Page 110 of Chasing Your Ghost

“I don’t know. The owner wasn’t around.”

“How did you find this out?” Noah asked.

“How do you think?” she asked scathingly. “I did what you all wanted me to. I spiritwalked. I went to the pool house first, and then something started pulling me away. I had to force my way through whatever was blocking me, but I got through.”

“Ella—” Noah started.

“I’ll meet you there,” she cut him off, hanging up before anyone could say anything more.

“Dammit,” Noah swore, turning back to face the road.

Riley shook her head. She couldn’t believe it. “She actually did it.” She remembered the tingle she’d felt on her neck earlier. It hadn’t been a ghost. It had been Ella, and Riley had somehow sensed her in the room.

Asher seemed just as surprised as she was. “I don’t get it. She seemed so against doing it this morning.”

“I wonder what made her change her mind,” Chris said, almost as though he’d heard Asher.

“I think I know,” Noah said after pulling away from the curb.

“Care to share with the group,” Riley prodded when he didn’t expand on his apparent knowledge.

“Not really.”

Riley looked at Asher and raised her brows in question, but he lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Well, whatever it was, thank god it happened,” she said, shifting closer to Asher so that she could rest her head on his shoulder, not caring what it looked like to the two men in the front.

“Yeah,” Noah agreed, but he didn’t sound very happy.

“You think she really found the place?” Chris asked.

“If anyone could do it, it’s her,” Noah replied. It was an odd thing for someone who hated Ella’s guts to say, but Riley knew he was right, so she didn’t argue.

“Only one way to find out,” she said, trying to remain level-headed and not get her hopes up too high again. But when she tilted her chin up to look at Asher, she couldn’t help but feel the zap of excitement in her veins and the fluttery feeling of anticipation in her stomach.

30

“It looks so…”

“Unassuming? Innocent? Normal?” Riley suggested to Chris. She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye.

“Yeah. That.”

“I don’t think kidnappers are in the habit of advertising their status as criminals by restricting themselves to the haunted-house vibe.” Still, Riley had to admit that the house they were standing in front of was deceptively nice-looking.

It was smaller than its neighboring houses, but with that came a sort of charm, as though its smaller stature made it more quaint. The light blue clapboard exterior and the white shutters framing the windows didn’t hurt either.

If Riley had been asked to choose a word to describe the place she’d thought they would find Asher, she would have gone for something along the lines of creepy, shady, or even horrifying. Not in a million years would she have chosen the word ‘cute’. Yet, there they were.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” she asked, before starting forward, her hand linked with Asher’s in a manner that probably looked incredibly strange to those who couldn’t see him. If anyone noticed she was holding their friend’s hand, however, they didn’t mention it as they obligingly followed her toward the house.

“You’re sure this is it?” Chris asked Ella.

“Yes.” It sounded like she’d replied through gritted teeth, and Riley supposed she didn’t blame her.

She tore her gaze away from the house they were nearing and looked at the brunette. Ella had arrived only seconds after them, her eyes hidden behind sunglasses and her hair pulled up into a messy bun. It wasn’t her eyewear or hairstyle that had shocked Riley, though. It was how pale Ella’s skin looked. Oh, and the fact that she’d been dabbing at her nose with a red-stained tissue when she got out of her car.

“Has your nose stopped bleeding?” Riley asked.

Ella’s lips pressed together. “Yes. I’m fine.”

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