18 Thoughts (My So-Called Afterlife Book 3) (32 page)

“Here, open your present.” From my purse, I pulled out the oversize envelope containing his card and personalized CD. “Happy birthday.”

“Wow, first the coffee candle and chocolate chip cupcakes at lunch, and now this?” He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

“The candle was a selfish gift on my part because I’m tired of smelling those incense in your room; plus I wanted to give you something that reminded you of me. And the cupcakes were my mom’s idea on our way home from dinner the other night. I think she felt bad about never bonding with me in the kitchen and realized she didn’t have much time left with me going away to college soon.”

“Well, I’m glad I got to reap the benefits of your mom’s guilt. I ate another two when I got home. What was her special ingredient?”

“She adds a little package of fancy grated German Chocolate to the mix.”

“It was excellent. I liked how you guys sprinkled the powdered sugar on top instead of doing frosting, too.” He peered at the CD in his hands and read the words scrawled in marker on its surface. “Nate’s Life Playlist Part I. You did not make me my own personalized CD!”

I nodded. “One hit song from each year you’ve been alive. All of them are from top-ten lists. I tried to pick songs you’d actually like or reminded me of you in some way.”

“This is the most awesome present anyone has ever given me. You need to park so I can thank you properly.”

I laughed, relieved he didn’t think my gift was too hokey. “You need to tell me where to park first.”

“Right at the curb here. I thought we’d enjoy some Victorian charm.”

“Harbor House Inn?” My heart pounded in a near panic attack.

“Hey, relax. I didn’t book us a room or anything. I wanted to do one last reckless thing to celebrate the end of my youth, so I thought we could crash a wedding.”

Raising my eyebrows, I said, “Really? Isn’t that kind of a douche bag thing to do?”

“What? No, it’ll be fun.”

“Whatever. How’d you find out about it anyway?” My voice sounded sharp, and I regretted the tone. If this was what he wanted to do for his birthday, then I should go along with it.

“I checked online to see if I could find any weddings taking place in Grand Haven tonight. Figured my odds were good with the holiday. Sure enough, there’s a destination wedding and reception at the inn this evening. That means nobody will recognize us at the party since they’re out-of-towners.”

I sighed in relief. “You know, most couples celebrate their first Valentine’s Day with dinner and a romantic movie.”

“Well, I can read your mind. We aren’t like everyone else.”

“Fine. But we go in, dance to one song, then leave. No funny business.”

“Absolutely not. I’m highly trained for this sort of thing. I watched
Wedding Crashers
last night and gathered some tips. One of the rules is to not use real names. I saw this game people were playing online called
What is Your Star Wars Name?
Mine is Barna Regow. Yours is Worol Wegra. So those will be our aliases.”

“What? How did we end up with those names?”

“Don’t ask questions. Just go with it. Also, another tip is to blend in while standing out. So I get why you want to leave after one dance, but we gotta make it a big dance number. Go big or go home.”

“That’s what she said.”

“Now you’re feeling me.”

“What about the Chicken Dance…? Is that big enough?”

He shook his head. “No Chicken Dance. No exceptions.”

“Okaaay. Then how about the YMCA or the Macarena? Because outside of the standard party songs, I’m not much of a dancer.”

“That’s okay. Just follow my lead.”

“What if we get caught?”

“Break something and use the distraction to run.”

“I’m not destroying property.”

“Fine, pretend to speak another language.”

“I do speak another language. I speak Russian.”

“Really? How?”

“Have you ever paid attention to my name? I’m named after my Russian grandmother. She makes me speak in Russian every time I visit her in Traverse City. I guess you missed that part when you were in the hospital on New Year’s.”

“Is that why you’re the president of the Multicultural Club at school?”

I laughed. “Don’t know if that’s why I’m the president, but yes, that’s why I’m a member. It’s for students who can speak another language or want to learn about other cultures.”

“Huh, I always wondered why you were part of that club. Well, good, that could come in handy. Also, please talk dirty to me in Russian later. That’s all I want for my birthday besides crashing a wedding with you.”

“I still don’t know. I have a bad feeling about this,” I said, quoting my favorite line from Star Wars as I took the key out of the ignition.

Nate hopped out and jogged around the truck to open my door. “Come on, this will put your journalism skills to work. You can write a story for the next issue of the
Bucs’ Blade
titled ‘Top 5 Ways to Crash a Wedding.’”

He pocketed the card and CD inside his jacket while I basked in the landscape, taking in my hometown with new appreciative eyes, nostalgia winning out as the dominant feeling with the thought of leaving for college in a few months. Arm in arm, Nate and I walked up the steps to the wraparound veranda extending the full length of the inn.

He squeezed my hand. “Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Once inside, we followed the arrow pointing us toward the
Morales/Coka
wedding reception. Even without the sign, the cheers and applause following the announcement of the bride and groom when they entered the room as husband and wife would’ve led us straight to the party.

“Good thing this wedding party took over the whole inn,” a maid whispered to a waitress as we passed them in the hallway. “Looks like they’re a wild bunch.”

Terror seized my heart, worried they’d ask to see our invitation, but they didn’t even notice us.

We waited until we heard the music for their first dance, and then Nate opened the door to the reception area, and I closed my eyes, breathing in the fresh scent of roses. When I popped my eyes open, Nate flashed me a flirty smile I quickly returned. There was something to be said for bonding over new adventures like this together. I’d never felt so close to anyone besides Conner, but I’d known him since kindergarten.

We scanned the perimeter. There were five long tables on each side of the room with a dance area in the middle. Strobe lights coming from the DJ’s corner worked the crowd into a dancing frenzy as a Latin number blared from the speakers, definitely not the typical first dance.

I elbowed Nate in the ribs. “You want to change your mind about the Macarena? We could mimic those moves pretty easily to this tune and be out of here in five.”

“Chill, girl. Come on. I’ll get you a drink.”

After a slight hesitation, I followed him over to the makeshift bar in the corner of the room. We were only going to grab some waters, but then the bartender handed us each a mixed drink.

“It’s on the house,” he told us with a wink.

“From who?” I asked, sniffing the glass.

“From me. I’ve done enough weddings to know when someone’s crashing.”

I hit Nate on the arm. “I told you we’d be caught!”

“Relax.” The bartender wiped up a spilled drink on the counter. “I’m the only one who knows, and I won’t tell anyone. Go have some fun. But the second drink you pay for.”

“Awesome. Thanks.” Nate clanked his glass against mine. “Cheers!” He jerked his head back and downed the whole thing at once.

I took a tentative sip of mine, not wanting to feel rude toward the bartender who didn’t rat us out. Luckily, the DJ announced everybody could join the newlyweds on the dance floor, so Nate set my drink down to whisk me away to the center of the room.

“Mambo madness, here we come!” He stopped and pulled me close. “Listen to my count, follow my lead, and try not to step on my feet too hard in those heels. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. You step in the two and three, pause in the one and four.”

When I didn’t get the hang of the Mambo after a minute, he improvised. Spinning me left and right, hugging me close to his hips before twirling me away from him, snapping his fingers in the air. By the time the song ended, I panted for breath and felt like I couldn’t get enough. Laughing, he dipped me backward and kissed me.

After we broke apart, I ducked from under his grip.

“Where are you going?” he asked as I pushed past him.

“To get a drink. I’m thirsty.”

He put an arm around my shoulder. “My kisses make you hot, huh?”

I blushed, but before I could answer with a clever retort, I spotted Conner standing at the drink table, not a trace of blue left in his eyes. His head bowed, his gaze fixed on me. He wore an untucked long-sleeved black shirt with khaki pants. His blond hair was a mess, long overdue for a cut just like the last time he’d disappeared.

“What the hell?” Nate whispered beside me.

My heart hitched in my chest. “Act cool. Let’s see what’s going on.”

Nate yanked my arm. “Olga, no. Don’t go over there.”

“I have to,” I whispered. I had to see if any part of
my
Conner was left.

Nate shook his head. “Fine, but I’m calling the police.” He patted his pants before cursing silently. “I left my cell in the truck. Do you have yours?”

I shook my head. “No, mine’s in the truck, too.”

“Maybe the bartender has one I can borrow.”

I struggled to make my next words come out, but no matter how spooked I was, I knew I needed a moment alone with Conner. “No—here—take my keys—I’ll be fine in here for a moment—there’s too many people around for him to try anything.”

Fishing the keys out of my purse, I handed them over.

Nate sighed and squeezed my hand as he took the keys. “I’ll be right back. Do not leave this room. Yell in your head if you need my help. You’ll be all right.”

I opened my mouth to assure him I would be, but Nate had already turned away, running from the room. When I looked at Conner again, he beckoned me forward with his index finger. Long gone was the good, obedient girl who did everything Conner told her to. And fake Conner was the last person I wanted to speak with, but I owed it to
my
Conner to learn all the information I could about the demon possessing him.

“Fancy meeting you here.” He stood with his back pressed against the wall.

My lips and chin trembled, but I forced my voice to remain calm. “Yes, it is.” I gazed into his black eyes, searching for a connection to
my
Conner, a binding feeling that would reassure me he was beyond whatever facade stood in front of me. I felt the tiniest hint of something and prayed the real Conner felt it, too, to have at least a little piece of him here with me. “You’ve been away for a while.”

His nostrils flared. “Didn’t have a choice. I knew I’d be thrown in jail if I stayed. Or worse, that priest of yours would’ve found a way to get rid of me for good.”

Sweeping a hand over my forehead, I wiped off beads of sweat. “I thought he already had.”

He shoved off the wall and drew closer. “Nearly did. The fire and baptism was disconcerting, for sure. I grew small, almost imperceptible. But every bad deed the real Conner did made me grow stronger again. I knew he felt me, was terrified of me. But his pride kept him from saying anything. Soon I’d grown big again, waiting for my moment to take over, knowing my time would come. You’re to thank for that. Conner feels this ownership over you. Seeing you with Nate again finally let me loose.”

I shrank back. Why was he suddenly telling me everything and being truthful? It could only mean he was here because he needed something from me. “Is he still in there somewhere?”

“Yes. I’m not strong enough to make him completely dormant like I did last time. I feel him whimpering and writhing. Quite annoying actually.”

I wanted to spit on him. “How do I get him back?”

“Yes, I’m doing fine.” He raised his voice a little, annoyed. “Thanks for asking.”

We stared at each other in critical silence for a moment. Obviously, he wasn’t going to answer my last question, but I had to try for something more. This was the first opportunity I actually had to talk to
him
since figuring out the truth.

Biting my lip, I blurted out the next question that came to me. “How did you find me tonight?”

“I’ve been tracking you since yesterday. Couldn’t let that little punk get you all to himself on the most holiest of pagan holidays.” Even though Valentine’s Day was yesterday, we waited to celebrate tonight because of Nate’s birthday; Nate had been out of town until late last night anyway.

I pressed my elbows into my sides, wishing I could disappear. “What do you want from me?”

“Come on. They’re serving dinner. Let’s not be rude, darling.”

“I’m not hungry.”
Nate, where are you? Hurry up!

“That hardly matters.”

As Conner pulled me to the nearest seat, I cringed. He pulled my chair out for me with the courteousness of a perfect gentleman. Others sat down at the table, too, but they weren’t within earshot and hardly seemed interested in introductions. Candles flickered around the rose centerpiece, the light dimming in the room as waiters delivered Caesar salads and dinner rolls. I took a sip of water, wishing I had that drink from earlier. I scanned the room for Nate but didn’t see him anywhere.
What’s taking you so long?

“Looking for your boyfriend?”

I glared at him. “What did you do?”

He turned his chair to face me. “I paid the bartender to give you those drinks, but first I spiked Nate’s with a little concoction of my own creation.”

Tears sprung into my eyes, and I tried to sprint from my seat, but Conner was faster. He yanked my arm and pulled me back down.

“Relax, sweetheart. The effects were almost immediate, probably the minute he stepped out of this building, but he’ll be okay. On the other hand, you won’t be if you try any funny business.” He pulled up his shirt to reveal a gun stashed in the waistband of his pants.

I swallowed hard before unfolding my napkin and placing the cloth in my lap, keeping up the show. “Fine. Where is Nate now?”