Jessica Verday - The Hidden

“I’m not. I didn’t. I mean, they’re not mine. They’re someone else’s.”

Beth smiled. I groaned inwardly again because I knew that smile. And it was not one I wanted to see. “Ohhhh,” she said. “Someone drew them for you? Who are you dating, girl?”

“No one,” I said weakly, trying to laugh it off. Technically, not true. But easier than the real answer … “Hey, what ever happened to Lewis? Are you guys still together?”

“Ugh, no.” She blew her bangs out of her face with a disgusted breath. “He got too serious for me. He kept wanting to make plans for our future, and discuss what we’d do at college. And then! Then he brought up moving in together at some, like, halfway point if we went to different schools, so we could see each other on weekends. Seriously? I mean, dude, you’re a great lay and all, but I need some variety.”

“Um, yeah. I totally get it.” No, I don’t. I’m going to be with my boyfriend for all eternity. Talk about a commitment.

I tried very hard not to glance at Caspian, but I couldn’t help a quick peek. His face was blank, unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he was purposely keeping it that way or if he truly didn’t have any interest in what Beth was saying.

Or wearing.

“So, how’d he take it?”

“He was heartbroken, of course,” Beth said, drawing my attention back to her. She walked over to my desk and picked up the bottle of oakmoss oil. Her face wrinkled as she sniffed it. “Ew. Gross. That smells like dead plants or something.”

I laughed and took it from her. “Here.” I handed her vanilla. “Try this one.”

Her face lit up with a blissful smile as she inhaled. “Mmmmm. Could you make me a perfume like this?”

And just like that, my thoughts were spinning. Already working. I could add Madagascar vanilla with just a hint of butter crème, and some brown sugar to spice it up. “Yeah. Sure. No problem.”

Suddenly she hugged me. “Come to the beach with me,” she urged before pulling away. “We’ll find some lifeguard hotties and get drunk under the moon at midnight. I don’t care what Lewis says. I’m young . I need to live life. Look at you, right? You don’t have some high school boyfriend hanging around your neck like a chain, and you’re fine.”

I didn’t even know what to say. “I … Beth … I …” I shook my head.

“Puh- lease ? Come on, Abbey. It’s just for one day. Just come hang out with me for one day . That’s all I ask.”

The problem was that, in a normal world, it was something I might have agreed to do. But now Vincent was here, and so were the Revenants, and I didn’t know what to tell Caspian … and Mom . Plus, how could I act like I was single? It wouldn’t feel right flirting with some hunky boy. I had my own hunky boy right here.

The only trouble was, no one could see him but me.

“I can’t, Beth,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “I’d just feel awkward with my sling, and I’m not really up to finding some guys right now, after everything that happened. Maybe next time?”

She gave me a pouty look, but I could tell she saw that I was serious. “Okay, fine. Whatever. Just don’t go all moldy being cooped up in here, okay? Get some air.”

“I will.”

“And you better make me some of that vanilla perfume too.”

I laughed. “I will. I will. I’ll bring it to you on the first day of school.”

Beth blew me a kiss as she went out the door. “’Kay. Later, chica . I’m on my way to go find some beach hotties on my own.”

I waited until the coast was clear, and then I shook my head as I closed the door behind her. But I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.

“She seems nice,” Caspian said, a teasing lilt to his voice. “Why didn’t you tell her about me?”

“Riiiiiight. What was I supposed to say? ‘Yeah, sure, Beth. I’ll go with you. But there’s just this one teeny, tiny thing. See, I don’t need to find a boyfriend because I already have one. He’s just dead and therefore invisible.’”

Caspian laughed, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. Why was my life so complicated?

The next week and a half passed by quickly, and I was just getting used to having the sling on when it was time to take it off. Caspian went with me to the doctor’s office, but it was when we got home that the real surprise of the day came. Cacey and Uri were waiting there for us, standing by a car parked at the end of our driveway as Mom pulled up.

They were both dressed in khaki pants and business shirts-outfits similar to what they’d been wearing when they’d come to my room right after Vincent had been there. But Cacey’s blond hair was blue at the bottom.

“Surprise!” Cacey said when Mom turned the car off. “We thought we’d come see you.”

Mom, of course, was thrilled to see my new friends. “Well, hi! How nice of you two to stop by. Aren’t you working today?”

Cacey shook her head. “Kame suggested that we come talk to Abbey to see if she wants to join the intern program at the real estate office with us. It’s such a fantastic experience. We’re sure she’d be great at it. There’s nothing more valuable than learning the lesson of hard work!”

Trying to keep a straight face through Cacey’s BS was becoming a monumental task. Real estate interns … Yeah, right. How long was she going to keep this act up? It didn’t help matters when she started winking at Caspian.

Mom must have noticed the winking, because she asked Cacey, “Are you okay?”

“I think I have something in my eye.” Cacey winked again and then grinned unabashedly. “So, do you want to come with us, Abbey? We’re heading over to the office now, and you can see what we do. Learn more about the program.” She stretched out the word “program” into two long syllables.

Mom glanced at me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Cacey nod her head once. I followed suit. “Okay …”

Mom’s smile couldn’t have gotten any bigger. Clearly she was pleased by my “initiative.”

It’s not real, I wanted to tell her. They aren’t really interns, and Kame and Sophie aren’t real estate agents.

But the less she knew, the better.

“We’ll have her back by dinner, Mrs. Browning,” Cacey called, directing me to the backseat of their car. Uri said something to Mom to distract her, and Cacey motioned for Caspian to get in too. He slid in next to me, and I shut the door.

“What are we getting ourselves into?” he asked.

“I have no idea. But it must be important for them to come get us like this.”

Cacey got in the front passenger seat and pulled down the mirror, checking out her blue-tipped hair. “I know. I know,” she said, almost to herself. “That was laying it on thick. ‘The value of hard work.’ Ha! But I get so caught up in this little drama. I just love it.”

“What’s up with the whole pretending to be an intern thing?” I asked. “And the outfits?”

“Just playing a role. It’s better for us to fit in when we can.” She smiled at me, and I had the distinct impression of a shark eyeing its prey. Her clear, gray eyes were wide and focused. The faintest scent of smoke, or burning leaves, filled the car, and then it was gone. I felt a rash of goose bumps run up and down my arms.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re kind of creepy?” I said suddenly.