Page 138 of Possess Me! (I Want You To)

“Oh.” It was almost hilarious that I’d shocked him into silence.

I remembered how I’d felt when Violet had told me that freeing a ghost might kill me. Back then she hadn’t known what I was about to do, so her warnings had only been surface deep. It had taken me hours to come to terms with what she’d meant, but I had. And I had no intention of going back on my word, especially now that Prudence had become the most important person in my life.

“I’m going in with you,” I told him, sure now that he knew I was aware of the risks, he wouldn’t fight me, “like we agreed.”

“No.”

“What?” Now it was my turn to be shocked.

“You will stay safely inside the car where Chastity will keep an eye on you,” Prudence repeated, word for word. There was something hidden beneath what he wasn’t saying…hollow—desperate. An emotion I’d never heard from him before. So instead of arguing, instead of getting angry, I just took a fortifying breath and reached for his hand.

I gave it a squeeze, gathering my thoughts before answering.

“Why?” Softly, sweetly, I asked.

That was the crux of it, wasn’t it? There was something happening behind that haunted gaze of his. Something twisting like poison. Thoughts—fears he never would’ve shared with me had I raised my voice.

His jaw clenched tight, the muscle jumping. Hope. Hope was a live thing in my chest, my heart fluttering as I stared at the stubborn twist of his lips.

“Why, Prudence?” I repeated, hope leaking into my tone without permission.

“Because,” he said, like an asshole.

“Because, why?” Apparently we were five now.

“Because—” He took a shaky breath, refusing to look at me, his cheeks—oh god—his cheeks flushing dark with embarrassment as his nostrils flared. “I need you here.”

“You need me…here?” I glanced around the familiar interior of my mom’s car. “In the car. With Chastity.”

“Yes.” His jaw muscle jumped again. “I need you safe.”

“Why do you need me safe?”

“Because.”

“Because why?!” I asked, exasperated. Oops. “C’mon Prudence.” I knew what I hoped he might say—but I wasn’t sure if I was way off base—or if he…if he…

Oh god.

If he really did care about me.

If that was why he wanted me to stay behind.

Because he cared. Because he didn’t want me to see the woman who had hurt him—because he couldn’t stomach even the possibility of her hurting me too.

Prudence’s chest heaved with a ragged, aggravated breath. His shoulders were drawn tight, hands squeezed into fists.

And that was when I saw it.

His fingers.

Oh god.

“Prudence—”

He raised his hands, holding them out, fists still clenched, till his tattooed knuckles were on display. The letters that had painted them were still there, though a different word was depicted. Instead of L.I.A.R, there was a name. My name. My pulse was wild, my eyes wide as I took in each individual letter.

Luca.

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