Evade (The Ever Trilogy) (16 page)

“I don’t feel it anymore, and we have to get out of here now, but I don’t want to be ambushed at the door. Let’s go toward the bathroom and see if there’s a back door, or a window, or something we can use.”

“What do you mean, you don’t feel it? Like, cold air or sulfur smells, or something?”

“Did you feel cold around Frankie?”

“No. But that ghost at the Queen Mary made me feel cold.”

“She wanted you to feel cold. It’s just like when you see them, Ev. They want to be seen. A Seeker doesn’t want to give off any clues about its presence because it’s the hunter, not the hunted. So it usually won’t. I don’t know why I could sense this one coming, but I don’t want you to think you can rely on something to warn you of their presence, okay?”

“Okay,” I said with a shrug.

“And sulfur is only an indication of a demon presence.”

“What?”

“I’m kidding. Demons aren’t real…at least, not in the way you’re thinking. Sulfur, cold spots, it’s all television stuff. Hollywood’s finest. Yes, these signs are based on truths—I’ll give you that much—but it’s nothing I want you to be tricked into believing, because the truth of the matter is that they can show up at any time, without any warning at all. Or, depending on who you’re dealing with and what kind of mood they’re in, your mirror could ice over and crack from sudden intense cold.”

“That’s ridiculous. So, your saying Seekers can do all the things I’ve seen in movies, but probably won’t—unless they feel like it, but that depends on the Seeker—so basically I can rely on nothing?”

“Basically, yes. Sorry”—Toby cringed—“and it’s not just Seekers. All ghosts can do those things and more, but probably won’t. Unless—”

“Unless they’re in a playful mood. I get it.”

“Okay. Now, let’s see if we can get out of here without drawing attention to ourselves.”

I nodded and allowed him to lead me to the back of the restaurant. I received a very knowing wink from the old man behind the counter when I glanced over at him, and I heated up from embarrassment. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that he’d probably seen the entire intimate moment between Toby and me. Hell, I’d been so floored by Toby kissing me that I’d been thinking about Wyatt freaking Earp! Talk about turning my brain to mush!

There were no windows in the bathrooms, and no side door that we could see, because that would have been far too easy. There was probably a door in the back through the kitchen, but that didn’t seem like the best way to not draw attention to ourselves. Toby and I made our way to the front door, and then outside, bracing for the worst. Well, I was bracing for the worst. He seemed as cool and confident as ever.

Which worked out fine because we weren’t met with anything once outside, and we made it to the car without incident. Toby quickly opened my door, then locked and shut it behind me after I sat down inside. As he made his way to his side of the car, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as if someone ran an icy finger up my spine.

“Hmmm,” a slightly-familiar gravelly voice said from the back seat.

I whipped around to see the same Seeker from the hotel room in Mexico. I scooted back, so I was almost off the seat, my shoulder blades pressed against the glove box. I heard Toby’s key slide into the lock on the driver’s side, but the latch wouldn’t turn.

“Shit! Ever!” Toby bent to look in the window, eyes going wide as he spotted the ghostly Seeker in the back seat.

“I’ll be but only a moment,” the Seeker said to the window. As he spoke, the glass iced over, right before my eyes.

Toby continued to jiggle the handle and punch the door of his car. “You stay away from her!”

“Parlor tricks, my dear. Simple parlor tricks, nothing more.”

“You were listening to us?”

He waved his hand in the air, dismissing my question. “You’re not very hard to find, Eleanor. I’m surprised I am the only one who’s located you thus far. And twice even.”

“Well, here you are. What
are
you going to do with me?”

His ghostly mouth turned up at the corners, deepening his predatory grin. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger over his chin, contemplating an answer.

“What am I going to do with you? I like you, Eleanor. You’ve got spunk. Here’s what I’m going to do…”

He disappeared at the same second that Toby finally got the door open. Toby flew into the car, reaching across for me—to pull me out his side of the car, I guessed—but I stopped him.

“Toby! He’s gone! Look!”

“What?” His dark eyes searched the back seat, then turned back to me, searching my face. “Are you okay? What did he say?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied. I shook, but I couldn’t ignore what the Seeker said. “He said he likes me.”

“What?”

“He said, ‘I like you, Eleanor. You’ve got spunk.’”

“Spunk?”

“Yep.”

“Weird.”

“Yep.”

“And then he left?” Toby asked.

“Yep.”

“Just like that?”

I nodded. “Are you going to get in and close the door?”

Toby shook his head as if shaking away confusion, and got all the way into his seat, closing the door behind him. He buckled his seatbelt, then turned in the seat to face me. He tilted his head to one side, as his lips curved up a bit on one side.

“You do have spunk.”

“Thanks?”

“And you let me kiss you.”

I looked down at my hands clenched in my lap. “I did.”

“You did. Why?”

“We were in danger. I didn’t have a choice.”

“You kissed me back.”

“I did.”

“Why?” He reached out for me, settling his fingers on my chin, then pulled my face up. Those sapphire eyes were mere inches from mine.

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly feeling swollen and my heart racing in my chest.

“Why did you kiss me back, Ever?”

“Because I wanted to.”

“Good answer.” His fingers moved slowly from my chin to my cheek, spreading sensation through my face as they made their way to my hair. He brought his other hand up to my cheek, so both hands cupped my face. His eyes bore into mine, and I watched his mouth as he licked his lips.

“Don’t kill me,” he whispered.

His lips found mine, though this time I was much less caught off guard, since I’d heard the warning before and this time knew what it meant. I’d also been watching his eyes look from my eyes to my lips and back again, which was more warning than anything else he could have done or said.

I kissed him back, sighing as the feelings I used to have for Toby—or apparently still had—rushed to the surface. I felt little sparks of excitement all over my body, like a blanket of heat and electricity coated me. He pulled back way before I was ready to stop kissing him.

I exhaled a breath, much louder than I’d like.
Damn it all. I have no self-control.

“We should get going,” he said as he glanced at his watch. “We need a place to stay for the night, and I’d like to call Greg and Ted to see if they have any idea why this Seeker just let you go like that. It was very…out of character.”

“Okay,” I said as I settled back into my seat and looked out the window. I couldn’t shake the smile from my face, even though my mind still tried to reason against letting Toby kiss me.

I couldn’t let that happen again. It was too soon after saying goodbye to Frankie, and there was far too much history between Toby and me to just pretend issues didn’t exist. We’d been through too much, and I couldn’t see a relationship between us working out anyway. He’d lied to me. He’d caused so much drama in my life, in my family’s life.

But, had he?
I wondered. I mean, really? Hadn’t it been Ted who started all of this, twenty-something years ago? Before I was even born? Was any of it Toby’s fault at all?

It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be kissing me again. I couldn’t allow that.

“Thanks for letting me kiss you again,” Toby whispered.

I sighed. If he only knew that was
exactly
what I currently battled myself over.

I
’d always thought Northern California would be fancy and wealthy and green. Like, big forests on cliffs overlooking the ocean, green. But we ended up in a small Best Western in Sacramento, and the landscape was just as brown as
Los Bathrooms
had been. The area seemed much more populated, I’d give it that, but it wasn’t the beachy, oceanfront landscape that I’d imagined. I mentioned as much to Toby, eliciting barely-restrained laughter from him.

“You do understand that we’re inland, right? California is huge.”

“Yeah, I get that. I just always thought it was green up here. Like forests and stuff.”

“Well, that’s more Oregon and Washington. California is mostly brown.”

It was just after nine o’clock, and I wasn’t really tired. I’d stretched out on one of the double beds, watching random old television reruns, and feeling antsy. I got up and decided to change into my pajamas. At least it would give me something to do so I could feel less anxious for a few brief moments. The inactivity was torture. My limbs felt restless and achy, and my stomach turned. I couldn’t sit still.

While I changed my clothes and brushed my teeth, I heard Toby make a few phone calls. I found myself listening to his voice, though I wasn’t actually registering his words. As I finished up my routine, I realized what was going on with me, and why my stomach flip-flopped all over the place. Aside from the fact that I was on the run, which would make anyone nervous, I was in a hotel room with Toby.

Which would make any
girl
nervous. I shook my head at my reflection.
Silly girl.

I was relieved to find the comfy shirt and pastel striped flannel pants I’d had on earlier, not some lacy thing Jessie snuck in by accident—or possibly not by accident at all, knowing Jess.

I exited the bathroom, trying to appear as cool as possible, though when Toby’s eyes roamed freely up and down my body as I made my way to the other side of the room, I felt anything but cool. Nervous and awkward, yes. But cool? Not so much.

I slid in between the sheets so he’d stop looking at me in my jammies, and tried to focus on the television screen.

He cleared his throat before he spoke.

“Well, it seems like no one knows why that Seeker did what he did. Or, they’re not telling me something. Either way, I think there’s more to this than we know.”

“Huh. I’d say Google it, but that got me nowhere.”

“What do you mean that got you nowhere?”

Whoops.
Better to just be honest, I guessed. “I Googled you.”

“I’m sorry,” he said with a laugh, “did you just say you
Googled
me?”

“Stop laughing! I didn’t know what else to do! You’d just told me you were a freaking soul collector, Toby! What did you expect?”

“Um. Not that, I guess…so, what did you find?” His laughter bordered on annoying.

“Nothing.”

“Hmm. Well that’s surprising.”

“Really?” I turned to look at him.

“No.” More laughter. “Not surprising at all.”

“Jerk!” I threw a pillow at him, which he caught and used to prop himself up on his double bed. I’d probably not get it back now either. Hmph. Fine. I could make do with one crappy pillow anyway.

“We’re meeting up with your mom and Ted tomorrow night.”

“Really? Where?”

“Portland.”

“Portland? Oregon?” I wondered how long it would take to get there. Then I wondered where we’d be headed to after that.

“Yes, that’s the correct Portland.” His eyes still sparkled with amusement.

“So, is there an end goal in all this? A stopping point?”

“Aside from keeping you alive? Ted knows a guy in Seattle who we’re going to see. Maybe he’ll have some answers. That’s what Ted’s hoping anyway.”

“Ted and my mom”—I shook my head—“I still can’t wrap my mind around them…them being together at some point. It’s…it’s just so gross.”

“I know, babe. And I can imagine how shocked you are about Ari and everything, but I don’t know, something about the way your mom and Ted acted around each other…it just felt—”

“Natural?” I couldn’t believe I voiced the word aloud.

Toby cringed. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I saw it, too. It was like…” I paused. I didn’t want to finish that sentence, or the thought that preceded it. I didn’t want to admit that seeing my mom and Ted together felt like two halves becoming a whole. The way they looked at one another, and their body language… “Everything looked so natural between them,” I admitted not just to Toby, but to myself as well.

“I’m sorry, Ever. I know that must be hard for you to see. It’s only been a few months since your dad—”

“Oh, well. Moving on, right? Out with the old!”

“I know you don’t mean that.”

“I know.”

“Let’s watch a movie, want to?”

“Sure.” I welcomed the change of subject, as well as the lack of talking that a movie would provide. I knew what I’d seen between my mom and Ted, knew how naturally they fit together even after all this time, and even after she’d loved my dad for so long, but that didn’t mean I was ready to accept it, or even acknowledge it any more than I already had. It was all just too much. And
too
weird.

Weird like being holed up in a hotel room with my ex-boyfriend. Whom I’d just kissed today.

Twice.

Moving on!

Toby selected a fairly new movie—one of those “still in theaters” choices that you know is still in, like, one small theater somewhere in BFE Texas, just so they can get away with calling it that and charging people more. When the movie began, Toby went to his duffle, pulling off his shirt and then folding it up and placing it on top of his bag. He grabbed his toothbrush and headed for the bathroom, never looking at me again, which thankfully kept him from seeing my no doubt bright red cheeks.

Holy cow, that boy is in shape.

When he walked out of the bathroom a few moments later, I kept my eyes focused on the screen. I had no idea what the actors were saying or doing, and if Toby asked me what he’d missed, I’d have absolutely nothing to tell him. I was too busy being frozen in place since I’d watched him remove his shirt, secretly observing each muscle in his torso stretch and pull as he did so.

He walked in front of the television once, twice, making focusing on the movie even more challenging. When he passed by a third time, I looked up to find him smirking.
He’s doing this on purpose!
I rolled my eyes, then brought my gaze back to the screen. I wouldn’t let him get a reaction out of me, cocky bastard.

He slid under the covers of his double bed, still shirtless. I ignored him completely. If completely meant ignoring him while thinking of nothing but him and his half-nakedness under the sheets.

Holy hell.

As we lay there in our matching double beds, ugly floral comforters and all, I was acutely aware of Toby’s presence, and completely
un
aware of what was going on in the movie he’d just paid $9.95 to watch. As I occasionally snuck sideways glances at him, I tried to ignore the fact that I could imagine exactly the place on his hips where his low-slung jeans rested, as well as the image I could perfectly picture of the v-shaped muscle extending from that very place where his jeans met his waist.

Yeah, I could ignore all that. No problem.

“You should pay attention to the movie,” he said. “You might miss something.”

Oh hell. I’d been staring at him and he’d caught me. He kept his eyes glued to the screen, and that damn smirk glued to his pretty face.

“You can come over here and watch the movie with me, if you’d like.”

He still hadn’t looked over at me, and his lips twitched as if this was the funniest thing ever. My mouth twitched too, but not because I was going to laugh. I was half-tempted to call him names and was just about to when he lifted that damn sheet and patted the bed next to him. Sure enough, his jeans were resting exactly where I’d pictured them, the top button undone.

“I’m fine where I am, thanks.”

I turned back to the television—
Gah! What are we even watching?
—and tried to pretend I wasn’t completely frazzled by this whole situation. And, seriously, what the hell? I was supposed to be running for my life. I should have been terrified! Not blushing like a silly girl and unable to focus on anything but my ex-boyfriend lying casually in the bed next to mine.

“Suit yourself,” he said.

His bed creaked under his weight as he moved. The covers rustled as he pushed them off and stood. I closed my eyes…as if that would make him not do what he was about to do.

“Scootch.”

No no no no no.

He lifted the bedding and climbed into bed with me, even though I hadn’t even moved to make room for him. He had some nerve!

“You’re not going to make room, are you?”

I didn’t say anything. I must have looked quite foolish, standing my ground with my freaking eyes squeezed shut.

The bed bowed under the weight of him and I clenched my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut harder.
Make it stop!

“Are you going to open your eyes, at least?”

Oh hell.
Fine.

He was right there, though why I was shocked by that I have no idea, since the bed was only a little bit bigger than a twin, and I’d felt him slide in next to me. I scooted over to make more room for him, a bit reluctantly, of course.

I was doing as well with reluctance as I had been with ignoring Toby.

He smiled at me and lifted his arm so I could slide under it. About eight thousand different warning bells went off in my brain at once, beeping alarms, screeching tires, flashing lights, but I scooted toward him and rested my head on his chest anyway. He brought his arm back down around me and settled in.

And I seriously have no idea what the hell we were watching because I could think of nothing else but him, and what it felt like to be back in his presence, with my face on his chest.

I fell asleep in a strange hotel room somewhere in Northern California, in the safety of the arms of the
one
guy I’d wanted so badly to be over, though I clearly never would be.

Toby’s lips brushed against my forehead briefly as I drifted off, and he sighed contentedly beneath me.

I may have sighed as well.