Page 53 of She Haunts Me Still

The way every woman in her family has gone to this school.

The way, she’s beginning to suspect, all of them died shortly thereafter.

“Lily Hubbard is my ancestor,” she says. “And you knew this whole fucking time.”

Ezra barely has to nod for her face to crumple, and she turns so he won’t see. She thinks of the inexplicable solace she’s found with him, all the pathetic, embarrassing,humiliatingways she’s wondered if his broken, distorted heart is somehow a perfect match for hers.

And none of it was real.

“Everything that’s happened between us,” she starts, swiping at her eyes, “is because of Lily? Because of your father’s research? What, does he think he can use me to talk to her or something? Like your ‘game’ the other night? Invoke the name of a dead person in your family?” She shakes her head. “Have I been a pawn this whole time?”

Ezra steps closer to her. “Just let me—”

“Andséances. All the things you taught me, things you said you read in books. You learned them from your father, didn’t you? From this…group?”

“No—no. That part wasn’t a lie.”

Mallory faces him, that hardened anger returning. “Ezra. I saw him in the chapel today. When you found me in the confessional booth—I was scared because ofhim.”

“My father spoke to you? Jules, what did he say?” Ezra’s expression dims. “He better not have touched you.”

“And that’s why you were at the chapel, too,” she barrels on, ignoring his questions. “To meet with him. Why? To talk about me? To laugh at how fuckinggullibleI am?”

“Ofcoursenot—”

“You hate your father, yet you wear his family rings with pride. You’re part of the sameclub.” A bitter laugh cracks loose. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care anymore to figure you out. Youusedme.”

Ezra’s eyes flash. “I didn’t.”

“You manipulated me, got me to tell you things I wouldn’t have otherwise—” Mallory cuts herself off with another sour laugh. “I thought we were trading secrets. But it was never a trade at all.” Her tone becomes knife sharp. “It was aheist.”

Ezra shakes his head. “It’s not like that.”

She exhales her frustration. “You just said as much! You set out to find me. For money! Was drinking my blood part of the plan? What about getting me to take my top off in a church? Was that some kind of sick joke with daddy?”

His face twists in disgust. “Jules. That’s fucked-up.”

“So are you. So wasthis.” She gestures between them, snatching her bag from the counter. “Whatever this was.”

His jaw tightens again, the past tense of her words heavy. “If you’d just let me explain—”

“What is there topossiblyexp—?”

“The whole plan went to hell thesecondwe met!” Ezra shouts, and she plummets into silence. “Fuck my father, fuck his theories,fuckhis research. Every night we spent together, everything we did—I did it because I wanted to. Because I can’t go a damn minute without thinking about you, and it’s making me insane.” He steps closer, voice lowering. “I ruined the plan. Because you ruined me.”

Mallory’s tailbone connects with the counter, the steam sucked straight from her anger. “What?”

“Do you realize,” he seethes, “that it has been absolute fucking torture to touch you every night and notreallytouch you?”

Heat pools in her cheeks, and she sinks farther into the switchboard. “Oh.”

“Do you have any idea how much it kills me to see you so scared? Today at the chapel, I thought you were seriously hurt, and I—” He swallows his words. “You take up so much space inside my brain I’d need anexorcismto get you out. Do you happen to have the number of a good priest, Jules? Know some Catholic prayer? Are you carrying holy water in this little bag by chance?”

He tugs on the strap and her purse falls to the floor between them.

She should storm out. Should tell him to fuck off. Should never talk to him again.

Should let him ruin her right back.