Page 31 of Haunted

When I walk through the door, I find Ella at the table with a coffee cup and book. At first, I don’t spot Vicki, and I’m surprised she let Ella out of the house by herself this late at night, but then she emerges from the hallway bathroom.

“What in the hell are you both doing here so late?” I ask, dropping my keys on the coffee table, then walking to the fridge for a beer.

Ella stands, and I notice worry lines on her forehead. Just another thing that makes me an asshole.

“I was worried about you,” Ella says, picking up her mug and taking it to the kitchen. “You were supposed to come over for breakfast this morning before work.”

“Sorry,” I mutter, then take a swig of my beer. “But you could have just called, Ella. There was no need for you to come out this late.”

“I did call. Your phone went straight to voicemail. And when I called the shop, Jazz said you were busy with a customer all day. I wanted to come up to the shop, but Vicki wouldn’t let me.”

Her eyes turn angry as she swings them toward Vicki.

“Don’t give me that look, baby. You need to lay off your brother. Between you and your parents, I’m sure he can’t fucking breathe. Only reason we’re here now is because you threatened me with something I’m not willing to lose.”

Ella’s eyes narrow further, but she doesn’t say anything. I pull my phone from my pocket and drop it on the counter.

“My phone died, and my charger was at home. Sorry about this morning. I had a bad night and woke up late.”

Vicki comes into the kitchen and takes Ella’s mug from her, rinsing it, then depositing it in the sink.

“Where’d you just come from?” Ella asks, tilting her head to the side curiously.

I take a pull from my beer before answering. “Nowhere you need to worry about.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and tips up her chin. I know that look and stance well. It’s what she always uses whenshe’s about to show her stubborn side. Vicki notices too. She looks at me, seeing my jaw set, then back to Ella.

“Ella, babe, maybe we should—”

“You went to see her, didn’t you?” Ella asks, ignoring Vicki.

There’s no sense in denying it, so I don’t even try. “Yes.”

Her eyes soften, and her arms fall to her sides. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Luca?”

“Probably not, but I did anyway. I wanted to see for myself that she’s okay.”

I grab my phone and plug it into the charger. After finishing off my beer, I chuck the bottle in the trash, then turn back to Ella. Her expression is one of confusion.

“Why wouldn’t she be okay?”

Sighing, I press my hands to the counter, and drop my head. I’ve never told anyone about my dreams, except Theo, and that was only because I had to. There’s really no reason why I never told my family, I just never felt the need to. With finding out what I did and being the cause of Jules’s distress during the dreams, maybe it’s time I do tell someone. They already know what I did; there’s no sense keeping this from them.

I lift my head and bring my eyes back to Ella. “I’ve been dreaming about Jules for years.”

Ella’s head jerks back and shock widens her eyes. Something tightens in my chest with my next confession.

“In my dreams, she was always hurt or sad. She’d ask me for help, as if she was afraid of something, but I never knew why.”

“But I thought you didn’t remember Jules?”

I take my eyes from my sister and watch as Vicki comes to stand beside her, lacing their fingers together.

“I don’t. Even though I dreamed about her, I never recognized her. It wasn’t until I saw her in the hospital the day you were attacked that I even knew she was real.”

“I don’t understand,” Ella comments, frowning. “Why were you dreaming of her if it was you that…”

She trails off and her eyes slide to the side. I know she’s trying to spare my feelings. Ella can be a hardheaded bitch at times, but she has the same trait as everyone in the family. She hates to see one of us hurt.

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