Page 158 of Haunt Me

Eden:‘You ask me how did I survive and I…’

Olivia:‘…Want to tell you that there were days I did not survive.’

Eden: OMG you read my poemSurvivor!

Olivia: Read it, memorized it, blurted it out to my boyfriend, my brother and my dad several times, over the course of one hour. That, and all the other poems of yours I could find.

Eden: This is surreal.

Olivia: It is, isn’t it? I feel like I have the most intimate friendship of my life with you. And I’ve only been talking to you for two minutes.

Eden:Would it be strange to tell you I feel the same? And I have had exactly one friend in my whole entire life.

Olivia:Until now.

Eden:Thank you for saying that.

Olivia:I mean it. I feel like I have known you forever, but I haven’t, not really. I mean, if I really knew you, I would know who the ‘sad boy’ that you wrote about in your poem is. Wait, is it too soon for a question like that?

Eden:I don’t know if it’s too soon, but I’ll tell you all about him, if you tell me all about your bodyguard. Wait, is it ok to ask? I have read bits and pieces about him online, but I don’t know if any of it is true. It’s such a gorgeous, intense love story… Too intense to be real.

Olivia:Girl, what they write about us isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. It’s all true, and so much more besides. I’ll tell you anything you like, but only if you promise not to freak out. Even though you will.

Eden:I’m sure I will.

Olivia:Ok, so, speaking of freaking out, I have a very special favor to ask you. I expected this phone call to be all formal and stilted—I had no idea we would click like that. So it’s harder now to start asking you for stuff, but I have decided to be a grownup, so here goes.

Eden:You just took an absurdly huge breath. Are you ok?

Olivia:No. But I am a grownup. Did I mention that?

Eden: You did. How old are you?

Olivia: Twenty-two.

Eden: Wow, you’re ancient—pretty much the same age as me. Ok, you old crone. Dazzle me.

Olivia: I can’t now, can I? I’m laughing too hard.

Eden: I think I’ve laughed more during this phone call than in the past twenty-one years.

Olivia: Ok, that’s kind of sad.

Eden: Yeah, I’ve stopped laughing as well. I really do know how to suck the life out of a phone call, do I? Then again, I’m kind of a loser.

Olivia: Don’teversay that, Eden. Don’t even think it. Please. For me.

Eden: Oh, well, if it’s for you then, fine.

Olivia: I’m laughing again, dammit. Stop it. I’m trying to be a literal adult here.

Eden: I think I have heard that somewhere before… Hmmm where could it have been? Must have been on the news—it sounds so important. Yeah, I remember it now: ‘Olivia of Asteria, a literal adult.’ That was the headline.

Olivia: Ok. Ok, deep breath, here goes. I want to invite you to Asteria. I would love to get to know you in person. With my coronation upcoming, I’m having a really hard time with my new role and duties and I… I think it would be awesome to meet you. Give me the boost of courage I need.

Eden: Oh, is that all? That’s what took so much hyperventilating?

Olivia: It’s not all.

---