The Ghost Host: Episode 1 (The Ghost Host Series) Read online

  “I’m sorry Mom and Dad don’t believe you,” Mable says.

  “We know that’s why you’re leaving.” Azalea sniffs and scrubs at her eyes.

  Mable’s arm scrunches around me even tighter. “We don’t want you to leave, Echo. We’ll miss you so much.”

  “But we understand,” Azalea says, sounding light years older than her eight years can justify. “Will you call us every day? Please?”

  My throat aches as I hold back a sob. The burning at the back of my eyes blurs the TV screen. “Of course,” I whisper. Both my arms are wrapped around my sisters, so when a tear slips past my control, I just let it fall. I almost jump when Malachi’s fingers brush against my skin and wipe it away. Desperate, I turn to him. He leans over Mable and presses his forehead to mine.

  “Maybe once Echo is settled, you two could come out and visit us,” Malachi says without pulling away from me.

  The twins’ heads pop up immediately. The pure excitement in their eyes would almost make me laugh if I wasn’t completely stunned by the invitation. The twins don’t seem to have the same problem. “Can we? Can we? Can we?” they start chanting.

  I hear them, but when I finally manage to speak, it’s to Malachi. “Us?”

  One corner of his mouth turns up. “You did agree to being my girlfriend, remember?”

  “I…I know, but…you just…it sounded like you meant they’d come visit us,” I babble. When Malachi’s expression turns confused, I say, “Like us, at the same place, like…”

  Now Malachi really smiles. “Like we’re living together?” Faced with his grin and the laughter in his voice, red shoots up my neck to pool in my cheeks, which only makes Malachi laugh. “I just meant that I’d be there to help you with the twins if they come down, but if you’re thinking about moving in with me…”

  I seriously want to die right now. “No,” I blurt out, “I mean, not that I haven’t considered it, I mean, I haven’t, not really. It’s just…we don’t know each other that well, you know?”

  Malachi starts laughing in earnest. “Do you have any idea how much I love it when you blush, Carrots?” He laughs again and shakes his head. “No we don’t know each other that well, so I wasn’t suggesting we move in together…not right now anyway. Although, Kyran would be all for it, I’m sure. So long as you agree to play video games with him.”

  His teasing lessens some of my embarrassment enough that I can form a complete sentence. “I’m always up for video games. You should know that by now.”

  “Well, then,” Malachi says, his voice teasing and sultry at the same time, “how about we start with video games, work our way up to possibly staying the night, and then go from there? Sound fair?”

  I can’t swallow. I can’t breathe. I can barely form a complete thought. My head bobs once, slowly. I’m not even sure I meant to do that. Did he just ask me to spend the night…at some point? Did I just say yes? I haven’t even kissed him yet! What am I thinking? Am I thinking? Seems doubtful at this point.

  Malachi leans in and presses his forehead to mine again, so I have no choice but to focus on his beautiful eyes. “Breathe, Carrots.”

  As if I just needed to be reminded, I gasp in a breath, but I don’t stop staring at him. I can’t.

  “Are you gonna ki-iss?” Azalea asks, drawing out her last word teasingly.

  Malachi grins devilishly, and for a split second, I think he’s going to do it. “Nah,” he says as he screws up his face, “Echo doesn’t like kissin’ boys.”

  Mable and Azalea burst into a round of giggles. “Nuh-uh!” Mable says between giggles.

  “Yes she does!” Azalea bellows.

  “Nope, I don’t think she likes kissin’ boys.” Malachi grabs Mable next to him and starts tickling her relentlessly, refusing to let her go until she’s gasping for every breath, grinning like a lunatic.

  Azalea is giggling like mad as she watches her twin get attacked, but when Mable finally rolls off the couch to freedom, Azalea turns back to me. Squinting her eyes at me, she seems to consider something before speaking. “Do you really not like kissing boys? Is it gross?”

  I should probably just tell her it is, spare my parents a little longer. Instead, I shrug. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never kissed a boy before.”

  “Never?” Mable asks as she props her chin up on one of my knees.

  The twins looks at each other, considering. “Becky’s big sister Jeanie kisses boys all the time. And Lacey’s big sister, too. Even Candace’s big brother. He has a list of all the girls he’s kissed,” Mable says.

  Azalea turns to Malachi and asks, “Do you have a list?”

  Choking back a laugh, Malachi shakes his head. “No, I don’t keep a list.”

  “But you’ve kissed girls before, right?” Mable asks.

  “I bet lots of girls wanted to kiss you,” Azalea says dreamily. I have to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from laughing at that.

  “How many girls have you kissed?” Mable demands of Malachi.

  He turns to me for help, but I’m not about to give it. Grinning, I cross my arms and stare him down. “Yeah, Malachi, how many girls have you kissed?”

  The panic that springs onto his face instantly makes me feel guilty. We were all just teasing, but that’s clearly not a question he wants to answer, not in front of my sisters, at least. Feeling responsible for this, I effectively distract the twins when I ask if they want popcorn to eat while we watch the end of the movie. Both girls squeal in delight and beg for homemade popcorn with real butter instead of the microwave variety. Given that it’ll take longer, I’m quick to agree.

  “All right, you two be good. I’ll be back with the popcorn in a few.” I wiggle my way out from between them and start for the kitchen. Making it only as far as the hallway, I’m pulled to a stop when Malachi grabs my hand. When I turn to look at him, the panic in his eyes has softened, but it’s still there, mixed with something else now.

  “Echo, I…”

  Pulling him away from the den, I say, “Come help me with the popcorn.”

  Whatever he has to say, I’m not sure I want the twins to hear it. A sinking feeling hits me as I wonder why asking about girls he’s kissed sent him off the rails. Do I want to know? My hands start to shake as I grab out the big soup pot and pour oil into the bottom. Malachi stands back, and from the corner of my eye I see him drag his hands down his face. My stomach drops into my toes.

  How many girls has he kissed…or is it more than that? He knows I’ve never kissed a guy, never had a boyfriend, never even been on a real date. Being a third wheel doesn’t count. Surely Malachi’s made the connection that I’ve never had sex either. I never really stopped to consider whether he has or not, or with how many people. Pressing my hand to my stomach, I try to keep it from churning.

  Is that what freaked him out? Has he slept with someone before? Has he slept with a lot of women? It’s not my place to judge. It’s really none of my business. We don’t even know each other that well yet. But if…would I want to become just another notch on someone’s bedpost? If that’s how Malachi is, I don’t want to think I’d be stupid enough to fall for that, but aren’t I already moving across the country to be closer to him while I figure things out with the ghosts and the FBI?

  “Echo,” Malachi begs, “the silence is killin’ me. Please say something.”

  “You don’t have to tell me,” I say, though it comes out more as a squeak than actual words.

  When he reaches out for me, I can’t stop myself from flinching. It’s barely a twitch, but Malachi sees it and his hand falls away. His head drops, which scares me even more. What is he going to say?

  “The kissin’ thing, it was stupid. Kyran’s idea, but I went along with it.” Malachi sighs so deeply I’m sure he must feel it in his bones. “Our senior year, Kyran bet me he could kiss more girls that year than I could. Winner got to pick the apartment we’d live in at college. It was stupid. Kyran only did it because…”

  I’m dying to ask,
but I don’t. Fear overpowers my curiosity and I drop a single kernel into the oil and stare at it, waiting for it to pop and tell me the oil is hot enough. Malachi waits, one hand tangled in his hair. I think he’s waiting for me to ask him to continue, but I can’t do it.

  Finally, Malachi offers up the rest whether I want to hear it or not. “Summer before senior year, my girlfriend broke up with me. We’d been together for two years. We were planning to go to different colleges after graduation, and she didn’t want to spend her senior year tied down to someone she was only going to leave behind anyway. I thought I meant more to her than that, but that’s how it was.” Malachi sighs and drops his hand. “The bet was just to take my mind off Amelia Kay, but…”

  “How many girls did you kiss?” I ask quietly.

  “I don’t know,” Malachi admits. “It was…a lot.”

  “Who won the bet?”

  The hint of a smile twitches across his lips. “I did.”

  He clearly didn’t want to admit it, but he’s not completely repentant about his last year of high school. For some reason, that makes me feel a little better. Maybe because it was all just in good fun. I doubt any of the girls he kissed objected to his attention. Why would they? He’s sweet and caring and not too bad to look at. A smile starts to curve my lips, but another thought stops them.

  “When you were with your girlfriend…did you…” My throat closes up and I can’t force the words out.

  “Sleep with her?” Malachi finishes, head down. He takes in a long, shaky breath. “Yes. Near the end, before we broke up. She’s the only one I’ve ever had sex with, though. I know the kissing thing was stupid, but I take relationships seriously, Echo. I don’t want you to think I’m cavalier with women, because I’m not.”

  The kernel in the oil pops, flying up out of the pot and scaring me half to death. I don’t feel so bad when I realize it caught Malachi off guard, too. Picking up the singular piece of popcorn off the floor, I toss it in the trash and measure out the rest of the kernels and dump them into the pan. When I set the jar of kernels back down, I feel considerably steadier than I did when I walked into the kitchen.

  When I look up at Malachi, his expression is tortured. “Please tell me what you’re thinking?” he begs.

  “Malachi, I’m not judging you at all. I’m just scared.”

  “Scared of what?” he asks as he steps closer.

  My chest tightens as fear claims me, but I can’t repay his honesty with a dodge. “Scared that I’ll be a disappointment.”

  Malachi’s face screws up in confusion. “Why would you be a disappointment to me? You’re amazing.”

  “I just…I don’t know anything about relationships, or kissing, or sex.” My own words hit my ears and my whole face flames scarlet. “I mean, I know the, uh, basics. That stuff, you know? But actually kissing someone, or going further? I tend to screw things up on a regular basis. I just don’t want you to think you’re getting one thing and then I turn out to be completely useless.”

  “Well,” Malachi says, struggling to keep a straight face, “you’d never be completely useless. There’s always your mad skills with a game controller if nothing else.”

  Rolling my eyes, I turn away and put a lid on the pot where the popcorn is getting ready to explode. When Malachi slides his arms around my waist from behind, I want to lean into him, but real fear holds me back.

  “Please don’t be scared,” Malachi whispers. “There’s nothing to kissing. All you need is a little practice, and I’m more than happy to help with that.” He brushes his lips against my neck, making my heart stop. He doesn’t take it any further, for which I am infinitely grateful, but he has more to say.

  “Anything more than that, I’m certainly not expecting you to jump into bed with me. Having sex a few times with Amelia Kay hardly makes me an expert. We’ll figure that out together…when we’re both ready. I’m not in a rush. I knew where you stood with all of this before I ever flew out here. I didn’t come to get you into bed. I came because I care about you, because I want to see you happy and safe. Please don’t be afraid to tell me what you want or don’t want.

  Kernels start popping like mad, startling us both. Laughing, I lean into Malachi’s chest and let him hold me. “I’m scared of moving too fast and screwing everything up,” I finally admit. “Moving to Georgia, the FBI, living on my own, the ghosts, you…I’m worried I can’t handle it all on my own.”

  “You don’t have to,” Malachi says.

  Part of me believes him wholeheartedly. The other part is more practical. As much as I love being around Malachi, getting the ghosts sorted out is my number one priority right now. We’re leaving for Georgia in the morning, and I start the FBI’s tests the day after we arrive. The situation with the rogue ghost isn’t getting any better. It will continue to get worse until I figure out what he wants. The only time I seem to be able to talk to him is when I’m asleep, but I have no memory of it when I wake up. And that word…repeat…I can’t get it out of my head and I can’t remember why it seems so familiar. Even bigger than my fear of falling short of Malachi’s expectations is the fear that I’ll be the reason he gets hurt…or worse.

  18: Vengeful

  (Echo)

  “Are you sure you have everything you need?” Dad asks. He’s torn up with anxiety, but he’s handling it the best he can. “If you forget something, it’s a long way…” Choked up with emotion and worry, he pauses and runs a hand through his hair.

  “Dad, it’s not like I’ll never be back,” I say softly.

  He gives me this look that says he’s not sure if he believes me. Shaking it off, he says, “It’ll be a while, though. You don’t want to forget anything important.”

  Feeling like a monster for putting him through this, I wrap my arms around him and say, “I have what I need, Dad, and I’ll be back to visit soon.”

  About then, Zara and Holden pull up in Zara’s car. They both get out, though Zara’s bouncing step is considerably more enthusiastic than Holden’s. He’s mostly over his objections about Malachi, but his naturally cautious nature still has him on edge a little. I see him walk to where Malachi is trying to shove the last of my boxes into my car. I start toward them both, but my mom comes bustling out of the house with another box, even though I swear we’d already gotten everything.

  “What’s this, Mom?” I ask as I take it from her.

  “Oh, just a few things to keep you from missing us too much.” She says it lightly, but there are tears in her eyes. “Pictures, mementos, your old blanket, things like that.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I can’t offer a hug with the box in my arms, but I lean my head against her shoulder a moment and smile. We walk over to the car together and I shove the box in the only place I can still fit anything. My poor car is so loaded down I hope we don’t have to brave any speed bumps.

  “Call us when you stop, okay? Let us know how you’re doing,” my mom says as she nods repeatedly.

  “I will, Mom.” She yanks me into a hug, and the endless round of goodbyes begin.

  I hear my dad tell Malachi to take care of me, which he also says to Holden. The four of us receive so many hugs, it almost makes my shoulders ache. The twins bounce around laughing and hugging everyone in sight as many times as they can—especially Malachi—but when they get to me, both burst into tears and fall into my arms sobbing. That gets my mom going. Even my dad has a hard time keeping the tears from his eyes.

  Pulling away from them feels like tearing out a piece of my heart. Azalea and Mable peering at me through the window with tear-streaked little faces just about does me in. Even though things have been rough between me and my parents the last few weeks, it breaks my heart to leave them standing there. Thankfully, Malachi offered to drive because I wouldn’t have been able to see well enough to manage. A few minutes later, once I’ve calmed down, Malachi reaches over and takes my hand without a word.

  For a long time, we drive like that, until Zara breaks in on the walkie talk
ies she insisted we bring and starts chattering about anything and everything. Her excitement for this move slowly seeps into everyone else and the mood shifts from guilt ridden and depressed to ready for anything. It’s hours later before we pull off at a safe looking chain hotel. I step out of the car feeling drained, but excited. Malachi takes my hand as soon as he comes around the car and we head for the lobby.

  “Echo Simmons,” I tell the clerk when he asks what name our reservation is under. I don’t bother pulling out my purse since my dad insisted on reserving all our hotel stays for the trip so he knew we were somewhere safe, and likely so he knew whether or not we checked in.

  “Here it is. I have a single room with two queen beds reserved. Does that sound right?” the clerk asks.

  Startled, I have to think about it for a minute. I don’t think my dad ever gave me the specifics of the reservations, but I had just assumed he would book two rooms. One for the guys and one for the girls. I’m really not sure whether this is a mistake or my dad is suddenly being more trusting than I would have ever imagined. Or scared, I realize. Something Malachi said to him made a difference. Maybe keeping us all together sounded like a better plan despite the risks.

  “Uh, yeah,” I say finally, “sounds great.”

  The guy nods and hands over four keycards while giving us directions to our room. We only make it to the elevator before Holden feels the need to say, “You and Zara are sharing a bed.”

  Rolling my eyes, I elbow him in the side. “Thanks, Dad.” He gives me a stern look I’m sure his future children will quickly learn to despise, but I just ignore him.

  “Do we have plans for dinner?” Malachi asks.

  “Order in!” Zara begs. “I’m beat!”

  Everyone else seems to agree as we pile into the elevator. A few minutes later, we’re dumping our bags on the floor of our room. Holden starts looking for places that will deliver and Zara flops down on the bed, spread eagle, taking up the entire surface. I was actually planning to do the same thing. Bed hog.