“Sorry,” Kora said. “If the thing is still in the woods where I threw it, I can probably call it back. Ask more questions. But it’s risky to give a direct invitation, it will make it harder to get rid of it after. But it’s your call, Kurt. If you’re really concerned, I’ll call it back and question it.”
“Yeah, no.” I shook my head. “I just want it gone. For good.”
“It’s gone,” Kora said, then looked up at Orion. “I’m starving. I want mozzarella sticks.”
“Okay.” Orion pulled Kora to her feet.
“Wait,” I said. “What do I owe you for this?”
“Nothing,” Kora said. “Orion’s getting me mozzarella sticks, that was the deal.”
“At least let me pay for your meal.” I reached for my wallet and Orion grabbed my hand, stopping me.
“You don’t have to pay,” he said. “And please don’t argue with me about it.” He smirked at Kora. “Not in front of the children.”
Kora rolled her eyes. “I’m not a child. But I want mozzarella sticks now, Orion.”
Orion winked at me. “She gets ravenous after a cleansing. We’re going, Kora. But you should probably get dressed first.”
“Shit, I forgot.” Kora started for the door, then paused, sliding her glasses back on. “Orion, are you sure Chapel doesn’t have anything to do with this house?”
“He was only here for a few minutes. Why you keep asking?”
“When I got rushed, I got a glimpse of Chapel’s impression in my head. Like I could see him for a split second, in the mind of that entity.”
“Is it possible the ghost didn’t like that a medium was here?” I asked. “Would it have sensed that ability in Chapel, if it was already in the house when he came by?”
“Could be.” Kora nodded. “Might have known it was gonna get booted.”
“Hey, look at you.” Orion slapped my arm. “Getting all comfy with the spooky stuff. Making suggestions and shit.”
“I am not comfy with the spooky stuff.”
Laughing, Kora headed for the door. “Well, you’ll be comfy in your bed tonight. No more entities. Your house is clean. I’m gonna go get dressed. Orion I’ll meet you out front?”
“Okay.” After Kora left, he turned to me. “Are you all right?”
“Not really.”
He slipped his arms around my waist. I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead, he pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m sorry Kora freaked you out with that shit about your daughter’s name.”
“Not your fault.”
“Could be a coincidence. The name Mia.”
“Could be.”
“And I’m sorry I had to jump in the pool so I wouldn’t come in my pants out back.”
I smiled. Releasing Orion, I reached into my pocket and pulled my keys out. “Oh, I almost forgot. I spoke with my father this morning.”
His eyes widened. “And?”
I removed the spare key to the garage, and handed it to him. “He’s in agreement about you moving in here. If you still want to.”
A smile lit his face, and he accepted the key. “Wow. That’s great. I was planning to go over tomorrow and do some errands for him. Wasn’t sure if I could mention it or not. So he’s really good with it?”
“Yeah, he thinks it’s a great idea. Did you talk to Chapel?”
“Yeah, he don’t care if I move out. Long as I stay in close touch.”
I shrugged. “So that’s it then.”
Orion beamed at the key. “So I can talk to Jaz about it when I see him tomorrow. How I’m gonna be right down the road now.”
“Yes. I…should probably warn you in advance though. He saw your text to me. He’d been on my phone, talking to my daughter.”
Wrinkling his nose, Orion looked up at me. “My flirty text?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh shit, that’s embarrassing.”
“Yeah. It was.”
“Was he mad?”
“Mad? No. I think it took him by surprise, but we talked, and he was ultimately fine with it.”
“Talked about…what exactly? How specific we talking?”
I laughed as Orion’s brows shot up. “Now who’s got bug eyes?”
“Come on, Kurt, tell me what was said.”
“Long story short, I told him there was an attraction there that I was pursuing. He accepted it. I didn’t give him gory details.”
A smile spread across Orion’s face. “Really? He doesn’t mind me lusting after his boy?”
“Did you think he would?”
“Figured he might, to be honest. I’m incredibly relieved. It’s not like I could help myself. I didn’t expect to…you know.”
“Didn’t expect to what?”
He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t expect to like you like this. To like anyone like this. But Jasper don’t know that. I haven’t said nothing about it yet.”
I smiled at his words, my face heating. “He seemed okay with it. After giving me a few warnings, at least.”
Slowly, Orion’s smile slipped away. “What kind of warnings?”
Shit. I shouldn’t have mentioned that. I wanted to kick myself, because I knew why I mentioned it, and it was a selfish agenda, testing him for a reaction. I wanted to know if Orion was taking me for a ride, as my father said he’d done with other men. Because deep down, I still questioned Orion’s sincerity. But he’d given me no reason to question it. This was all about my own insecurities.
And now he had a wounded look on his face. Because of Orion’s confidence, and his seeming comfort with all things dark and turbulent, I tended to keep forgetting he could be sensitive.
“Kurt, what warnings?”
“Nothing bad. My father’s very fond of you.”
His brow lowered. “Then what?”
“It’s not about you, I swear. He just thinks I’m gullible and...it was nothing, really.”
Looking at the floor, Orion went still. It was that odd, statue stillness I’d seen the night I first spoke with him. I was fucking this up, and needed to fix it.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it was no big deal.”
“If he called you gullible that means he don’t trust me with you. That the thought of me being with you like that makes him uneasy.”
“Oh…no, it wasn’t like that. It was just dad stuff, you know? Said I should get to know more about you. That’s not a bad thing, is it? Me getting to know you better?”
He shook his head, eyes shifting away from me. “No,” he said. “Not a bad thing at all.” He frowned for a long moment, then abruptly handed me back the key, slipping it into my palm and bending my fingers over it. “Here. Keep this for now.”
“Why? You don’t wanna move in now?”
“I have to take care of some things first. It’ll take a little time. But if you need to rent it to someone else, no worries. I’ll be fine in my apartment a little longer. Chap and I are getting along better anyway.”
“I don’t understand. You were all in a minute ago.”