Page 78 of A Boy Called Lovesong

The sheer curtains billowed gently.

And on the floor in front of the balcony doors sat Chet, staring at two objects that had been removed from my suitcase and purposely set out for me to see—the urn containing Joel’s ashes, and the cassette tape of Lovesong’s audition to Juilliard.

I let go of Lovesong’s hand and hurried into the room, scooping up Chet who trembled in my arms.

“Noah, what is it? Tell me.”

“Someone’s been in here again. They’ve pulled things out of my suitcase.”

“Is Chet okay?”

I nodded. “Yes. He’s scared but he’s okay.”

Lovesong came up behind me and laid a hand on my shoulder. “What’s been pulled from your suitcase?”

“Some things.”

“What things?”

“Joel’s ashes.” I stopped at that, not wanting to say any more…

That’s when I saw the words scrawled in mud on the floorboards next to the two items—

Tell him your secret!

PART III

BARGAINING

CHAPTER 15

I didsleep in Lovesong’s bed that night.

I did so not to make love, but to feel safe.

We curled up together under the blankets, his arms wrapped tight around me, while Chet curled up at our feet.

Needless to say sleep did not come easy, and when I did drift off, my mind was filled with the blood-curdling shriek of the woman behind the curtains, the sound of Iggy’s spoons, and the angry roar of Lovesong ready to take on Satan himself as he shouted, “Whether you’re the Devil or not, make yourself known!”

At some point before dawn, the weariness caught up with me and I went into a deep, deep sleep.

When I woke, sunlight was pouring in through the French doors.

We had closed them before we went to bed. I had placed the urn and the tape back in my suitcase, and tried to scuff out the muddy words on the floor with my shoe without Lovesong knowing, but now the doors were open again.

There was nothing ominous about the sway of the breeze or the billow of the curtains in the safe light of day.

I felt even safer when I saw Lovesong, standing by his dresser and pulling on his work shirt.

Chet barked to signal I was awake, and Lovesong turned in my direction. “How do you feel? You tossed and turned all night, then finally you went to sleep. I didn’t wanna wake you.”

“I’m… I’m okay, I guess. For now. But what happens tonight? What happens when that thing comes back? What if it doesn’t just go through my suitcase next time? What if it wants to hurt us?”

Lovesong shook his head. “I don’t think it wants to hurt us. I think it’s trying to warn us.” He sat on the bed beside me and pulled on his boots. “Wait here for me this afternoon. As soon as I finish in the fields, I’ll come get you.”

“And take me where?”

He kissed me, then said, “The bayou. I think there’s someone we need to see in the bayou.”

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