Free Grim Crush (Grimly Ever After) by S.L. Bynum Page B

out on a date, I decided to bring a date to you,” he replied. He set the basket down under the shade of a blossoming tree.
    Curious, I walked over and sat next to it. “What’s in there?”
    Shilah gave me a funny look. “Food, of course. This is a picnic basket. Haven’t you ever seen one before?”
    Uh oh. This could be a problem. “No, I haven’t. Uh…I can’t eat anything.”
    “Why not?”
    “I’m not hungry. But you can eat, I don’t mind.”
    “Oh, I’m so stupid. I should’ve told you first. You’ve already eaten, haven’t you?”
    “Um…Shilah, I need to tell you something…”
    He got out a light blue blanket from the basket and spread it out. “I think I’ve already figured you out, Xia.”
    “You see…wait, what?” That was the last thing I’d expected to hear from him.
    He sat on the blanket, patting the spot next to him for me. I crawled onto the blanket, staring at him.
    “I’ve been thinking a lot,” he said. “And I think I’ve figured you out.”
    My heart skipped a few beats. “What do you mean?”
    “I know you’ve been lying to me. And you act…well, too weird. You leave suddenly at unusual times, you seem to know a lot about death, and I know you’re not from Italy. Then yesterday, I tried to follow you when you left, but…you just disappeared behind some trees. I must’ve lost track of you. But I think I know why you’re so mysterious.”
    My heart was beating faster. However, through my panic, I was peeved. “You followed me?” Okay, so I was being a hypocrite, since I’d done the same thing to him.
    “Yes. And I know exactly what you’re hiding from me.”
    “I highly doubt that,” I disagreed, but my heartbeat still kept hammering in my chest. “What do you think you know?”
    “Your dad is involved in something illegal. He’s part of the mob, isn’t he?”
    I relaxed a little, then bit my bottom lip and looked away. I could let Shilah believe his new theory, or I could tell him the truth. Decisions, decisions…
    “That’s the only reason why you would keep it a secret,” Shilah continued. “He wouldn’t want anyone to know what business you do for him. You also said something about rules when we first met, so you must mean the rules of the mob. And you don’t want me to meet your dad because he’s dangerous–”
    “Shilah, stop. There is something I’m hiding from you, but it’s not that. It’s not anything you could think of.”
    Shilah fell silent, watching me intently.
    I moved closer to him, placing my hand on his knee. “What I’m about to tell you might freak you out, so promise me you’ll still like me after this. I don’t want you to be scared of me.”
    “Xia, I don’t understand…”
    “Just promise you won’t run away from me. You already think I’m weird, so I’m just going to get a little weirder. Maybe a lot weirder.”
    “Okay, I promise I’ll still talk to you. What is it?” He looked concerned.
    I took a deep breath. “Before I tell you, I should admit that I followed you one day too. And I met your grandmother. You call her Granna?”
    Shilah appeared shocked. “When was that?”
    “Two days ago. She told me some things. Do you remember her ever talking about grim reapers?”
    His eyebrows furrowed. “She’s always talking about crazy things. Did she talk to you about grim reapers?”
    “Only because I asked.”
    “ Why ?”
    I paused, trying to figure out how to put this. “What do you know about reapers?”
    “Besides the fact that they’re made up? Why are we talking about–”
    “Just tell me what you know, please.”
    Shilah sighed. “They…take the souls of the dead or something.”
    I nodded. “They guide the souls. And they’re not human. They’re neither dead nor alive. And reapers aren’t supposed to be seen by the living, but…you and Granna are the only two people who can see them.”
    “Wait. You believe in grim reapers?”
    I looked at the ground, ignoring his question.