She pasted a smile on her face. No way in hell I’m sleeping well tonight.
* * * *
While Pierce couldn’t be more pleased with the way things worked out, he’d begun to worry about Demi. She’d been a bit distant. It was normal when she had a deadline looming, but she seemed to be on edge, which he didn’t like. He tried to talk to her about it, and she blamed it on lack of sleep. Dark half crescents under her eyes were a normal occurrence. What child’s game could be this all encompassing? With his concerns in the forefront, he knocked on the front door.
“Hey.” She leaned her head back and smiled up at him.
“Hey, D. We need to talk.”
Her smile fell as she stepped back, allowing him to enter the house.
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It’s pretty serious. What’s going on with you? We said we’d be up front, and I know you’re hiding something from me. Are you tired of dating me?”
“What? No. How could you think that?”
“You’re distant, often unfocused when we’re together. I don’t know what else to think. I mean, we both know you were apprehensive going into this.”
“I’ve been all in from the minute I decided to make us a reality.”
“Then why have you been checking out?”
She wrapped her arms around her waist and shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Look where that’s gotten us.”
“You’ll think I’m crazy.”
He frowned and placed his arms on her shoulders. “Hey, I’m asking you. I’m here to listen.”
She shrugged out of his hold. “Fine.” She bit the bottom of her lip and paced the area in front of the couch. “Strange things have been happening in the house.”
“D—”
“No. I knew you were going to try to rationalize it. You were there with me in the inn. How can you be a skeptic now?”
“I never actually saw anything. Sure I got a bad feeling, but that place is creepy and full of history. This is your home. You’ve never had any problems here before.” He kept his voice steady as he held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. It wasn’t like Demi to be so spooked. Lack of sleep can cause hallucinations after a while.
“So maybe I brought something home.”
“I thought you laid Bronwyn to rest.”
“So did I.” The desperation in her eyes told him something was going on.
“How about you come and stay with me for a while? Get a break from the house?”
“I have a deadline, and I can’t up and move everything at this stage.” She ran a hand through her hair.
“So work here during the day, and then come and stay with me at night.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. “Please let me do this for you.”
“But you don’t believe me.” Her voice wavered.
“What matters is you believe it.”
“Bullshit.” She jerked out of his arms. “I’m not some child who needs to be comforted because she thinks there’s a monster in her closet. Whatever is happening here is real, and it’s obvious it’ll follow me wherever I go.”
He mentally counted to ten. She could be so damn stubborn. “I’m willing to take my chances, D. Pack a bag, and we’ll head over. Let me take care of dinner tonight. Sit back, relax. Maybe have a beer.”