Sacred Spaces
“What on earth are you talking about?” I sputter, unable to process the abrupt change in direction.
Dad shakes his head, recovering some of his calmness. “Sorry, Autumn, but I just got back. It’s been a stressful few—I don’t even know how long. I just want a little peace and quiet.”
He walks out of the sitting room, leaving me in the cloud of confusion left in his wake.
With my mouth open wide and my head spinning, I fumble forward, making my way to the front door. I pull it back, unsurprised to find Wade standing there waiting.
“That took awhile,” he says, grinning. The smile fades from his face when he catches the look on mine. “What’s wrong?”
“I—” I begin. “I have no idea what just happened.”
Wade bends forward, taking my hand in his. “What is it? What happened?”
“My dad and I were having a conversation—a good one, actually. But he freaked out when you rang the doorbell,” I say.
Wade’s face crumples. “He really doesn’t want to meet me, does he?”
“I don’t think it has anything to do with you. He said something about just getting back and needing some time to relax,” I say. “He seems so—stressed. I don’t know what he’s been working on, but he had bags under his eyes…”
“Well, don’t read too much into it, then. I know how irritable I get when I’m dog-tired. It’s probably best to give him some space to unwind,” Wade offers with a shrug. “Well, I guess I should be going, then.” He jabs a thumb back toward his Impala in the drive.
“Do you…” I say, chewing on my lower lip. If Cat were here, I’d ask her to come over, but since I’m left with few options, I look up to Wade’s expectant gaze. “Can you come in for a bit? I don’t really want to be alone right now.”
Wade’s eyes widen, but he nods. “Of course.”
I back up, letting him walk past me and into the house. Taking a deep breath, I close the door.
My insides constrict. While my brain is saying one thing, my heart is saying another and I can’t seem to get both on the same page. Either way, I just need to feel some sense of normalcy.
“Come on,” I say, tipping my head toward the hallway. We make our way to my bedroom in silence, but the thoughts inside my head are anything but quiet. It’s like the angel and devil on my shoulder have suited up and gone to battle.
When we reach my bedroom, Wade stands awkwardly, waiting for me to usher him inside.
“Go in,” I say, thrusting my hand out and shooting him a tense smile.
When he’s inside my room, I cast a tentative glance down the hallway and close the door. Turning around, Wade stands in the middle of the room, waiting patiently with his hands clasped behind his back.
I smirk, surprised by his stiff demeanor. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s been the most easygoing person I’ve ever met.
I flick on the light switch beside the door and my bedside lamps both flicker to life. The late-afternoon sun is setting, drawing deep shadows in the trees outside and into the corners of my bedroom.
“You can sit, you know,” I say, pointing to the window seat and walking over to it myself.
Wade follows me, watching me with curious eyes.
I sigh loudly and take a seat. “Thanks for coming in here. I just—without Cat, I don’t really have anyone to talk to. And things have just been…weird.”
“Tell me about it,” Wade agrees, sitting down on the bench beside me. His knee bumps mine, and he leaves it there.
Rather than shifting away, I stay there, letting the closeness of him burn at my senses. Things have gotten so confusing around here, at least I know it’s one thing that’s still real.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Despite all the weirdness back there, Dad and I did talk a bit about the haunting. Not a lot…but enough.”
“Okay?” Wade says.
“I told him about your attack. He thinks it could be Abigail,” I say, casting my gaze out over the courtyard. Without looking at him, I can feel the weight of his stare.
“Really? I thought we decided it wasn’t her. The vibe isn’t right,” Wade counters.
I nod, turning to face him. “I know. But then I remembered something Abigail said to me really early on. She told me she was bound or there was a binding she wanted my help with. She said I was the only one who could help. At the time, I didn’t know what that meant, but then I saw how she became a ghost.”
Wade’s silver eyes expand. “You did?”
“Yeah,” I say, narrowing my gaze as I remember the vision. “It was like she was reminding me of her request—or like it was the only way she could get through to me. Either way, it left me thinking I should have been asking more questions. Like, how do we help her? It never really occurred to me that she might not want to be a ghost.”
“Did she ask you to help her cross over?” Wade asks.
“Not in so many words. But it’s the feeling I got. Any ideas on how to make that work?”
He shrugs. “I understand the straightforward crossings, but ones like hers aren’t really my area of expertise just yet. I could find out, though.”
“Would your dad answer any questions if he knew it was for my family?” I frown.
“There’s only one way to find out for sure,” he says, smirking. Reaching out, he places his hand on my knee, and holds it there a moment.
The gesture is small, but it’s enough to make my pulse race. I wish things were different. I wish there wasn’t this distance between us, even though I’m the one who put it there. I wish I could release it all and just be with him. I wish…
Without warning, the lights on my nightstands begin to flicker.
“Shit, not again,” Wade says, suddenly standing up.
