The Haunted (23 page)

“
One day he will.”

“
How can you be so sure?” she asked.

“
Because you’re special.”

She rolled her eyes.

“
I’m not just saying that. You are special.”

“
We’re special. Both of us, Ri…because we can both see spirits. Not everyone can, you know?”

How sweet. She was trying to make me feel better. “Yeah, I know.” I wished I was one of those people who was in the majority and was oblivious that spirits walked the earth. My life would be a lot less complicated that way.

“
Laria’s dangerous, Riley. Much more dangerous than you know.”

I knew exactly how dangerous she was, but I wasn’t going to tell Madison about my experiences with Laria.

“
Hanway says she’s a master of deception. That she caused Kade to do some stuff he wouldn’t normally do.”

My heart pounded loud in my ears. “What stuff?”

“
Like make Kade think he was with you when it was really Laria masquerading as you. She wanted everyone at the party to see Dana and Kade together, and for them to assume he was going out on you. So while everyone else was seeing Dana, Kade was seeing you.”

She had just confirmed what I’d been wondering. “Hanway told you this?”

She nodded. “Yes, and he wants you to know the truth. He doesn’t want Laria to win.”

And that’s exactly what she was doing…she was winning by keeping me and Kade apart.

“
He says she can manipulate people,” she said, and I could hear the fear in her voice. “Lots of people. She’s strong and growing stronger by the day. She can take over a person…without that person realizing it. I mean, what will she do next?”

I’d been asking myself that same question for days. I thought of Shane telling me about his blackouts, and how his friends were telling him things he had done. Things he couldn’t remember. Kind of like Kade…but Laria had gone a step further. She had made Kade believe he was with me that night of Tom’s party. What else had she done to Kade, I wondered? Who else that I cared about had she messed with?

Madison glanced around and lowered her voice. “I’m scared for you, Riley.”

I put an arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug, and she hugged me back.

My friends returned and Cait’s brows furrowed as she looked at Madison. “What are you doing, squirt?”

Madison released me and stood. “Just sayin’ ‘hi.’ I’m gonna go now.”

I grabbed her hand. “No, stay.”

Madison glanced at Cait, who shrugged and gave Maddy’s ponytail a playful tug. Megan sat down beside me, and Cait and Cassandra in front of us. The opposing team ran out on the field, and our players were right behind them.

My heart leapt at the sight of Kade. He had been played by Laria, just like I had been. We were both suffering because of her cruel acts, and Hanway was right…we couldn’t let Laria win.

Once Kade got to the center of the field, he looked up at the stands, straight at me. This time I didn’t look away. I smiled, and I saw the surprise on his face. His lips curved into a huge smile, and he didn’t turn away until the referee blew the whistle signaling the game was starting.

Cait glanced back at me and grinned.

The second half flew by. Many of the students had left with fifteen minutes on the clock because our school was so far ahead. It was a blowout. Megan checked her watch. “We should head on out of here before the game ends. Maybe pick up a DVD for tonight.”

“
Sounds good,” I said, ready to get home and hang out with my friends.

“
We’ll be there in about an hour, all right?” Cassandra said. “I have to stop by the house and pick up my jammies.”

“
You can always borrow some of mine,” I said.

Cassandra’s brows lifted. “Like I could fit into your skinny-ass pajamas. Thanks, but no thanks.”

Cait laughed under her breath. “Maybe we’ll snag a bottle of something from Bitchzilla while we’re at it.”

And after my conversation with Madison, I might just have a drink of whatever they brought back. “See you in a bit,” I said, following behind Megan.

“
He’s looking for you,” Megan said, eyes on the field. “Bloody hell, he’s so obvious.”

I could feel Kade’s stare. I could feel him. Madison’s words had given me a huge sense of relief, and now I knew for sure that Kade hadn’t knowingly gone out on me with Dana. For the first time in days I felt like I could breathe.

Chapter
26

We could hear the roar of the visitors’ bleachers as we pulled onto the highway. “Kade MacKinnon does it again,” Megan said with a laugh.

I smiled; I couldn’t help it. Seeing him tonight had stirred up all the feelings I had for him. Now that I knew the truth about the night of Tom’s party, I was ready to have a conversation with him. Maybe it was time for me to come clean about everything as well. To let him know about my abilities, about Laria, about Ian…even about cutting.

I glanced at Megan. “Thanks for taking me. I’m glad I came.”

“
I’m glad you did, too. You needed to get out of the house.”

She wasn’t kidding there. In the past few days the inn had become both a prison and a sanctuary. Dad had stayed close by, and Miss Akin even closer. I was relieved I had my friends staying with me tonight. I could use some comic relief.

My phone rang, signaling a text message. My heart leapt seeing Kade’s number.

It was good to see you.

“
Oh my God, is that Kade?” Megan asked in disbelief.

I nodded, pressing my lips together so I wouldn’t smile.

She shook her head. “What do you want to bet that he’s probably texting from the field.”

I smiled at the image. I started to text back when she reached for my hand. “What are you doing? Give it a few minutes. Make him work for it, for God’s sake.”

The truth was…I didn’t want to wait.

My phone rang again and Megan snorted.

“
It’s Shane.”

Tell Miss A I’ll be home late.

No mention of Dad. I couldn’t blame him. Why hadn’t he even attempted to make the game? It’s not like it was that far from Braemar.

I typed back.
Will do! Congrats on the goal and the win!

My phone rang.

Thanks! See you and the girls later.

I could see it already—my friends hanging out with Shane in his room, flirting like crazy with him. I shook my head and scrolled to Kade’s text.

“
You really like Kade, don’t you?” Megan asked, her voice serious.

I glanced at her. “I love him.”

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look all that surprised. “Wow, that’s huge.”

It was huge. Being with Kade felt right, and I wouldn’t let Laria come between us again.

I chewed a fingernail as I stared at the cursor. I wanted to tell him that it was good to see him too…and so many other things, but I wasn’t sure where to start.

I exhaled. My breath came out in a fog, and goosebumps rose on my flesh.

Megan’s hand abruptly slapped over my wrist once again. Her hand was freezing cold.

My heart jumped in my chest. “Megan, what are you doing?”

Her hand squeezed tighter.

She turned to me and stared at me. There was nothing behind her eyes. Just a cold, dead expression on her face that terrified me.

“
The road,” I said, trying to jerk my hand away.

She held firm; a strong grip that shocked me.

“
Watch the road, Megan,” I said, horrified and amazed when she took a corner without even looking at the road.

How the hell…

“
Riley,” she said, but it wasn’t her voice, but rather a deep, creepy voice that shouldn’t have come out of her.

Oh my God. I had nowhere to go, and Megan, or Laria, or whoever was in there, wasn’t watching the road.

My hand was going numb. “Watch the road!”

A malevolent smile appeared on her lips as her head proceeded to turn toward the back of the car.

A horn blared as we came inches from the car that passed by us.

“
Megan!!!!” I screamed.

She accelerated, and I gripped the dashboard with my free hand, listening with dread to the cracking and popping of her neck. The car veered off the road, into a fence and straight for a giant oak.

The wreck with my mom flashed before my eyes and I yelled, “Stop!”

Megan slammed on the brakes…but it was too late. We were going to collide with the tree.

I braced myself for the impact, but it never came. Instead the car abruptly screeched to a stop. Megan’s head was resting against the steering wheel, her hair flung up and around it.

With shaky hands I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the door handle…just in case “Megan?”

She moaned and lifted her head. I sighed in relief. She looked like Megan.

Blinking a few times, she glanced at the tree, then at me. “What happened?”

Was she serious?

“
We ran off the road.”

“
Bloody hell.” Unbuckling her seatbelt she scrambled out of the car and ran around to look at the damage. I was right behind her.

“
Oh thank God,” she said, putting a hand to her chest. The car was two inches from the tree. “I can’t believe it. Look how close that is.”

It was crazy close, and I knew someone was looking out for us. Someone had prevented us from hitting that tree. There was just no other explanation.

She stopped in her tracks. “Oh my God, you already have a concussion. Did you hit your head or anything?”

“
No, I’m fine. I swear.”

Sliding her hand down her face, she glanced at me, then at the car. “I don’t remember anything before the wreck. I just remember leaving the game.”

First it was Shane, then Kade, and now Megan.

I could feel cold all around us, and the breeze picked up. Being on an isolated stretch of road was nerve-wracking, especially with a maniacal ghost on the loose. “Let’s get out of here. Do you want me to drive?”

She shook her head. “No, we’d both be in deep shit if you were caught driving without a license.”

We got back in the car. She backed up but the car was stuck in the mud.

“
Put it in gear. I’ll get behind the car and push.”

She rolled down her window. “Are you sure you don’t want me to push and you drive?”

“
Just drive,” I said, the scratches on my body starting to burn again. Laria was relentless. I grit my teeth against the agonizing pain.

“
Give it gas,” I yelled.

Megan gunned it. I pushed with all my might, but the tires just spun in the mud. Seconds later I felt mud splatter against the entire right side of my body.

Great.

Megan looked in the side mirror. “Oh shit, I’m sorry, Ri!”

“
Try it again.”

This time she didn’t hit the gas as hard, but it was clear we were making matters worse. The tires were sinking further into the mud.

I heard a car coming our way. Seeing a school bus, my heart missed a beat.

It passed by and every person on board was looking our way.

The football team.

The driver pulled over fifty yards up the road. The doors opened and the driver called out. “You need help?”

The words weren’t out of his mouth before Shane wedged past him and ran toward us. “Are you guys okay?”

“
Fine,” we said at the same time.

Kade was on his heels. His gaze quickly assessed me from head to toe. “Are you all right?” I could see the concern in his eyes.

“
We’re fine.”

“
What happened?”

“
We missed the turn.”

“
Apparently,” Shane said, humor in his voice now that he could see we were okay. “You took out a good section of fence there, Meg.”

“
Just help push the car please,” Megan said with a droll smile, getting back in the car.

Shane positioned himself behind the car. “Get inside with her,” he said, sounding more like my dad than my brother. “MacKinnon and I will push.”

“
I can help push,” I said, joining them.

“
Riley, you have a concussion,” Kade said. He reached up, brushed his fingers over my cheek. His lips curved softly. “You have mud all over you.”

“
Oh,” I said, lifting my hand. Our fingers touched briefly. It might have been a small contact, but I felt it all the way to my toes.

“
Riley, let’s go,” Megan said, her frustration obvious to everyone.

“
I gotta go,” I said, walking away. I slid into the passenger’s seat.

Megan hit the gas, and the guys had us out in two seconds.

“
Come on, lads!” the bus driver yelled. Curious onlookers had slowed, and traffic had backed up.

Kade stopped at my side of the window, his fingers gripping the door. “I need to talk to you, Ri. Please…”