Page 126 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
Lucky wanted to return before Hennessee woke up looking for her. She was almost finished getting ready when she heard Maverick shift in bed. “I can feel you brooding. I’m not supposed to be here, remember?”
“So, you were gonna sneak out?” he asked, tone more sonorous than she’d ever heard.
She grinned, glancing at him. “Maybe.”
“You should stay.”
“As tempting as that is, you know I can’t.”
Maverick grumbled in protest as he got out of bed. He kissed her cheek on his way to the bathroom. While she waited for him, she checked her phone to count the missed calls and filled out her spreadsheet.
He put on a shirt before sitting next to her on the bed. “Last night, you said you have an ‘abnormally strong connection’ with the house. What did that mean?”
“I’ve been there consistently, longer than anyone has in years.” She explained the depth of the connection with examples to give him a better idea of her progress. “I also have a memory palace full of first impressions. It gets to meet new people as often as it likes and learn more about us. I suspect that’s part of why it treats me differently.”
“And you’re just…fine with that? Not worried at all?”
She regarded him for a moment, trying to figure out where he was going. “You seem to think I should be?”
“I stand by what I said last night: your presentation was very good. Extremely thorough.” He paused, gaze dropping to his lap. “The questions that I have are about you.”
Lucky sat up straighter, rolling her shoulders back and givinghim her full attention. She didn’t have much time left but could spare a few minutes to reassure him.
“I don’t understand how you’re fine with the house constantly being in your head,” he continued. “What makes it any different than a ghost?”
“Oh, well for one, Hennessee is far more powerful. It destroyed the ghost. It’s not in my memory palace anymore.”
Maverick’s eyes widened—and Lucky knew she’d said the wrong thing. “Did you ask it to do that?”
“Not exactly, no,” she admitted. “We have an agreement now. It hasn’t done anything like that since.”
“Lucky. I think you need to leave that house for your own good.” He held her hands in between his and pressed them to his mouth. “I think you might be possessed.”
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Lucky laughed so hard she doubled over, gasping for breath. “Oh my god, Maverick, stop! I amnotpossessed.”
Maverick’s expression clearly disagreed. “I think the house might be influencing you, making you feel sorry for it. Making you think you’re in control when you’re not.”
“I am not possessed. I havealwaysbeen like this,” she said, laughter dying down.
He stared at her, unconvinced. “That’s exactly what a possessed person would say.”
“All Hennessee wants is to not be alone anymore. Highly relatable if you ask me.” She shook her head. “If I were possessed, do you really think the house would’ve let me leave last night to come see you? It spent the whole night calling me.”
“It might. Maybe it plans to use you to lure more people in and this was a test run. The calls are a diversion so people like me won’t get suspicious,” he said. “It hijacked your body and made you walk barefoot into the orchard. Who’s to say it can’t domore? Who’s to say it already hasn’t? You’re there, alone, day and night.”
Lucky could not for the life of her tell if he was being serious. He was joking—he had to be. “Stop being ridiculous.” She smooshed his cheeks. “Look into my eyes and listen to my words. I am not possessed.”
“Because it’s sunrise. House can’t hold you right now,” he said.
Her hands fell into her lap. “Do I really seem that different to you? Did I last night?”
“No,” he admitted. “If specters are supposed to be near-perfect copies, do you think it would be able to trick me?”
“Specters don’t exist outside of the house,” she said carefully.
“But if it used your body, do you think it would be able to trick me?” he asked.
