About half-way through the movie, Ada calls me into the kitchen to help her with something.
“What is it?” I ask, looking around. The kitchen is a mess, flour everywhere. She’s really turned into a Suzy Homemaker.
“I thought maybe you’d help me decorate the cookies,” she says, sliding a sheet of freshly baked sugar cookies toward me. “These are for tomorrow.”
“Sure,” I say, and she hands me a piped bag of frosting.
“Listen,” she says, while I feebly attempt to decorate. This is not my strong suit. “I’m really sorry you’ve been going through all of that. You should have told me.”
I give her a quick smile. “You have your own problems, Ada. I didn’t want to add to them. But yes. I should have told you. And I will next time…”
I stare at her so she realizes it’s her turn to say the same.
She laughs softly. “Yes. I should have told you too. I should have opened up, but honestly, it’s just…I feel stupid. It’s embarrassing. I can’t believe that Jay would just…leave me like that. He left me, Perry. He listened to Jacob, picked him over me.”
“You knew that might happen…”
“I know. I know, but I didn’t want to believe it. I love him. I really do and I thought he loved me. But he fucking didn’t.”
She swallows hard and I go over to her, putting my arm around her shoulder. “Hey. Maybe he did love you. He sure acted like he did. I know he’s hard to read to an outsider, but even I could tell that he cared about you a great deal.”
“But not enough.” She pulls away, sniffing.
“He’ll be back though, won’t he? That’s what Jacob told me.”
“Jacob lies,” she says. “I fucking hate him.”
Perfect segue.
I fold my arms. “What if I told you that you could do something that would really piss him off. And that you would have to go behind his back.”
Her eyes go bright. Now I have her full attention. “What are you talking about?”
“All that I said earlier, I left something out. Something about the house.”
“What?”
“Maximus is in that house. He’s back.”
“Maximus!” Her eyes nearly fall out. “He’s alive?!” she squeals.
“No. No, he’s dead. But he’s back.”
She frowns. “Like a ghost?”
“I don’t know what he is. He’s more than a ghost, he’s very physically real, but we have an opportunity to pull him out of the Veil, out of that house. For good. Dex and I can’t do it, and we can’t get a hold of his ex, Rose, who would have been able to help. But you can do it.”
“I can?”
I nod. “I talked to Jacob about it. When I was here last. Jacob went into Hell and pulled Maximus out, but he could only get him as far as the Veil, in that house. I don’t know why he couldn’t do the rest, but when I asked if you could, he said you weren’t ready, and he also said he wouldn’t do it. To me, it sounded more like you were ready, and he just didn’t want you helping.”
“I can’t believe he said that,” she seethes, biting on her lip, her eyes flaring. “And didn’t even give me the choice!”
“Well, Maximus thinks you’ll be able to do it, no problem. And my witch…doctor…she said you should be able to as well. You went to Hell to get Mom, you can easily do this. We all have faith in you.”
“And you’re just letting me?” she asks, brow cocked.
I chuckle. “I’m not saying I want you to do this, but I know I can’t stand in your way if you choose to do so.” I pause. “Do you think you can do this?”
She breaks into a wide, sassy grin. “Perry, you have no idea what I can do.”
Christmas arrives the next morning, right on time.
There’s no snowfall here in Portland, but there’s a thick layer of white frost on the lawn that looks just as pretty.
We all get up slowly, and make coffee spiked with Baileys, have a big breakfast, then gather around the tree in our pajamas and slippers and house robes, opening presents. Christmas music plays, the house is warm, everything feels perfect for once. I have my loved ones, my family, and we’re all safe in this moment.
Like that darkness inside me lifts just a little, just enough to let the light in.
And when the day turns into night, Ada, Dex, and I start making plans.
Twenty-Two
“Can we go to the bar after this?” Ada pipes up from the backseat. “I brought my fake ID.”
I eye her in the rearview mirror. “Why don’t we play this by ear? You sure you want to go to a bar looking like Catwoman?”
She smiles like that’s a compliment, even though I think she was going for more Buffy than anything else. She’s wearing a black body suit with black yoga pants, with giant black Prada combat boots (of course), her hair pulled up off her face in a twist bun. She’s also added extra smoke to her smoky eye, creating these wings with her eyeliner that nearly reach her temple.
She looks older than her age, and her outfit leaves nothing to the imagination. I’m having one of those moments where I realize my little sister is all grown-up.
And despite everything that’s been happening with her and Jay and my father, tonight she’s lit up like a firecracker. She has been ever since I told her about rescuing Max. She’s treating this like not only is it her life’s mission, but that she’s being the ultimate rebel. Perhaps she is.
We left Portland this morning, the day after Christmas, telling our dad that she was going to come stay with us for a few days. I think we both felt bad about leaving him alone, but Uncle Al and the boys were going to drop by for dinner. Normally we would stay for that since it’s been a long time since we’ve seen them, but we’re all itching to get this over with.
Then we got back to the apartment and I sent Ada on an errand to keep her busy, so that Dex and I could have some privacy.
And by privacy, I mean sex.
It’s the only way I could get him to possess me again. We both know there’s no way I would get in that house again unless he’s inside me, and thankfully this time we didn’t have to delay any orgasms or do any blood rituals (thank god, because the cuts are only just starting to heal on me). No, it was a quick hard fuck, made with intention, and it did the trick.
Dex slipped inside me, literally and metaphysically, lying in wait.
Right now he’s in the passenger seat and I’m driving the Highlander, just in case. I’m the one stable in my own body, but he isn’t.
And he’s awfully quiet, even for him, just watching the buildings pass us beyond the rain-streaked windows.
You okay? I ask him.
His presence brightens inside me for a moment, like a growing flame. In response, he slumps a little in his seat. Yeah, this definitely isn’t a party trick. I look forward to not having to do this again.
I’m fine, he says from inside me. Just nervous.
I can tell. About Ada?
No. About Samantha.
You’ll be fine.
I’m worried about you, kiddo.