The Reaping (The Reapers Book 1) Read Free Page B

She was obsessed with everything supernatural and unusual, though she had never experienced any such thing herself, and she would love it if she knew I talked to ghosts. Unfortunately for Angelica, I liked being ordinary too much to risk sharing my secret.
    I walked over and curled up on the couch next to her, giving her a quick squeeze. It felt good to snuggle up to my best friend, the first best friend I’d ever had. “No monsters. I just couldn’t wait to see you.”
    Angelica hugged me back. “I didn’t think so. I was meditating earlier tonight and I didn’t get any bad vibes from the surrounding area.” Her tone was only half joking. “So how was work tonight?”
    “Okay, I guess. Landon is the worst manager ever. I had a talk with him, but I don’t think anything sunk in.”
    “I don’t know why you keep trying with him. It only frustrates you. The dude’s a total douche.” She yawned. She worked at the bookstore with me but didn’t enjoy it. She wanted to get a job with ski patrol. “I’ve started doing this new thing where every time he talks to me I say ‘what?’ No matter what he says I just keep saying ‘what?’ It’s hilarious. He gets totally confused. You can’t take that dude seriously.”
    “I know. I probably should let it go. Eventually, he will do something so stupid that even being the owner’s nephew won’t protect him. You know, tonight he totally hit on me.”
    Angelica sat straight up. “What? Ewwww! He didn’t touch you, did he?”
    “He tried a couple of times. You don’t think he would actually…you know…”
    “What? Like force himself on you? I don’t know. Maybe you shouldn’t stay there alone with him anymore. Dude, seriously, if he ever did anything like that to you, I would kill him.”
    The serious look on her cherubic face made me laugh.
    “You don’t believe me? You’re my best friend, Kelsey, and you are so pure. If he sullied you, I would destroy him.” She looked a bit offended.
    I was constantly amazed by her devotion to me, often feeling it was only a matter of time before she discovered something about me that would send her running out of my life. For that reason, I always tried to take her seriously, as difficult as it sometimes could be. “Thank you, but I don’t think it will come to that. I just won’t stay there alone with him anymore.”
    “Why not find another job? You could work anywhere.”
    “Because I don’t want to work anywhere else. I like working at the bookstore and I won’t let that wasted prick chase me away.” In my previous life, I would never have used a term like ‘wasted prick,’ but Angelica’s language had rubbed off on me and I liked the way using such words made me feel like a different person.
    “Right on,” she said. “I don’t know why you like it there, but whatever. If you’re ever there alone with him again, just call me and I’ll come over and protect you.”
    “Thanks, Ang. Now I think we both should go to bed.” I hugged her and stood, pulling her up with me.
    “Okay.” We walked with our arms around each other to the back of the apartment. I led Angelica into her room and dropped her on the bed.
    “Good night, sweetie.”
    “Ga’ nigh’.” She yawned as she pulled back the duvet and snuggled in.
    I walked back to my room, pulled off my jeans, and went right under the covers. I would worry about brushing my teeth and washing my face in the morning when I had the energy for it.
     
    I stood alone on a crowded street in downtown Briarton, bumped and jostled by the constant flow of people, all in parkas and snow pants, carrying snowboards and skis. I tried to get out of the stream of pedestrian traffic and found my only option was to move with the people toward the mountain that rose above me. I walked to the center of Klondike Square at the base of the mountain. The nearby gondola was empty and unmoving and, suddenly, I was alone.
    A familiar laugh behind me made me spin around and I