Four Walls (Book One) ✔️

Chapter Nine

Keaton and Thayden are crouched over Ada. She's lying unconscious on the frost-covered grass, a thin, crimson line streaming from her nose.

"Ada." I kneel beside them. "Keaton, what the hell happened?"

"She was speaking to someone, a ghost. It was going fine, and then she started seizing. She collapsed, and now... now I can't wake her up," Keaton explains, his eyes wide with trepidation.

"Sit her up," I order. "Her nose is bleeding. If she's lying flat, the blood will drip backwards and choke her."

Without a word, Keaton obeys.

I touch Ada's face. Her eyes drift open but close just as fast. Her skin is ashy and cold. I don't know what the hell she did, but she took it too far this time.

And I hate myself for not having been with her.

"We should take her to the hospital," I say.

"Okay," Keaton agrees, lifting his girlfriend into his arms.

"What can I do to help?" Thayden asks.

"Nothing. Just take your rapist friend home." I point to Grant as he finally makes his way back.

Keaton raises his eyebrows. "Rapist?"

"Don't ask."

Keaton and I maneuver Ada into the back of his sedan and drive to Starkton Medical Center. She still hasn't woken up, which worries me. Strokes often result in comatose states. Ada is only fourteen, but if she messed with the wrong spirit, maybe they retaliated in a way that she'll never recover from.

Carrying her like a bride, Keaton brings her inside the building. The world turns into a blur as a nurse approaches us and starts barking orders. Ada is placed on a cot and wheeled into a room with too many lights and not enough color.

Someone is saying my name. I hear someone saying my name.

"Layla!" Keaton lays his hands on my shoulders and shakes me. "Layla, snap out of it!"

I jump back, smacking his arms away. Tears sting my eyes as we're ushered out of Ada's room by an exasperated nurse. Keaton doesn't touch me, but he leads us into the waiting area, where he buys a candy bar from the vending machine and hands it to me.

"Eat," he says.

"Thanks." I begin to unwrap the chocolate. "Charleston Chews are my favorite."

"I know. Ada told me. She pretty much talks about you all the time."

"Really? Because with me, she talks about you all the time."

"It seems like she wants to talk about anyone but herself." He takes a seat and buries his head in his hands. I sit beside him. "I'm crazy about her, but I feel like I don't know her. Does that make sense?"

"She told you about her necromancy."

"Her what?"

"Her ability to communicate with the dead," I clarify.

"Right." He shakes his head and smiles. "No offense, but that's the worst-kept secret she has. She'll talk about ghosts with anybody."

"You're not wrong."

"I just... when she collapsed tonight, I was so worried. I'm still so worried. If something happens to her...." He trails off, his entire body trembling. "I've never loved anyone like I love her. She has this way of—"

"Making people feel special without really trying," I finish.

"Your eyes are super green. Like, greener than emeralds."