Keeping Secrets (Book 1)

Chapter 10: Hesitation

I didn't expect the bookstore Travis worked at to be much help, especially after he told me - when we were comfortably settled into my bed for the night (thank you parents for letting us sleep in the same bed!) - that the store didn't have much in terms of ghost books. Other than some young adult fiction books, he had told me, our chances of finding what we were looking for were pretty slim.

Yet I still found myself with Travis and Nina at that bookstore the next morning. Travis was still rather hesitant about the whole thing, but considering he was required to work the morning shift today, he had to deal with us being here bugging him, although I'm sure I was bugging him more than Nina was.

"Hey, Trav?" I called out down the small aisle. "Do you have any more books by this author in the back?"

I couldn't currently see Travis from his post behind the counter, but I could hear the sigh he let out. "Babe, I already told you we don't keep books in the back. Whatever we have, you're already looking at."

For the first time all morning, I had actually been serious when I asked about the books in the back. I was holding one book, called Secrets of the Unknown by someone named D. H. R. I hadn't even found it in the paranormal section, but this book, from the quick glance I did through the pages, seemed like it was exactly what we needed. The back of the book said there were more by the author, all of which seemed to be about the same kind of stuff. This guy could be the key to saving the ghosts.

"I'm being serious this time," I told him, heading towards the counter. "I need more books by this guy. I was hoping you were joking about not having anything in the back."

"Which guy?" Nina asked, coming out of an aisle just as I placed the book down on the counter in front of Travis. She also had a book with her. "What book is that?"

"Uh..." I picked it back up to show her. "It looked promising? Maybe? I honestly have no idea what we're looking for, so...?"

She chuckled, snatching the book out of my hand and flipped through the pages. "Okay Dylan, you might actually be on to something with this." Then she looked at Travis. "Know anything about this D. H. R. guy?"

Travis shook his head. "I've never heard of him before. Or even seen that book in here. Where did you find that, babe?"

I shrugged. "The corner by the door? I don't know, it was with a bunch of other random books." I then glanced at the other book Nina was holding. "What's that? A medical book?"

"Yeah. I have a feeling the only way to talk to Death is by dying. But I need to know how to not stay dead. This book will help." She dropped both books onto the counter. "I'll take both of them."

I stared at her, wide-eyed, but it was Travis who voiced the thoughts in my head. "Wait, you're going to die to do this? That's insane."

"Yeah," I said. "You never said it would be that dangerous."

"I told you that dying was a risk and you still agreed to doing this with me."

Travis' face paled. "Dyl? Did you really agree to that? To possibly dying?"

I nodded. That wasn't exactly what I had expected when Nina told me there was a risk. Honestly, I thought she was exaggerating the whole thing. But I stood by what I said. I needed to save Jenny, no matter what.

"Why, Dyl? Is it really worth your life to save people who have already died?"

Instead of answering him right away, I grabbed his hand and led him out from around the counter and down one of the aisles. We stopped what I hoped to be far enough away from Nina, if we were to keep our voices down. I didn't need her overhearing.

"You know how important this is to me, Trav," I started, my voice hushed.

He nodded. "I know, and like I told you last night, I won't stop you from doing this. But I need to know that you're confident in your ability to go through with this. Obviously this is dangerous and, with your leg... I just don't want to lose any more of you, okay babe?"

I cupped his cheeks with my hands. "I love you, Travis, so much. I'll come back to you, I promise. All ninety-five percent of me that's left. Okay?"

I didn't let him answer me, leaning up to press my lips against his. I didn't want him to know how terrified I was. The fact that Nina intended to actually die for a bit just to talk to Death? I couldn't believe I was involved with something so crazy. But if this was the way to save my sister and my grandma and all the other ghosts, then I was going to help Nina. I needed to.

"Hey, if you kids are done with your little make-out session, I need to pay for these books."

Travis pulled away from me, rolling his eyes. I laughed as I followed him back to the counter. He's lucky I told Nina about this place, otherwise he wouldn't have had any customers this morning.

"We're not kids, you know," he said, sliding back behind the counter. "Dyl and I are both twenty-two."

Nina shrugged. "Still younger than me; I'm twenty-four. Although I'll admit I thought you were eighteen or so. Don't meet too many people close to my age anymore. It's always teenagers or older people."

"So you were just going to let an eighteen year old risk his life to help you?" Travis asked, getting defensive.

I stared at him as the thought sunk in. I hadn't thought about it that way. Did Nina really not care if she led some kid to their death? No, I couldn't believe that. She had warned me that it was dangerous. She even sent me away the first time. That was her not wanting a kid to get hurt.

"Does it make a difference if he was eighteen or twenty-two?" Nina argued back with Travis. "No. It doesn't matter. Because he agreed to the risk and I tried to tell him no. Remember? You were there."

"Guys," I interjected. "I'm doing this, okay? It's my choice."

Neither of them said anything as Travis rang up both books. He was disappointed in me, I was sure of it. But I had no other choice, and he knew that. I would, however, do everything in my power to save the ghosts and keep myself safe. For him.