Page 105 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Underworld

“She has other plans tonight.”

He nods, but doesn’t hide his disappointment.

“Alright! Who’s drinking what?” I set the bottle of wine beside the other drinks and grab a beer for Dylan, popping the cap and handing it to him while still looking at the others.

“I’ll take one of those,” Jonas says and I hand it to him. It won’t hurt him, so there’s no point in being weird over the bottles.

I need Dylan to finish his and I don’t need him to question why.

Margie cracks open a can of seltzer as she looks all around the room. “God, this place is begging for a full gut reno.”

Petite, with her wild hair caught up in an unkempt bun on top of her head, Margie is the one I would expect to look for improvement. She’s a business major, but her passion is interior design.

“Careful. If the ghost thinks you’re going to mess with her house, you might wind up on her bad side.”

She snickers as I go to sit at the edge of the circle.

“So!” Jonas says, sitting beside me. “We’re about to meet a ghost?”

“Yes. This is Julia’s house. We’re just visiting.”

Dylan chuckles as he sits down on my other side and takes a long drink of his beer.

Good.

“Don’t you mean, ‘Ghoulia?’” he asks.

Not good.

A lamp in the foyer starts to flicker.

“Don’t call her that. She might kick you out… With a few broken bones if you’re unlucky.” I need him to finish that beer and say my spell before I can let her “remove” him.

His brows pinch. “Seriously? You still believe in this kid stuff?”

“Of course she does,” Margie says. “And you would too if you had any sense.”

Dylan leans close and I lean away because I am not about to let him get close enough to do something silly, like kiss my cheek.

“So, do you have a chair rigged to fly away? Or magnets under the floor boards.”

“Nope. Just a ghost and a little magic.” I wiggle my fingers and Rose giggles.

His gaze goes to my mouth as I speak, but he finally goes back to sitting normally when I turn to look at the others.

Rose and Margie sit opposite me—they both give me a look that tells me they’re not comfortable with Dylan right now either—and Parry follows behind them.

“I for one, am looking forward to meeting her,” Rose says.

The foyer lights pulse with a gentle glow. Julia likes Rose. And I don’t blame her in the least.

“Before we start, who wants to hear how this house became haunted?” I ask.

Parry raises his hand and sets a can of soda on the floor. He’s playing designated driver tonight.

The others murmur agreements and affirmatives, except Dylan, who looks a little like he’d like to get this whole thing over with.

Me too, buddy.

---