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“Your boy is here.” He pointed, making another hissing sound.

I looked, saw Cassian, and gave Noah a ‘come on’ look.

He smiled, tucking his hands behind him. “I’m a helpful ghost.”

I muttered under my breath, “You’re antagonistic.”

“I’m a work in progress.”

“You’re a work of destruction.”

“Tomato potato.”

I began to step toward Cassian, because he was alone for once, but paused and gave Noah a discerning look. “Those are two separate things.”

Noah shrugged, poofing from existence again.

I huffed. He was the worst ghost I’d ever met.

Cassian saw me, his entire demeanor shifting. He’d been friendly to everyone except if Lee or I tried talking to him. Or mostly myself since I’d only witnessed Lee trying to talk to him once. Cassian stormed away, giving both of us dirty looks.

He glanced around, saw he was cornered, and sighed, leaning back against one of the counters. He said as I came further into the kitchen, “Girls throw themselves at him all the time.”

Right. Stab. I swallowed over that slice. “I figured since no one reacted to the sight of me practically in his lap.”

Cassian’s lips pressed together. His shoulders tightened. “I’m not saying he takes the girls up on their offer. Just saying girls throw themselves at him.” He shook his head. “He’s crazy rich so I get it, but he’s got issues. Did you ask him what happened to get him kicked out of our school? That was last spring, by the way. He just started at Ravens.”

I drew closer, cautious. “It hadn’t come up.” I hesitated. “He told me about Noah.”

Cassian’s eyes sharpened on me. “He did?”

“A little. He was hockey, right? Don’t you all know each other or something?”

He snorted. “Something like that. Yeah, I knew Noah too. From camp and playing against each other.”

“He died in a fire?”

Cass’s eyes widened. “Wow. He doesn’t usually lead with that.” He looked me up and down, his mouth flattening again. “He must actually like you.”

“Funny. Someone else said something similar.”

“He’s… Just be careful with him.”

I didn’t know what to say. “I met you both yesterday.”

He let out some air, his shoulders losing some of their tension. His head dropped. “I know. I do. I…I liked you. I thought you were funny how you were trolling that Eli kid, but then you gave in and took his shift. That told me you’re nice.”

“Ethan.”

“What?”

“His name is Ethan. Not Eli.”

“Oh. Yeah. Eli.”

“No.” I stopped, knowing to pick my battles. Eli it would be.

“Then later you were basically stalking me.”