reprimanded.
“Where is she?” Aden asked John. He scanned the crowded cafeteria, face and hands throbbing. Since learning John was a ghost yesterday, he’d made it a point to find out who Chloe Howard was. She hung with the smart kids, the ones more concerned with grades than appearances. A cute little thing with thick glasses, skin covered in freckles, and braces. She had pen-straight brown hair she always wore in a ponytail.
“There,” John said, pointing to the far back corner.
Aden worked his way over. When she spotted him, she ducked her head to her tray. There were three other kids around her, books in front of them as they talked and studied. A moment passed. She glanced up, realizing he was still coming toward her. She looked behind her, saw no one, and her mouth fell open.
“Can I speak with you?” he asked when he reached her.
Her gaze fell to her friends. They, too, were watching him with confusion.
“Alone,” he added. “Please. I need to talk to you about something important.”
John moved behind her, bent down and breathed her in. He pressed his lips together. To silence a moan? A whimper?
She nodded to her friends, who pushed from their chairs and walked away slowly, eyes never leaving them. Aden sat across from her. John remained behind her, hand brushing her cheek with longing. She didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m Aden,” he said.
“I know.” A blush stained her cheeks. Once again she turned her attention to her food, picking at it with her fork. “What happened to you? And what do you want?”
He ignored her first question. “I have a message for you.” There was only one way to present John’s case without admitting his own abilities. “John O’Conner and I were friends. He told me about you, how he loved you.” As he spoke, her color became ashen. “He tried to tell you, but—”
She jumped to her feet. Hands shaking, she gathered up her tray. “How dare you!” she whispered fiercely. “Let me guess what happened. You heard the rumor about our…relationship and you decided to taunt me. I thought he was cruel but you…” A pained cry left her.
“Don’t let her leave,” John rushed out in a panic. “Not until she understands.”
Aden, too, stood. “It might have started out as a dare, but he fell in love with you and wanted to be with you.”
She turned, ready to stalk away.
“Aden,” John said, eyes beseeching him. “Please.”
Maybe John’s empath powers had somehow transferred to him, because Aden felt his desperation bone-deep. He had to make this right. Had to make this girl understand. Even at his own expense. “Wait. You’re right. I didn’t know him,” he admitted, “not when he was alive. But the past few weeks I’ve been able to see the dead and he came to me, wanting only one thing. For me to talk to you.”
At least she didn’t race away. He had her attention, whether she believed him or not.
John must have taken heart, for he jumped in front of her and said, “Tell her I meant what I said the last time I called her. I would have run away with her. I even tried to give her a ring, my grandmother’s. I placed it in the glove box of her car to surprise her.”
Aden repeated every word.
Slowly she pivoted around and faced him. Tears were streaming down her face. “I don’t know how you found out about that ring and I don’t care.” She closed her eyes, exhaled a shuddering breath, and reached for the chain around her neck, tugging it from under her shirt. A diamond ring hung in the center, the small stones winking in the light. “I just want you to leave me a…lone.”
Aden followed her stunned gaze. A beam of light had streamed in through the window, hitting John and outlining the shimmer of his body. Openmouthed, Chloe reached out, fingers misting through him. He leaned into her touch anyway.
“John?”
“Hey, Chlo. God, I miss you.”
“Can you hear him?” Aden asked her.
“No,” she whispered.
He relayed what had been said. A long while passed in silence. The beam faded, and so did John, but Chloe didn’t move.
“What I just saw…that’s not possible,” she said, shaking her head.
“It’s more than possible,” Aden told her. “Later, you can tell yourself it was only your mind playing tricks, but for now…What would you say to him if you could?”
She swallowed, licked her lips. “I’d tell him that I forgive him. I’d tell him that when I found the ring, I realized he’d been telling me the truth and that I…I…I loved him, too.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” John pressed a ghostly kiss to her forehead, his image wavering, shimmering and then disappearing altogether.
Would he ever see John again? Aden wondered. Or had fulfilling his last wish ceased the ghost’s torment and sent him away for good?
Chloe stood there, crying, and her friends, who hadn’t strayed far, closed in on her, offering support and comfort. Aden left her then. Confused but strangely satisfied, he made his way to the parking lot. Victoria was already there, waiting in front of a plain blue car. He stopped. She gave him an unsure smile.