Page 61 of Juliet's Echo

Simone’s ghost had found me.

But how?

I never left the premises.

Psalm's little basketball buddies from a few weeks ago weren't old enough to know me, and there had been no other guests before today.

It wasn't until that article about Echo that this happened.

The anger steaming off my body at the mere sight of that man must've transmitted some intoxicating psychic energy that acted like a beacon, and she picked up on it.

Somebody call Stephen King.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

To hell with Echo.

To hell with revenge.

Simone's death would have to be enough.

Him living with the constant reminder that he caused her death for the rest of his life surely ruined his everyday existence.

Her being gone and him never getting the chance to have a piece of her, not even the fatherless child she was carrying, would forever be a haint on his back.

Staying another day in Havenbrook and being haunted by the girl I rightfully murdered was not an option.

Psalm looked down at the laptop, then back at me.

“Yeah,” he said slowly, “I’m not paying for that.”

Psalm

Bratty, obnoxious, self-centered, know-it-all, and the biggest pain in my ass was now sitting across from me at my kitchen table, a turkey club in one hand and a fresh mango juice in the other.

And this was after I was prepared to suck her off the bone in her brother’s studio.

Life came at you fast.

I watched her steal one of the fries off my plate, completely avoiding her own.

The Psalm before the possible takedown would've given her something to think about for sticking her hands in my food. The current me was trying not to stare at her dimples every time she smiled.

“Was Alonse okay?” she asked.

“As in normal? No. As in his laptop being broken? Yeah. He can afford another one,” I waved it off, reaching for my sandwich.

She grabbed another fry from my plate. I quickly snatched it from her fingertips. Popping it into my mouth, I smiled and nodded toward her seemingly untouched pile of fries.

“No, not his laptop. I mean—”

“Sign,” I requested, cutting her off.

“Huh?”

“Sign when you talk to me. How else am I supposed to learn?” I asked, lightly tapping her nose.

Watching her beautiful eyes flutter behind those ridiculously thick lashes made me feel all warm inside.