Page 29 of Never You

“It’s fine. Should’ve known better.Never date a hockey player, right?”

It’s a joke.

But it still causes a pain that stabs right into my chest.

7

Feeling this satisfied sitting for hours next to the girl that hates me is a major red flag, but I brush it off like any other screw-up.

It’s after six when we drive into Flagstaff, Arizona. The leftover liquor in my body has definitely lost its effect, so I’m dying to put some more in over a nice fat juicy burger or something. Anything to ignore the buzzing of my phone that has been going off with unstoppable notifications for the last two hours.

I try to stretch out as much as I can in the car, feeling the soreness of my muscles. My body is aching for some movement.

Letting out a feral yawn, Rae takes a turn to the right on route 40, and a familiar sign on top of the building pops up in front of us. The orange neon letters on top of the Brickstone building have been shown on TV more than once, and anyone who has ever heard of Flagstaff knows exactly what the most famous and infamous hotel is called.

“We are not—you’re not staying at the Monte Vista, right?” I ask cautiously, keeping my eyes on the hotel that is featured in almost every paranormal series there has been in the US.

I once saw this documentary where people heard knocks on their doors, calling for room service when literally no one was even in the hallway.

I’m not a scaredy cat, but it did give me chills, and I’m definitely not eager to look that shit up. I like my sleep to be peaceful and uninterrupted.

“Yeah, I stayed here the last time. It’s close to the road and at a good rate. I mean, it’s not the Four Seasons, but it’s better than a motel.”

“You havegotto be kidding me?”

“Why would I be kidding about a hotel?” She shoots me a glare, pulling up to the parking lot and parking her car next to the Monte Vista Lounge.

Clearly, she isn’t aware of the infamous ghost stories of the Monte Vista Hotel, or this girl really has balls of steel.

Probably both.

“Have you ever heard about the stories? This place is haunted,” I explain with wide eyes, giving her a nervous laugh.

I know she is tough, tougher than any other girl I know, but you can’t tell me she wouldn’t be at least a little freaked out if she knew about this.

The engine is killed, and she turns her body to face me directly, her hands resting on her lap.

She looks at me with a stoic face before glancing to Bodi for an explanation.

“I’m Australian. I don’t know shit.” He raises his hands, palms facing our way.

I grind my teeth. It pisses me off that she wants his confirmation before even taking me seriously.

Since when are they fucking besties?

“You don’t believe me? I’m dead serious. There are dozens of stories about guests who heard freaky shit and ghost chasers that detected some weird shit too.”

“Ghost chasers? Like ghostbusters?”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes are back on me, her face not showing an ounce of understanding. I keep her gaze, waiting for her to say something. To show me she isn’t some badass shield made unaffected by paranormal activity that is making me feel like a goddamn sissy boy.

“Jared James Jensen, you are not seriously telling me you are afraid of ghosts?” She cocks an eyebrow, her lips in an amused grin, and I clench my jaw at her comment.

Her fingers are casually playing with the gemstone of her necklace.

Fuck me, is she really playing me like that?Putting me on the spot like that? I’m not scared of ghosts, but I would sleep much better in a hotel that isn’t known for their paranormal activity. Besides, I wouldn’t want her to be screaming in front of my door in the middle of the night.

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