Page 56 of Haunted

Henley

“Can I get you anything?”

“If you don’t sit down and stop trying to clean my spotless house, I’m going to get a complex.”

Spotless was an understatement, considering she shared the space with a teenage boy, but I had so much pent-up energy bursting to be set free, the only other option was baking. I was halfway decent in the kitchen, could hold my own as far as cooking a mean meal, however my snickerdoodle cookies were sinfully delicious. They also never lasted long enough to cool down, so for the sake of my hips, I plopped down on the sofa next to her.

“I’m sor?—”

“Do not say you’re sorry again, Henley.”

What I’d seen of Jade’s house so far was fantastic. It was an old Victorian-style cottage which—in its day—was likelythe talk of the town. Unfortunately, “its day” was a half a century ago, though with a few updates and repairs, it could easily come to life once more.

The canary-yellow exterior, which was more of a dingy brown from years of neglect, was peeling in long lines from top to bottom. When you stepped inside, a few walls had recently been stripped and repainted, while others were covered in the most headache-inducing floral tapestry wallpaper known to man. Those would definitely need to go. What amazed me though, was the intricacy and fine detail etched into the built-in wooden banister which led to the second floor. The design had to take years to carve out.

“You wouldn’t have been hurt if it wasn’t for me, Jade.”

“That’s a load of shit and you know it.” She held up her ace-wrapped wrist. “First of all, this is barely a sprain. I’ve had worse untangling Jett’s clothes from the washing machine.”

I smiled at the mental image because, yeah…I’d fought and lost many battles with the agitator. The strings of my apron wrapped around one last week and it took me thirty minutes to free it.

“Second, unless your name is Chase McArthur, none of this is remotely your fault. Enough about that creep. He and his overinflated ego are on the way to the big house anyway. Give me the deets on you and your sexy Special Agent.”

“I love him,” I blurted, covering my mouth with my hand as soon as I said the words.

“Anyone with two eyes can see that, Henley. I want the 4-1-1. Spill all the tea, girlfriend. How is he in bed?”

“Holy crap.” My cheeks flamed so hot I had to fan myself with my hands.

“Damn. That good? I’ve had sex exactly one time fouryears ago, so I’m gonna need to live vicariously through you.”

“Um, what?” I screeched. “How is that possible?”

“I gave up my virginity to my high school boyfriend on my eighteenth birthday. The next morning when I got home, I found the letter giving me Jett.”

“No one since?” I sat forward, putting my elbows to my knees.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. When did this become about my neglected kitty bits? We were discussing you and your hot cop.”

For so many reasons, we burst out into hysterics. The last twenty-four hours had been some of the worst I’d ever experienced, while also being some of the greatest. Growing up, friendships were never my strong suit. The girls at school treated me like a pariah, like I was Typhoid Mary walking around with some incurable disease they’d catch if they got too close. When Mom died, I lost my confidant, my best friend. She was the only person I trusted with my innermost thoughts and desires. Nana Rita—God bless her—did her best to become what I needed, but the memories were too overwhelming. That was when she suggested the move. New place, new people, new surroundings, yet the same old loneliness was tearing me apart from the inside.

I’d come to the conclusion no one would be able to fill the void Mom left behind, then yesterday happened and I realized the hole in my heart had already begun to heal. All because of a bossy federal agent who’d shouldered his way into my life. So much good could be attributed to his presence.

Before Keaton, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to put myself out there with Jade, which—truth be told—would have been tragic. She had this incredible inner light,bursting at the seams to surround you with its warmth. It was infectious.Shewas infectious and I couldn’t help but feel protective of our newfound friendship, which was why I felt horrible she’d been dragged into my nightmare.

Then there was Lanie, Noah, and Koen; three of the most loyal, kindhearted, trustworthy people I’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. They may have started on this journey because of Keaton. However, it became apparent last night, they’d stayed the course because of me. There was no way to fake the level of concern and indignation I saw on their faces. It was a foreign concept I didn’t know what to do with.

“Where’d you go?” Jade’s sweet voice interrupted my inner monologue.

“Chasing rainbows, I guess.” Her face screwed up in confusion, so I explained, “It was something my mom used to say when I was daydreaming.”

“You don’t really speak about your mom.” She reached over, wrapping her fingers around mine. “I’m here if you ever wanna talk about her.”

“It’s not a very glamorous story.”

“Um, hello? My drugged-out parents left me in charge of a twelve-year-old. I’m the queen of shock and awe. Bring it on.”

Hours melted into a sea of memories, both of us clinging to one another like a lifeline meant to save us from our painful pasts. The tales we shared, while vastly different, ended with heartbreak, though my loss couldn’t even compare to the responsibility forced upon her at such a young age. You see, Jade didn’t start caring for Jett when she turned eighteen, she’d been doing it all along. From the moment he came into the world, she stood between him and the kind of cruelty no child should ever have to endure.Their parents weren’t just neglectful, they were abusive and unfit and selfish, and I hoped they were suffering the consequences of their actions, wherever they were.

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