Free Haunting Magic (Ink Book 6) by Holly Hood Page A

friend a girl ever had tell him I want to talk to him. I don’t care if he thinks I am crazy.”
    Karsen sighs. “Fine. But this is a very messed up way to land a date.”
    Nona stands as well pulling out a cigarette. “Have you seen the ass on that boy?” Karsen giggles. “I don’t half blame her. Career criminal or not.”
    “I’ll see what I can do,” Karsen promises to try her best to track him down and force him back to my room.
     
    ***
    “He has a girlfriend,” Karsen says. These are not the words I want to hear. God, I do not want to hear these words. I feel sick hearing these words come out of her mouth.
    “What do you mean he has a girlfriend?”
    Karsen does what she always does when she is annoyed at anyone. She sighs. “I mean, I walked up to him and told him what you wanted me to say and he told me he has a girlfriend.”
    I concentrate on the art hanging on the wall instead of Karsen. Because I am afraid if I look at her she will see I am on the verge of crying. And I don’t want to cry because that would look ridiculous.
    But before I can say anything else Nona opens the door and comes into the room. She slaps a flyer down on the table and looks at me.
    “He may have a girlfriend, but he plays five nights a week at the bar downtown.”
    I pick up the paper. “Where did you find this?”
    “I have my ways. Now let’s get you home and then you can worry about this guy.”
    I have no objections to that. I stare at the paper, Slade Andrews takes the stage five days a week in my town. I have to be there.

Music to my ears
    I’m out of the hospital and I have been out for weeks. And it feels nice to be home. But one thing is on my mind and it’s amazing I survived this long without sneaking out in the middle of the night to go find him—Slade that is. But I kept busy with routine doctor checkups and visiting with family. Everyone wants to see the miracle I have soon become now that I am out of my coma.
    I greet every visitor. I eat all the food Nona plies me with and I take naps and medication and do everything they ask of me.
    I push on and on, doing everything I can to show I am all right. If I am all right and everyone thinks that I am, the sooner I can get out of the house.
    And finally, after another week of jumping through every hurdle possible everyone believes I am okay again.
    I walk into the kitchen. The house we have is nowhere as shabby as the one from my coma. It’s nice.
    I open the refrigerator and smile at the food. I grab an orange juice and shut the door and spin around to my dad. He’s sitting at the table with his laptop. I guess his work has taken off, and he is working on deals of his own. He’s his own boss and has an impressive advertising company now.
    I take a seat. “More work?”
    He nods. “If I finish up I will have the entire weekend free.”
    “Well, that’s good.” I trail a hand across the table. “How did it happen?”
    My father looks at me and he scratches his head. “We went over this.”
    “You never told me about the day.” He told me a lot of things but not about the day it happened.
    He sighs and sits back in his seat. “We got to Cherry, I showed you the house. You were upset about moving. I offered to unpack your room with you but you refused.”
    That sounded right.
    “I had a drink and went to bed. And you left. When I woke up in the morning you were nowhere to be found. I thought maybe you went to Nona’s. But when the police showed up at the door I knew that wasn’t the case.” He stands up and I know that’s all he wants to tell me.
    I swallow the urge to ask more. I’m sure it’s pretty devastating to think you lost your daughter.
    “Well, I’m here now. And I promise I’m not going to do that again,” I tell him. I stand up and hug him, wrapping my arms around him.
    “I thought I lost you, kid.” He squeezes me tight. “But I never lost hope.”
    And I am so glad he didn’t otherwise I might not be standing in the