“That sounds hard.” Great job, Captain Obvious. I wanted to smack myself in the forehead. That could be construed as a general, friend-type question, right? I wish. Proof positive that I had no idea how to just be friends with this guy. I sipped my water, smoothing the napkin over my dress.
“Pretty much.” That intense blue-eyed stare fixed itself on me. Draping his arm around the back of the booth, he inched closer to me. “It’s a recent split. They were a DC power couple for fifteen years. My mom’s a political consultant and my dad is a lawyer. He had to retake the bar exam when he moved out of state.”
“Man, that sounds rough.” I winced, giving him a sad smile.
“There were definitely some nasty headlines about them.” His eyes sparked as he leaned in closer.
“Wow. I can’t even imagine.” My whole body tensed at his proximity and my eyes fell to the tabletop. I scratched a chip in the wood with my fingernail, anything to avoid those sea-gray eyes staring a hole in the side of my head.
Will’s fingers brushed mine, sending a shockwave through me. I gazed up at him, then caught a glimpse of someone standing over our table.
Jake.
My heart thudded in my chest, loud as a thunderstorm. It was all I could hear. A dark shadow hovered next to him, bringing a musty stench with it.
“No way.” I blinked, but he still stood there. And so did the shadow. Something curdled in my throat. I could practically taste the fear, and it was coming from the wisps of dark smoke emanating from the black, monster-like shadow creature hovering next to my ex. This couldn’t be happening. Or was this exactly what Mr. Harlixton was talking about?
“That’s not Jeremy.” Shanda eyed the stranger. When she glanced over at me her expression died. “Do you know that guy?”
“Lucy, you okay?” Will grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “Who is this guy?”
Did he use a stun gun on me or something? I couldn’t move, couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Maybe it was the weird shadow. It had wraith-like tendrils that curled around the jerk’s throat.
I rubbed my eyes again, but it didn’t go away like my other visions. Was this a nightmare? The lump in my throat dropped like a bomb, exploding fireflies in my stomach. If seeing this Creature from the Black Lagoon hovering next to Jake was one of my new Seer powers, no way could stomach that role.
“Sorry to interrupt like this.” Jake pulled up a chair and parked himself at the end of our table. Typical Jake. Except now he had a demon shadow buddy by his side. “I had to see Lucy. She and I go way back.”
He shook Kevin’s hand, then Will’s. “I’m Jake, her boyfriend.”
Disgust gurgled in my stomach, mixed with Jake-rage. Who did he think he was? Showing up here like this? Suddenly the shadow’s tendril drifted from Jake’s side of the table toward me. Before I knew it, an icy grip encircled my throat. I clawed at my throat to get more air. My fingers froze like they’d wrestled a Popsicle, the cold shivering down to my feet.
Words were impossible, breathing difficult.
Jake reached over to shake Shanda’s hand.
She didn’t budge, just blinked at me. “You mean ex-boyfriend, right, Lucy?”
I tried to nod, but I couldn’t move. Like my limbs suddenly turned to stone. The panic welled up with a fire, burning in the corners of my eyes.
Then the waiter came over with our food, nodding at the new guy. “Did I miss someone?”
“I’ll have the Hard Rock bacon burger and a chocolate shake.” Jake shot me his I’m-so-charming face. Yeah, right. “You don’t mind if I join you, do you?”
“Not at all.” Kevin popped a fry in his mouth.
Shanda and Will just stared at me.
With a surge of strength I shook my head hard, too hard. The shadow tightened its grip around my throat, cutting off my air supply.
“You feeling okay? You don’t look so good.” Will brushed my hair back. His touch sparked the shadow and made it slither back to Jake’s side.
Panting like I’d run a mile, I gulped lungfuls of air. No way could I meet Will’s stare, full of questions. I had to think, to figure out some way to keep Jake’s god-awful monster away from me.
“Jake, what brings you to New York?” Kevin asked.
“That’s a funny story.” His eyes roamed over me like a piece of meat.
The anger swirled inside me, mixing with the fear and sheer panic until I couldn’t take it anymore. Acid burned in my throat. I clutched my stomach.
“I could lie and say I was in the area. But it’s not true.” He reached for my hand. His touch burned my fingers, and I jerked back.
“How’s Becca?” I spat out the words like they were a disease. As far as I was concerned that’s what he was, too. Biting into my lip, I glared my worst evil-eye at him.
“It’s over now,” he snapped. “That’s why I’m here.”
Shanda’s face scrunched up, and she rubbed my forearm. “How can you come here and say these things to Lucy? In front of her friends that you don’t even know?” She threw down her napkin.
Will slid his arm around my shoulders. Even Kevin tensed up.
A glimmer of hope surged through me. I clenched my teeth. Time to get it together. No more creepy shadow to hold me back. “Why don’t you just leave? I don’t know why you came, but I don’t want you here. Please go.”
Jake’s face softened. “Luce, I miss you, that’s all.”
“Maybe we should take this outside.” Will’s jaw tightened into a straight line, his eyebrows bunching up.
“I won’t go anywhere with him. It’s over. It’s been over for months and
