Page 24 of The Secret Life of a Witch

He dismisses me with a wave of his hand. “I’m not going anywhere, so drop it.”

I reluctantly nod, part of me relieved he’s staying with me.

While I’d love to think I can handle anything on my own, the truth is, I can’t.

My sister’s missing body proves that.

EVALEE

“How did you find this expert, exactly?” Hunter asks as we round the side of a rusted warehouse located on the outskirts of town near the water tower.

The sky is still a cloudy grey, and the wind has chilled the temperature to a cool autumn.

“We used to hang out in grade school before he transferred schools.” Gravel crunches beneath my shoes as I approach a crooked door at the back of the warehouse. “I haven’t talked to him since then, but I heard he became an expert. I figured it might be better to use someone I know, you know, since I’m searching for a dead body I was technically not supposed to have. Confidentiality is important.”

“I guess so.” Hunter eyeballs the metal door with distrust. “Are you sure you can trust this guy? I mean, you haven’t spoken to him since you were, like, what? Ten? That was over eight years ago. A lot can change in eight years.”

“Some stuff can change, but I’m sure Evan is still the same sweet guy who shared his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches whenever my lunch got stolen.”

“Your lunch got stolen more than once?”

I give a nonchalant shrug. “Kids weren’t really fans of the girl who claimed she could talk to dead bodies. Although, for the record, I never did claim I could. This town just loves to gossip.” I rap my knuckles on the door. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised by this info. You knew me in middle school and high school, which wasn’t much better.”

“No one stole your lunch in high school. If they did, I’d have kicked their ass.”

“Yeah, I know. And I love you for that. That doesn’t mean kids treated me any better. I was still the same freak who occasionally chatted it up with dead bodies and who has dorky rainbow eyes.”

“Your eyes aren’t dorky at all,” he says matter-of-factly. “And the whole dead bodies thing isn’t so bad.”

I arch my brows at him. “So, you didn’t freak out the first time you saw me do it?”

“I was a little startled,” he admits, carrying my gaze. “But only because of a dead body being five feet away from me.”

I can’t help smiling a little. “Well, that’s because you’re awesome. Most people aren’t.”

“No, they’re not.” He stops talking when the door creaks open.

My jaw nearly knocks against the ground as a guy with short brown hair, a pierced lip, and dressed head to toe in black steps into the doorway. Leather bands cover his wrists, a chain hangs from his belt loop, and a leather collar ornaments his neck.

Two words pop into mind at the sight of him: bad boy. If it wasn’t for his fiery orange eyes, I probably wouldn’t have figured out who he is.

“Definitely not the gangly Evan I grew up with,” I mutter in surprise.

Evan’s gaze glides up and down me before residing on my eyes. Then his lips pull into a sexy half-grin. “Well, holy shit. Little dead body girl is all grown up.”

“I don’t go by that name anymore, thank you very much,” I joke then move in to give him a hug. “How’s life been? I heard you graduated with honors or something like that.”

He waves my remark off as I step back. “That’s completely untrue. In fact, everything you’ve heard is probably untrue.”

I give him a skeptical look. “Either that, or you’re just trying to be modest, like you used to be.”

He leans against the doorway with his arms crossed. “Do I look like the same person I used to be?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t.” I gesture at his outfit. “This could all be a façade.”

He rubs his jawline, eyes twinkling in amusement. “Interesting speculation.” He chuckles, his eyes crinkling around the corners. “God, I’ve missed you.”

“Me, too.” I stick my fist out for a bump.

---