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Just the start.

That was Lee, or because of Lee, and it was so beyond rational no words could escape me.

Lee was no longer angry, but there was a knowing there. A deeper understanding.

The magnetic pull was back, pulsating between us. I wanted to go toward him, but I couldn’t step away from Cassian either.

I lowered my head. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

Cassian reached for me, tugging me against him and a moment later, there was a weight behind me. A presence. It was firm. Strong. Warm. It was Lee. His hand touched my hip at the same time Cassian’s hand cupped the back of my neck.

People scrambled past us, going out the door, but the world fell away. I was standing between the two and in that moment, I felt safe.

I felt whole.

I had no idea why.

11

“Everyone’s gone,” Lee announced, the basement door shutting behind him as he jogged down the last of the stairs. Cassian and I were on one of the couches. When the ‘earthquake’ was done, everyone took off. Noah included. He hadn’t been back, or Sabine.

I couldn’t believe she’d come all the way to check on me. It was sweet. I’d need to talk to her on Monday when I went back to school, but until then, I could feel Cassian still brimming with his questions. He wasn’t going to let it go, and as Lee came around to sink down on the other side of me, the game was up.

I had to come clean.

Readying my nerves, I stood and went to the opposite couch of both of them. I was still experiencing this weird state when I was between both of them. My mind shut down. My body relaxed. There was a contented feeling in my chest and I could almost fall asleep, as long as both were near me and one of them was touching me. It was even better if both were touching me.

I didn’t want to even start considering the ramifications of that scenario.

Both frowned when I sank down. I shook my head. “I can’t think when I’m—” I motioned between them.

Varying looks of understanding came over them and each settled back in their own way. Cassian leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. Lee sidled up to the corner, lounging with his head resting on the couch. While he may have looked the epitome of cool, his eyes were still on me, still intense.

Cassian looked broody. There was a crackling edginess in the air around him, but also…familiarity? I didn’t understand that.

Both were waiting for me.

Right. It was time.

“I can see ghosts.”

I announced it, just like that.

I waited, my chest tightening. Pinching.

Neither reacted.

They shared a look before Cassian inclined his head forward. “I mean, I figured. I kinda led you here to come clean.”

“You knew?” Lee frowned at him.

“There was an incident yesterday in the hallway. You know how my cousin is obsessed with our school.” He winced. “Our school.” He motioned between him and me. “Says there’s a bunch of ghosts there. She’s certain there’s one in the library.”

“There’s two.”

Their attention snapped back to me.

I swallowed, my pulse fluttering. I wiped my palms over my leggings. I’d been expecting them to laugh at me, or to be horrified by me, or to run away, kick me out. Neither were even surprised. “I—” I bit down on my lip, needing to compose myself. “I can communicate with them. They have names. And personalities. Ghosts are…” Gah. I was going for it here, really exposing myself. “They’re like humans except they don’t have bodies.”