Page 37 of Ghostridden
“Avi had a dark side.” He looked down at his cup. “Averydark side. A cruelty he was very careful not to let anybody see.”
He hunched his shoulders as though expecting a blow, and a kernel of outrage burned in my middle. Ever I’d vetted a book about domestic violence for a clinical social worker, any hint of physical abuse was a trigger for me.
“Did hehurtyou?” I hissed. “Hityou?”
Carson’s breath hitched. “There are ways to hurt that don’t involve physical violence, you know.”
Boy, did I ever. Greg was a master at the sly put-down, which was another reason the social worker’s book had left such an enduring mark on me. “Verbal, you mean? Emotional?”
He jerked a nod. “He never missed an opportunity to cut me down, undermine my confidence, belittle my dreams. But only when nobody else was around, so there were never any witnesses to take my side.” He lifted his chin, blinking rapidly as though to fight back tears, smile trembling. “But I rose above it in the end. Made a success of myself, even though I had to abandon my youthful hopes and dreams along the way.”
I gripped his forearm. “It’s never too late to late to follow a dream. And adult perspective might grant you new insight into those youthful hopes. You never know.”
His smile grew a little wider. “Thank you, Maz. That’s very kind of you. And it helps. It helps a lot.” He dropped his gaze and peeked up at me through his lashes in nearly the same way as Ricky had, although it didn’t hit me low in the belly the same way. “Maybe we could get together again sometime? I’d love to come over and cook for you.”
I blinked. “You cook?”
He chuckled. “Well, I can dish up takeout with the best of them. What do you say?”
“I’ll keep that in mind once I’m a little more settled in.”
He clucked his tongue and shook his head. “Remember what I said. The best way to settle in is to invite friends over.”
“Maybe. But I’m not quite at that point yet. Still a lot of loose ends to tie up.” Like whether the resident ghost would reveal his dark side in the middle of a dinner party. “But I’ve got your number, so I’ll be sure to let you know when I’m ready.”
His lips thinned for an instant, but then they relaxed. If he’d been abused or belittled in the past, I imagine he might take my words as a rejection. But I really couldn’t risk having anyone else over. Not now that I knew a little more about Avi and his death.
I wondered what Marguerite Windflower charged for her video exorcism service. Because regardless of my initial compassion for Avi and Oren and their doomed love story, I wasn’t about to let a possibly abusive ghost drive me out ofmy house.
I spent the rest of the day sorting through the contents of the Manor’s document room. It was more organized than I’d had any right to hope, and I was actually getting excited about the project. Then, at four, my phone rang.
Oh shit. Ricky.
“Heeey, I’m glad you called.”
“Uh oh,” he replied, a smile in his tone. “Sounds like you’re about to bail on our dinner date.”
I stood up, pressing a hand to my back where my two nights on the floor and six hours of shuffling crates around were making themselves felt. “A rain check? I’m more beat than I thought I’d be. Guess I’ve been spending too much time sitting at my laptop and not enough time at the gym. I need to start working out more if I’m going to be deadlifting crates full of papers and books.”
“I understand. Don’t feel obligated.”
“It’s not that!” I said hurriedly. “I really do want to go out withyou. Get to know you. Get to know more about Ghost. But I’d be lousy company tonight.” Especially if I had yet another night on the floor to look forward to.
“Hey, man, like I said. We’re cool. Can I give you a call in a day or two, after you’ve had a chance to get used to your new normal?”
“I’d like that.” And I liked that he didn’t push. “Thanks.”
“De nada. Talk soon.”
I sighed as I disconnected the call. I couldn’t deny that I was a little let down. I’d been looking forward to seeing Ricky again, but yawning in his face for the entire date was not the way to make an impression.
At just after five, I locked up the document room with the key Saul had given me for the duration of the project. “Considering the scope of what you’ll be working with,” he’d said with a chuckle, “you might be carrying it for the rest of your life.”
I could think of worse fates. Steady work, friendly client, interesting project, and the freedom to shape it the way I’d like? Yeah, I’d take it and run with it as long as I could. Plus, it meant I could turn down that dreadful project that had earned Avi’s disdain.
I stuck my head in Saul’s office. “Goodnight. I’ll be back in the morning, bright and early.”
“Excellent.” He pushed his keyboard aside. “And Maz? If Avi should manifest again?”
