When I got home about an hour later, my face undoubtedly ravaged by tears, I found my parents seated on the couch watching the evening news. I plopped down in our old wooden rocker not far from them.
"So how'd it go?" Mom never took her eyes off the TV.
Of course I burst into tears again, which made telling her everything pretty hard to do.
Dad rubbed his bald head when I finished my sad tale. "So you two are an item?"
"If we were, we probably aren't now."
Mom got up and kissed the top of my head. "As I recall, Natalie Ray was all for her son using his gifts to help people." She seemed puzzled, and who could blame her? Nothing made sense. "It's hard to believe she could've changed so drastically."
"I think we can blame Patrick Marsh, principal not-so-extraordinaire, for that," I said, getting to my feet with a sniff. "What a bully."
"Not believing in the paranormal doesn't make a man a bully," Dad said.
"Forcing your disbelief on everyone else does, though."
He couldn't argue with that.
Mom hugged me. "We're headed to the restaurant. We have birthday party scheduled for tomorrow lunch, and I need to do some extra prep. Will you be okay?"
What a question to ask an eighteen-year-old girl. Or was she simply acknowledging my gloomy mood. "Of course."
"There's a plate in the oven. Pork chops and mashed potatoes."
"Not hungry yet, but thanks." I waved and headed upstairs, where I changed into black yoga pants and a Taylor Swift T-shirt. Pouncing on the bed, I basically crashed, the TV remote in my hand. Though "Entertainment Tonight" began sharing the news from Hollywood, something every savvy girl needed to know, I couldn't concentrate on it. All I could think about was Cooper.
Today had been horrible for him. Just horrible. And I was solely to blame. I wanted to call and apologize so badly, but feared he wouldn't talk to me. I'd definitely rocked the boat that was his life. Would he toss me overboard as a result? If so, I deserved it.
Around ten, my cell began blasting "I Won't Give Up," the Jason Mraz song I'd assigned as Cooper's ring tone and considered very appropriate to our situation. Of course I snatched it up. "Hello?"
"I'm outside."
I jumped off the bed and began looking for my flipflops. "How'd you know where I live?"
"Um...the phone book?"
Duh. "Be right down."
I grabbed a Twilight-themed throw and ran downstairs and out the door. Cooper stood on my porch. Though I wanted to throw myself at him, I held back until he opened his arms. Then I flew into them. He hugged me so hard and for a long time, easing his embrace only to dip his head and kiss me.
The moment our lips touched, I felt at peace. We kissed again and again in the dark, each one better than the last, but none of them enough to satisfy me. I wanted to gobble him up, to be his secret girlfriend forever.
If that was even still an option. I honestly didn't know.
It took a while for us to cool down. I guess we were both that needy. Taking his hand, I led him to our porch swing, hidden from the street by shrubs that needed trimming and an overgrown rose trellis. I covered our legs with the fleece throw. Safely in the shadows, he kicked the wooden swing into motion with his foot. The chain squeaked where it hung from the ceiling.
I went first. "I am so, so sorry about today. I never meant for anything bad to happen. I was just trying to help that woman."
"I know."
"Are you mad at me?"
"Do I look like I am?"
"I can't actually see you," I told him. "But you don't kiss like you are, and I'm not sure why. If I were you, I'd be so pissed."
"Well, you might've given the situation a little more thought before you blew my cover, but I understand why you did it." I heard his soft chuckle. "Melissa was beating the shit out of that guy with her bag, wasn't she?"
"Yeah, but he deserved it. What an idiot."
For a minute or two, neither of us said anything. In the silence, night sounds came up around us: the distant bark of a dog, voices, a car radio. The autumn nip in the air made me shiver.
Cooper draped his arm across my shoulders and pulled me closer. "I don't know what to do, Mia."
"What do you mean?"
"Now that I've stepped out of my mental safe room, I'm starting to see and feel things. I'm also picking up random thoughts of everyone I pass--not enough to help anyone, but still. I can send them all packing, of course, but I'm not sure if want to or even should."
"Did you notice that haze around Detective Simms?" I asked.
"So that was real? It's hard to tell right now."
"It was definitely real. What do you think it was?"
"Since it didn't feel new, I'm thinking it was residue from past cases. That stuff is bound to be inside his head and part of what he is, too. Maybe it's leaking out or something."
"I thought it came across sort of military."
"Really? I didn't get that, but it would make sense. I saw a picture of him in camo. Looked like he might've been in the desert."
"Yeah." Wondering about Cooper's returning skills, I decided to test him. "Do you sense the regular under the maple tree?" I pointed toward a huge tree in our front yard, where a middle-aged male presence often hovered.
Cooper nodded. "He's a regular?"
"Yeah. Built this house, I think. Comes back all the time to look at it, but never goes inside, thank goodness. I already have Nick, and the spirits he sometimes brings around are all I can handle."
"Who?"
"Nick." I explained his role in my life, something I hadn't done at eight or since, which meant Cooper didn't know about him. "Do you have a spirit guide?"
"Not so far."
Did that mean he was ready to welcome his gifts? "Was your mom very angry?"
"Baby, you have no idea."
Now I smiled at the 'baby,' which I took as a term of affection. "Did she tell your stepdad?"
"Of course."
"What'd he say?"
"Enough that I moved out."
My jaw hit my chest. "Moved or got kicked out?"
"Take your pick."
"Are you shitting me?"
"Nope."
"But you're only eighteen!"
"Which is legal for everything except buying booze."
"Oh my God. Where will you go? What will you do?"
"Marty's mom said I could stay with them for a while. He's got twin beds. I'll pay for my own food and stuff, of course. I mean, I get monthly checks from some kind of account Mom set up from Dad's life insurance pay-off. And I've got a job at Chick-Fil-A. They called me today. I'll be working on Saturdays for now, but maybe more later. I'm thinking I'll get a box at the post office for my mail."
I began to fume in spite of Cooper's apparent calm. How could loving parents send a high school senior packing? Wasn't he entitled to make his own choices? Sure they paid the bills, but that didn't mean they could treat him like dirt. "This is horrible. Just horrible. Do you have aunts and uncles, grandparents you can go to?"
"Betty and Sol Weeks, my maternal grandparents, are dead. My paternal grandparents won't have anything to do with us."
"Because of your mom?" It was easy to believe.
"Don't hate my mother, okay? She's just doing what she has to do to keep peace at home."
I begged to differ, but not out loud. "Sorry. Then why?"
"My parents got pregnant with me when they were seniors in high school. Dad's dad didn't want him to get married. Seems he had big plans for his only son to be a pro football player, something he'd dreamed of doing himself before he gave up and started coaching it at the high school level. When Dad told him he wasn't going to take the LSU football scholarship so he could get a fulltime job and marry Mom, my granddad threatened to cut him off. Didn't work. The 'rents got hitched anyway, left town, and graduated from junior colleges on their own."
What a story. "I didn't know. I mean, you sure never said anything."
"Yeah, well, my dysfunctional kin are not something I brag about."
"Have you ever thought about looking up that side of the family?" I knew I'd be curious if I were in his position.
"Yeah, but do I really want to associate with people who hate my mom because my dad chose her over a freakin' game?"
"Good point."
Cooper stopped the swing and stood. "I need to go. Just wanted you to know where I'd be."
"Marsh can't make you drop out of school or anything, can he?" At this point, I wouldn't put it past the jerk.
"I guess he could try, but I don't think he will. He really is an okay guy, if a little misguided. He's sure taken care of Mom and me. I think he just needs to be in control, which works as a principal, but isn't so great as far as stepdads and sometimes husbands go. Apparently he doesn't understand that everything can't run as smoothly as Martinsburg High. Life just isn't like that, especially mine."
Though I thought Marsh should be smart enough to know that, I didn't voice my opinion. Cooper had enough on his mind. "Love you."
He stopped halfway down the porch steps. "Yeah?"
"Of course yeah. Since I was eight. You didn't know?"
"Sometimes my sidekicks let me down when I need them most."
"I love you, TC Ray-slash-Cooper Marsh."
"And I love you, Bella Mia."
His sweet kiss sealed the deal before he got into his truck and vanished into the night.
* * * *
Thursday at breakfast, I filled in my parents and asked if Cooper could come to supper. They said he could and promised to be home for the meal. Though Tagliaro's had two excellent managers at the moment, that hadn't always been the case. In fact, I'd grown up with the smell of garlic clinging to my ponytail. These days they made it a point to pop in unexpectedly during the week, especially during busy times, to make sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to do. That kept the chefs, waitresses, barkeeps, and servers on their toes.
When Brynn, Tyler, and I got to school, Cooper was waiting in the parking lot for me. I stole a moment just to take in the sight of him, so awed that any guy with his good looks could possibly be mine. His oatmeal sweater hugged his shoulders, accenting their width; his jeans hugged his muscled legs, accenting their length. Yeah. Perfectly hot.
And the kicker? Totally mine.
Having nothing to lose, Cooper hooked his arm around my neck, which left his hand dangling over my right boob. Not that he made a move on me. He didn't. But that position made it a little hard to walk. Luckily, I didn't mind our feet tangling every few steps and proudly entered the building with him by my side.
Cooper showed up at the end of every class and walked me to the next that morning, raising eyebrows everywhere. Or was the news about my sidekicks still spreading? I'd hoped my scandal was yesterday's news.
Not.
Just as Cooper and I left the caf after lunch, a Hispanic girl I didn't even know blocked our way in the hall.
Her dark eyes flashed with indignation. "Go back to your own school, witch."
I couldn't believe my ears. "What is this, Salem High?"
"Grow up, Felisa," said Cooper, steering us around her. He didn't stop until we were out of sight.
Not ten feet down the hall, a guy I didn't know blocked our way. Tall and lanky, he towered over both of us. But he spoke to me alone. "Can we talk in private?"
Startled by his request, I hesitated just a sec. "Now?"
"Yes."
Cooper stared him down. "I'm not leaving, Sutter."
The guy shrugged. "Whatever."
I waited.
He thought for a second and then spoke. "There's no afterlife."
"Excuse me?"
"You claim to talk to spirits, but you can't. Death is the end of everything."
"I see. And what makes you say that?"
"My dad believed in that shit. He promised he'd contact me when he died just to prove it was true."
"And you haven't heard from him?"
"Nope."
"Did it ever occur to you that he might not be dead?"
Sutter suddenly didn't look so certain. "Of course he's dead. Otherwise, he'd have come home from that hunting trip out west last year."
Positive the guy was alive and well someplace, I didn't answer.
"I know what you're getting at. Mom thinks that, too. But Dad would never abandon us. Never." Sutton sounded so sure, but his body language told another story.
I deliberately backtracked. "I could be wrong. This isn't an exact science."
"My point exactly. You need to know that there's at least one student attending this stupid school who's smart enough to see through you and your evil lies."
Evil lies?
"Watch it." Cooper's tone had a warning edge to it.
Sutter put up his hands and took a step back. "I'm done." He left us.
"What an idiot," said Cooper. "You okay?"
"Of course. I'm used to doubters attacking."
"Well, you shouldn't have to be. His dad really isn't dead?"
"Nope. Unfortunately I can't tell you where he is. Did you get anything?"
"No." He glanced both ways before giving me a quick kiss. All we needed was to be dragged into his stepdad's office for PDA.
I put Sutter out of my head and deliberately changed the subject. "Did I tell you I have to go to the hospital after school?"
"What for?"
"A patient there wants to see me. Mom set it up. I'll take Brynn and Tyler home first, of course."
"Why don't you give Tyler your keys again? I'll get you to the hospital and then to your car after."
Since I'd been hoping he'd offer, I gave him a huge smile. "Thanks."
"Marty would love to drive Brynn to and from, you know. He's so into her he's not even worried about the gasoline he'd waste doing it. But that would leave you alone with Tyler, so I told him he couldn't."
I hooted. "You're jealous of Tyler?"
"Well, you've known him forever, and sometimes--"
I didn't let him go there. "I've known you almost as long, okay? Even if you were MIA part of the time. Tyler is like a brother."
"Just so he knows that."
Though Cooper's playful grin told me he was halfway teasing, I enjoyed the show of possessiveness. It made me feel special and was nothing to worry about since I was the kind of girl who'd squash jealousy in a heartbeat if it made her uncomfortable or in any way cramped her style.
Tyler had no problem with driving once I approached him in the parking lot and was really psyched when Brynn and Marty showed up to say she didn't need a ride, either. I closely monitored Tyler's body language, knowing he'd never admit to being bothered by Brynn finding a boyfriend, especially after talking to me about her. What I saw was a guy thrilled to be alone with my sound system. That gave me peace. I dearly loved those two and didn't want any kind of conflict.
Cooper drove us to Martinsburg Regional Medical Center by way of a quick spin through Marty's neighborhood so I could see where he was staying. I liked the look of the place, a two-story brick with columns in front and elaborate landscaping that would be a real headache for anyone mowing the lawn.
Then we made a quick stop at Sonic, which meant I had a cherry limeade in my hand as we entered the hospital. After taking an elevator to the fourth floor, we located room 405, where today's session was to take place.
I stuck my head through the doorway before entering to be sure the patient was awake. Seeing he had his eyes on his television, I stepped into the room. Cooper followed me.
"Mr. Reynolds? Hi, I'm Mia Tagliaro." I offered my hand to the guy, who I guessed to be in his mid to upper thirties. He wore the standard blue print hospital gown and had an IV going into one arm. I noted several types of monitors nearby, though they didn't seem to be hooked up to him. At any rate, the screens were blank and they weren't blipping regularly.
He turned off the TV and smiled at me. "Call me Dalton. Thanks for coming by."
Not having a clue why he wanted me there, I got right down to business by opening my mind to anything. Three spirits came forward--one male and two female. The male showed me a ring, wide silver with words carved into it. I saw a matching ring on Dalton's left hand, and immediately knew he was gay and the male spirit was his deceased partner. I also saw a J. I concentrated on it until I got a solid name. "Jacob is here. He's worried about you."
Dalton softly gasped, but didn't say anything.
"Did he die in an auto accident?"
His eyes brimming with tears, my patient nodded. "A year ago."
"He wants you to know that he appreciates the flowers you put on his grave every week. He's also fussing because you spend too much. Get some silk ones, he says, and arrange them yourself. It's the thought that counts."
Dalton laughed through his tears. "Tell him to shut his trap."
"Believe me, he heard you." I focused on the females. "Your mom and your sister want you to know that they're with Jacob, who found them when he passed. Mom's fussing because you kept him a secret. She says who wouldn't like such a nice boy?"
His face contorted as he struggled for composure. A sob was his response.
"Are you worried about dying?" I asked.
He looked away and swallowed audibly. "Yeah."
"I don't know your situation. I mean, I mostly deal with the dead. But if you do die, they'll be there waiting for you, you know."
"He's not going to die," said Cooper. "At least not any time soon."
Dalton and I both zoned in on him.
Dalton spoke first. "But the doctor said--"
Cooper stopped him. "Lab results should be here by this afternoon, but the tumor was benign. You're fine."
Dalton lost it then. Without thought, I went to him. We hugged for a long time, both of us crying. When I sneaked a peek at Cooper, I could tell he'd choked up, too.
When he and I left shortly after, we saw Detective Simms lurking down the hall. I greeted him, noting that he wasn't the only officer around. Another one, this cop in uniform, appeared to be standing guard outside the door of 408.
Just as Detective Simms opened his mouth to speak to us, a female spirit that was almost fully materialized slipped out of the room via the wall and stood in the hallway. My startled gaze clashed with hers. I knew she saw me. I'd never seen a ghost so...fresh, I guess. I realized that she had an Asian look about her and wore a hospital gown. The bandages on her neck and bruises everywhere else gave me an impression of brutality and pain. The moment she began to fade from view, I registered the silently flashing alarm lights, mounted high on the corridor walls. Nurses and orderlies came running from everywhere, obliterating my concentration. The detective and the guard cop both startled violently and charged into the room along with everyone else.
Cooper and I exchanged a look and got out of there. By the time we reached his truck, I was an emotional mess and not just because I'd seen the ghost of a woman who'd just died. The session with Dalton lingered with me, too.
For that reason, Cooper didn't drive me straight home, instead heading back to Sonic. Without ordering anything, we sat in his truck for a while to regroup.
"Thanks for telling Dalton about his lab work," I said. "I'm so glad you picked up on that."
"Couldn't have him stressing over nothing."
"You saw that poor woman in the hallway, right?"
"I did."
"Did you sense the brutality around her?"
"It was hard to miss."
"I'll bet Detective Simms was there because she was an attempted homicide."
"Attempted? I think it was a done deal."
"Oh yeah. Of course." With a shudder, I abruptly changed the subject. "Heard from your mom today?"
"Nope."
Didn't like the sound of that. "Did you try to call her?"
"Nope."
"Oh, Cooper. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to take it a day at a time. The phone works both ways, you know. And meanwhile, I'm hoping Dad will eventually forgive me for shutting him out all these years and drop by again with some advice. So far, though, nothing."
"Did I tell you he told me not to give up on you?"
"What! When?"
"Nick brought him by." I gave Cooper the details.
"Was he okay?"
"He was fine and loves you more than ever, so I'm thinking he'll definitely hang out with you if you'll let him. Not sure what's holding him back now, but I'll ask if Nick brings him around again."
"Thanks."
"We should probably leave now." I pulled down the mirror on the passenger side visor. "Do I look okay? Don't want to worry them."
"Baby, you have no idea."
That brought a smile to my face. "I want to help Mom with dinner. We're making lasagna. You do eat Italian, don't you?"
"If I'm going to love a Tagliaro, I'd better."
He had that right.
When we got to my house, Mom greeted Cooper with the biggest hug ever. Since she was so worried about him, she overcompensated. I could tell that her gushing embarrassed him and quickly sent her back to the kitchen, from which wafted some amazing smells.
After settling Cooper on the couch and handing him the remote, I joined her at the stove. I noticed that she'd abandoned her usual at-home attire of jeans and a sweatshirt, going with nice pants and button-up blouse she didn't tuck in. She even had on flats.
Was that for Cooper's sake? I liked that it might be. "What can I do?"
"Set the table for starters. Use the good stuff."
Pleased by the implication, I did just that, choosing our nicest china to make my guy feel extra special. My efforts did not go unnoticed by my dad once he got home, and of course he commented on the table, now perfectly set with our best silver and four crystal glasses. A low bouquet of fresh fall flowers sat right in the middle, complementing the color of the tablecloth and napkins and giving the room a festive touch.
Cooper sat across from me at our table for four. As we ate, Mom and Dad kept the conversation flowing, both carefully avoiding any mention of sidekicks and home life except for a couple of pointed questions at the beginning of the meal.
"So you're staying with Marty Bookman?" Mom asked Cooper as she spooned steaming pasta onto his plate.
"For now. Do you know him?"
"I know his whole family. They eat at the restaurant a lot. Both your parents were from this area, right? You don't have any relatives around?"
"No ma'am."
I slashed my hand across my throat to kill that line of questioning.
Dad quickly took up the slack, asking Cooper about his new job, school, and football. "What position do you play?"
"Tackle."
"How's the season going?"
"We're five and one. Two more games left."
Since I had no interest in sports, even one Cooper loved, my mind wandered while they discussed game details and the upcoming basketball season. For some reason, a spirit I knew but didn't know approached, startling me. Strange ghosts seldom showed up at the Tagliaro house, something I constantly thanked Nick for. I figured he was protecting me from unwanted intrusion since I wasn't very good at doing that, myself.
Hard to ignore, this spirit--an Asian mix, I thought--hovered. As I shoveled pasta into my mouth, I became more and more disturbed and, as a result, jittery. I dropped my fork, which clattered onto my plate but didn't chip it, thank goodness. I bobbled my stemmed glass, spilling Coke. Then I knocked over the bowl of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
"Are you okay?" asked Mom, quickly righting it.
"Uh-huh." I laid my cloth napkin on the table and pushed my chair back. "Excuse me. I'll just be a sec." Practically running, I went to the bathroom and locked the door. "What do you want?"
Though it felt as if the spirit had followed me into the room, I got no response. Impulsively, I turned off the light, which doused the area in darkness, any specter's playground. I instantly saw an apparition that was mostly a face with a wispy body. I couldn't make out clothing at all. Had the spirit from the hospital followed me home? And if so, she'd sure faded a lot. And why didn't she feel the same?
A new possibility came to me. Was this the woman lying in the leaves in that snapshot in Detective Simms's office? She had bruises and scratches that told me she'd died a violent death. But how had she found me?
Weirded out, I flicked on the light to chase her away. A nanosecond later, I puked over the toilet, heaving until my ribs hurt and I thought I'd keel over.