knows? I might freeze up and just stare at him.”
I chuckled. “You’ll be fine. You did great when you met him before. Believe me. Ben’s laidback. You won’t even remember he’s a hotshot author after a while.”
“I doubt it.”
As Taylor and I got into his car and drove across town to the liquor store, I stared at the changing leaves and breathed in the fall air coming in through the open window. The pain in my head had receded to a dull ache, though I was still sensitive to light. Thank god for the cloudy day.
I had seen Zeke one more time since the day we’d both admitted we wanted more. One of his conditions was for me to make time for my friends. He didn’t want me to alienate myself by spending every ounce of my free time at Redwood. So, when Ben had suggested dinner with me and Taylor, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to show both Zeke and myself that I could balance my life.
“How’s your head?” Taylor asked.
“Better.” I shifted in my seat and looked over at him. “Did you notice anything strange when Callum grabbed me?”
“Strange how?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, C.” Taylor tapped his finger on the steering wheel as he drove. “From what I know about Callum, he can sense things when he touches objects or people. Maybe he sensed something when he touched you.”
“You really believe he has some kind of gift?”
“I do.”
Wow. He’d said that with no hesitation.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” Taylor said. “During my first reading, Callum told me a chance encounter would change the course of my life.” He peered over at me. “I think he was referring to you. Becoming your friend has changed everything for me. Opened me up to a whole new world.”
It got me thinking too. Was he right? Did Callum really have powers?
After buying two bottles of red wine at the liquor store, we drove to Ben’s house. Taylor turned down Ellwood Street and sucked in a breath when the manor came into view.
“You act like you’re going on a date,” I said, amused. “Just chill, dude.”
“Will you hold my hand?” he asked, parking beside Ben’s vehicle.
I laughed and got out of the car. We walked up the path to the front porch, and just as we reached the top step, the door creaked open. I suspected Theo would remain invisible all night. Even if he wanted to show himself to Taylor, Ben wouldn’t allow it. At least, not at first. He didn’t know Taylor well yet, and he wanted to protect his ghost lover.
Much like I want to protect mine.
“Good evening,” Ben said, appearing in the doorway wearing a casual suit. He was freshly shaven and had trimmed his hair since the last time I’d seen him. He still looked like Ben… just a more polished version. “Come in.”
“Thanks,” Taylor said, as a dopey smile crossed his face.
I snickered and let him go into the manor first before stepping in behind him and closing the door. Taylor gawked at the interior, looking like a kid in a candy store as he struggled to stay in place and not wander around.
“It was built in the late 1800s,” Ben explained, noticing Taylor’s interest. “After dinner, I can give you a tour.”
“That’d be awesome,” Taylor responded with an excited grin. “I’ve always loved Victorian styled manors. You can really feel the history of the place.”
A floorboard creaked to the left of us.
“Let’s go to the dining room,” Ben quickly said, guiding us that way. I didn’t miss how he shot a look over his shoulder at the area the creak had come from.
Dinner consisted of pot roast with all the fixings; potatoes, carrots, and celery. As we sat at the table and ate, I eyed the basket of homemade bread before glancing at Ben. My best friend was a decent cook, but I knew he hadn’t made the meal all by himself.
Ben met my eye and smirked. The top of his hair ruffled ever so slightly, even though there wasn’t any sort of breeze around to cause it. That’s when I knew Theo was with us.
“I finished my book today,” Ben said halfway through the meal.
“Congrats!” I held up my glass. “Good thing we brought wine. A celebration is in order.”
“I don’t know about that.” Ben dabbed at his mouth after swallowing a bite of food. “It’s still a rough draft, and I’m not sure if it’ll be published. Not much to celebrate