Talk To Me

Chapter Twenty-Six

The end of August

"You can't just wish this away, Leah," Lily said, her voice steady, eyes flicking toward her.

"Oliver did," Leah replied with a shrug, pulling plates from the gray dishwasher. The ceramic clinked together as she stacked them on the counter.

"That's still debatable." Lily dried a white mug with a worn brown kitchen towel, her movements slow and thoughtful.

It had been three weeks since Lily started staying at Leah's apartment. She had nowhere else to go—not after Leah found out she'd been sleeping in motels when she could afford it and on the streets when she couldn't. The living room couch wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing. And despite the occasional snark, Leah didn't mind the company.

The topic of Oliver came up often. Too often. Lily had an obvious fascination with him, though Leah couldn't decide if it was curiosity or something else.

"What's the gossip?" Cassie's voice cut through the kitchen as she strutted in. She perched on a gray stool, leaning forward expectantly.

"Nothing," Leah mumbled, shutting the dishwasher with a dull click.

"Oh, come on," Cassie huffed, tossing her hands in the air. "I heard you two whispering."

Leah and Lily exchanged a look, silently weighing how much Cassie had overheard.

"And I definitely heard Oliver's name," Cassie smirked, arching a perfectly shaped brow. "I have dibs, by the way." She turned her gaze to Lily.

Leah exhaled sharply. "That will never happen," she said, laughing under her breath.

"You know Oliver?" Lily asked, eyeing Cassie curiously.

"Of course I do." Cassie bit into a green apple, her small teeth sinking into the crisp flesh. "And like I said, I have dibs." She pointed the half-eaten fruit at Lily as if making a formal claim.

"Ignore her," Leah waved a dismissive hand. "Cassie has a slight crush on my brother—"

"A crush?" Cassie nearly choked. "I'm full-on in love with him. It'd be great if he'd stop sleeping around so much—"

"Cassie!" Leah snapped.

"What?" Cassie feigned innocence, taking another bite. "You know he can't keep it in his pants. I'm just waiting for my turn." She grinned.

Leah groaned, grabbing Lily's wrist and tugging her toward the hallway. "Come on, we need to get dressed for work."

As soon as they were out of the kitchen, Leah muttered under her breath, "Don't listen to her. My brother is not some kind of gigolo. She's just pissed because he slept with her friend last week, and now she's being extra bitchy about it."

"But you did just confirm that he sleeps around," Lily pointed out, trailing behind her into the bedroom. "Not that I care, really. But you know what I do care about—"

"I don't know what else to tell you." Leah yanked open the white wardrobe, rifling through the clothes. "He stopped seeing ghosts after our grandmother died."

"And she was your mom's mother, right?" Lily asked, Leah nodded, pulling a white t-shirt from a hanger and tossing it onto a chair. "Then your mom must've had the sight."

"Oliver said she didn't." Leah frowned, staring into the wardrobe like it held answers. "I don't remember her much. She left when I was five, so my memories are vague at best."

Lily crossed her arms. "But the sight is inherited. It always goes to the firstborn. That's why Oliver has it and you don't. And you said your mom was an only child, so she passed it to Oliver."