He shrugged, looking a little smug. “Got permission from the Turners to pick you up today. Told you playing by the rules would work.” He stepped to one side and opened the door for me.
I scowled at him as I climbed in. “
He laughed. “Yeah, well, you're still grounded for now, so I have to have you home in half an hour.” He slammed the door and walked around to get in on the driver's side.
“What about Tyler?” I asked with a frown when Will slid in behind the wheel. I didn't want to abandon him at school with no word as to where I'd gone or what he should do. Not now that he and I had reached a tenuous truce with each other over the last couple of weeks. I think he still wasn't sure what to do with me, how to match who I was now with the sister he'd known before. But he was trying; we both were. And he'd found my knowledge of the inner workings of high school fascinating and at least somewhat valuable. He'd asked me to help him pick out something to wear today. Thank God.
“Mrs. Turner said she'd let him know to catch the bus without you,” Will said.
Tyler probably wouldn't be happy about that, but right at this moment, I didn't care. Half an hour alone with Will after two weeks of virtually no contact was worth it. Plus, I only lived eight minutes from school. Six, if he drove quickly. Whatever would we do with remaining twenty-four minutes? I could think of something.
My heart started pounding harder in anticipation.
But Will made no move toward me. Just started the car up, like he was going to drive me home. Really?
“So, how'd it go today?” he asked.
I slumped in my seat. “It's my second first day of senior year. How do you think it went?” Thank God they'd allowed me to test out of the remainder of “my” junior year. Everyone was amazed at how well I'd done on the exams. Frankly, so was I, considering I'd learned most of the material a year and a half ago or more. But I'd been beyond motivated. Two more years of high school?
“Any problems with ghosts?”
How funny that
“Nothing I couldn't handle,” I said. I could see spirits now, more than ever. My “vision” had come in fully after I'd returned to Lily's body the second time. The light had passed over us before vanishing, and it was like some final connection had been made. I was now just as much a ghost-talker as Will.
“Good.” He signaled to join the line of cars waiting to exit the parking lot.
Seriously? He was actually going to take me home now?
“You're awfully quiet over there. I feel as though I might get to complete a sentence.”
I glared at him. “Oh, shut it.”
“That's better,” he said cheerfully.
Since there clearly wasn't going to be any kissing at the moment — and why the hell not? — I thought I might as well freak him out all at once. Get it over with.
I thought of the folder full of paperwork I'd been carrying around in my bag for the last week or so, mentally flipping through the potential opening arguments I'd created. During my grounding, I'd had a lot of time to think about things. Future stuff. Will was going to Richmond Community College for his Gen Eds, and he would have his own apartment next semester. I couldn't help but shiver at the idea of a place that would be ours. Well, his, but more ours than his mom's or Sam's — now that Will's mom would be moving in there — or my home with the Turners.
We needed a plan. At least, I did — that was how I worked best. It was up to him, I guess, if he wanted to be a part of it.
“So… I've been thinking about the business possibilities of our gift,” I said carefully. “If you look at the ratio of people who need—”
“You want us to make money off people?” He pulled out of the line abruptly and drove to the edge of the parking lot, not far from the burner row, where he'd once parked.
“No, I want us to
