Page 60 of Possess Me! (I Want You To)

I’d had the thing since I was sixteen. I didn’t drive frequently enough that I’d ever felt the need to replace it, even when I’d been doing well financially. Besides, Mom had been the one to get it for me, and I’d always been sentimental.

“Problem solved,” Prudence deadpanned, clearly unfazed. I laughed at the joke, only to realize belatedly that he had been totally serious. “We’ll take your ‘death trap’ for a spin.”

I could sense Violet somewhere down the hallway, the idea of her overhearing our plan making my skin prickle. She’d stop us, I knew she would. Now that I understood that witches and ghosts were actually a thing, it wouldn’t surprise me if she had the magic to do it. Somehow…?

“No!” I yelled, waving my hands around in my panic to shush him as I glanced over my shoulder with a wince. The door was locked, but fuck—the walls here were ridiculously thin. “Lower your voice.”

“You’re the one yelling,” Prudence snarked back and my jaw clicked shut in response. Shit. He was right. A soft laugh burst from my lips and I deflated, crossing the distance between us before I flopped onto the mattress beside him. As it dipped beneath my weight, our bodies were forced together. My heart beat stuttered. It was wild that Prudence was here at all. Especially now that he was solid more often than not. Sometimes I wondered if he was just a figment of my lonely imagination, something I’d made up to heal the bits of me that had been torn loose with Hunter’s betrayal. But…no. Peeking through my lashes at Prudence’s stoic expression, my lip caught between my teeth, I knew for a fact I wasn’t imagining him. As artistic as I’d always been, even I wasn’t creative enough to have conjured up someone this perfect.

I shrugged helplessly, embarrassed by my own antics. Prudence’s skin was cold where it brushed tantalizingly against mine. The veins in his forearms rippled as he crossed his arms, biceps bulging.

His expression did not invite argument.

I argued anyway.

“It’s going to break down on us and we’ll end up stranded. Besides, gas prices are literally atrocious,” I added. We both knew this was true (or at least I assumed he did) but Prudence rolled his eyes at me in response.

“Do you have a better idea?”

I blinked. I grimaced. Maybe he was right…I mean, it hadn’t broken yet, right? It could probably handle a quick little road trip north to Oregon. It wasn’t like it was across the whole country. I’d made the trip before. It was honestly our only option.

My eyes narrowed as I pursed my lips in thought. “I guess not. What if it does break though—?”

“Then we’ll figure something out.” Prudence stared up at me, his dark crush of hair falling across his brow as he leaned closer to meet my gaze. His broad shoulders pulled his t-shirt taut, glorious pecs swelling with each carefully calculated breath. Everything about him was gorgeous. He shouldn’t have fit in here, with my space themed posters, and my pastel pink bed set, but he did.

He and I were complementary colors.

His dark lashes fluttered, thick enough he could’ve been wearing eyeliner. The contrast in color only highlighted how striking his irises were—so pale they might as well have been colorless. Despite how striking his gaze was I couldn’t help but turn my attention to his lips, my own tingling in response. I knew what it felt like to kiss him now—and wow. Ten out of ten would recommend. I wanted to do it again, so badly I knew the desire probably wasn’t healthy.

Needy.

Maybe toxic?

But fuck. He was mine now, at least until he got what he wanted, right?

This might be my last shot at something like this.

It was okay to want him.

Things never work out well for you when you want them to, a bitter voice reminded me and my mind flashed back to Hunter. My stomach flipped and I bit my lip hard enough the pain distracted me from my thoughts.

I knew I shouldn’t trust Prudence.

I’d been burned before.

He was just like Violet had said—he had his own agenda. And based on what she’d rattled away about during her fits of hysteria over the whole thing, at the end of the road his death might end with mine as well. Making that sacrifice though? Didn’t feel as hard as it should’ve. I hadn’t lied when I’d told her this was the happiest I’d felt in years. He made me feel…He just—

Yeah.

He made me feel.

“Okay.” I exhaled raggedly, then flashed him an eager grin. “Road trip? Road trip. No espionage. Just…good ole birthday shenanigans.”

“Exactly.”

“It’ll be great. Totally, completely great. Things will not go to shit. Nope.”

Maybe this would work? Maybe it wouldn’t. But Prudence was right. It was worth a shot.

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