“I see. Well, anyway, I don’t enjoy being referred to as an older guy.”
Head falling back, Orion laughed hard. “Sorry. Kora gets psychic impressions too, like remote viewing. She’s younger. That was her assessment, not Chapel’s. For the record, I don’t see you that way at all.”
“It was a joke. I don’t care how you see me.”
Orion’s soft smile slid away, eyes darkening. The shift was instantaneous. I’d apparently pissed him off.
“Something wrong?”
He shook his head slowly. “Nah. Everything’s crystal clear.”
“When I said I don’t care how you see me, I didn’t mean that to sound rude.”
He huffed softly, looking away. “Yes, you did.” He glanced at me then pointed to his temple. “Psychic, remember? I felt your intentional snark like a punch.”
He was right, my comment had been snarky, but I hadn’t liked the insinuation that I was some creep, and a danger to Orion. It was too close to my own worries. Not that I was dangerous by any means. But I had been feeling a little creepy regarding my secret attraction.
But I could see now how my comment was perceived, and I regretted it, especially since I most definitely did care how Orion viewed me. We’d been connecting tonight, laughing together, and I’d enjoyed that.
But he also scared me, because my knee-jerk dickishness was no longer about my father with Orion’s foster mom. It was about Orion’s effect on me personally, something I didn’t have a handle on yet. It was nice to obsess over him a little when I was sure it was unrequited. But tonight…I just wasn’t sure. On one hand, I had a feeling his performative seductive routine was just that—performative. But if it wasn’t, if for some crazy reason it was reciprocal and Orion was interested in my dull ass, I’d discovered tonight I wasn’t ready to explore what that could mean.
When I behaved like a dick, it was usually because I was scared of something. Like with my kids. Worrying about them, thinking about them leaving me and becoming independent, that scared me, so when they acted rebellious, I lashed out. And Orion? It scared me that I’d become so intrigued with him so fast, the absolute power of the attraction already rocking my world. The thought of him liking me back, of being invited to dive straight into that power? That was the great unknown, something I’d never experienced, even at my age, and fear of it turned me into a chickenshit prick.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, remembering he’d sent Chapel out of the room for a reason.
“Um…oh. Just…next time you invite your kids over maybe tell them they can bring a friend.”
“Why? I want to spend time with my kids, not their friends.”
“Hey, I just had the thought during the reading, take it however you want. Do your son and daughter get along? With each other?”
“They fight sometimes, but they’re siblings.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s about you, but maybe they don’t like spending a whole weekend with just each other. They’re at that age where social life is everything. You tell them they can each bring someone, they’ll probably be happier about coming for a visit.”
“Okay. I’ll think about that.” I suspected he was bullshitting. Not about my kids bringing a friend to visit, that actually wasn’t a bad idea. But I didn’t think this was what he’d initially intended to speak to me about. He’d changed his mind about whatever it was after my flippant comment, and now I’d probably never know what he was really going to say.
“Fuck, fuck, shit, twat, fuck!” We both turned as Chapel came bounding into the room. He tossed Orion’s bag on the floor and hopped up and down, rubbing his arms.
“What the hell’s the matter?” I asked.
“Fuck!” He pointed toward the kitchen. “You’re cultivating some shit in here.”
“Excuse me?”
“What is it?” Orion moved toward him.
Sticking his tongue out, Chapel made a gagging noise. “This property,” he said, “is crawling with Spites.”
I shook my head. “What?”
“Spites.” He glanced around the room like he was seeing things that weren’t there. “You got em.”
“Spites is short for spiritual termites,” Orion said to me, then looked at Chapel. “Are you sure?”
“Fuck yeah, I’m sure! Here.” Chapel pulled a wallet out of his pocket and handed me a business card. “Call or come by the shop, ask for Kora.”
“Why not you?” Orion asked, sounding annoyed. “You’re the one feeling them.”
“Because I’m busy, Orion! Kora’s got free time, she can clean this shit up easy.”
“You push everything onto her lately,” Orion said. “Onto both of us.”
“Onto you? Not stuff like this I don’t.” Chapel grinned at Orion. “You’re afraid of ghosts.” Chapel looked at me. “Did you know that? He acts all tough, doesn’t he? But Orion’s scared of ghosts.”
“I’m not,” Orion said. “Ghosts don’t bother me because my energy blocks so much shit out. It just makes it weird, knowing they’re around you all the time and I can’t sense them.”
“Scared,” Chapel said. “Like I said.”
Orion got in his face. “Says the guy obsessed with cam-girls because he’s too scared to leave the house to get laid.”
“Screw you, Orion! That’s not about fear. You try fucking someone when their dead grandfather is at the end of the bed watching. Try that, then you can judge me!”
“Enough,” I said. “No one’s coming to my house to clean up anything. Nice try though. How much would you have charged me for this performance?”
Chapel walked toward me. “You calling me a con?”
I shrugged. “If the shoe fits.”
“Your property is completely infested, dude. My fucking skin is crawling right now. Don’t tell me you’re not having problems here.”
“He’s a skeptic,” Orion said to Chapel. “Doesn’t believe in anything paranormal.”
Chapel chuckled, then frowned. “Seriously? Do you even know where you live? This is Hillock Beach. How can you not believe in paranormal shit?”
“I just don’t.”
“You’re saying you haven’t experienced any activity in this house? Nothing.”
“Nothing,” I lied. Whatever activity I might have experienced, I wasn’t ready to blame on anything supernatural. And even if I reached that conclusion, I’d handle it myself before letting these clowns come in here ringing bells and burning sage or whatever nonsense they were planning.
“I don’t believe you’ve felt nothing,” Chapel said, shuddering. “I think you’re lying. The energy in here is staggering.”
“Kurt’s really closed off, in every way,” Orion said, and I shot him a look. He raised his eyebrows at me. “What? You are. Let’s go, Chapel. If he’s not bothered, he’s not bothered. Anyway, I’ve overstayed my welcome here.”
Chapel picked up Orion’s bags off the floor. “Okay, Jasper’s son. See ya round. Good luck with your Spites.” He nodded his head toward the business card in my hand. “If shit kicks up, you give us a call or come by, okay? We’ll get it sorted.”