CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When I opened my eyes, a familiar face was staring worriedly back at me. It took several seconds for me to realize I was back in the graveyard with Ty’s arms wrapped protectively around me.
“Lainey?” Ty whispered, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Ty,” I whispered back. Then I burst into tears.
Ty’s arms tightened around me, and I laid my head against his chest. Beneath my cheek, his heartbeat was fast, but sure. I closed my eyes and let the stable rhythm soothe me. When my tears had dried up, I pulled back, suddenly very aware of the way our bodies were pressed together. My ears burned. “I . . . uh . . .” I took a quick step back, looking down at my feet as I maneuvered out of his arms. My entire face felt like it was on fire. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Lainey?” another voice called from over Ty’s shoulder. Maggie’s pale face popped into view, and I launched myself at her.
“Oh my God, Styles. You scared the crap out of me. Are you okay?”
I pulled away and wiped my face with the back of my hand. “No, not really.”
Maggie’s arms tightened around me, and I snuck a quick glance at Ty. He had one hand resting on the back of his neck, and he looked confused.
“One minute we’re standing there talking, and the next, you disappeared.” Maggie’s eyes were wide and she was shaking. “We heard you screaming, but we couldn’t get to you. The trees . . .” She shook her head as if the words were too shocking to say.
“It’s okay, you can say it. The tree attacked me,” I said, as a hysterical giggle bubbled up in my throat. I think I’m going into shock.
“We need to get you out of here,” Ty said, reading my mind. “Think you can walk?”
I nodded and allowed Ty and Maggie to guide me back toward the parking lot.
“Why don’t you let me drive,” Ty suggested. Neither Maggie nor I argued.
Maggie’s car was parked near the street underneath the soft glow of a streetlight. When we were safely inside—I in the passenger seat and Maggie in the back—Ty turned the car on and cranked the heat on high. I didn’t even realize how cold I was until the warm air came blasting through the vents.
“Here,” Ty said softly, retrieving the leather jacket I still hadn’t returned from the backseat.
I took it, looping my arms through the sleeves and pulling it around myself.
“Nice jacket,” Ty murmured, the crooked smile on his lips.
Despite my frame of mind, I cracked a smile at the joke. But then my face crumpled, and I clamped my hand over my mouth to stop the cry that was building in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut and let the panic pulsate through me. I waited for my heartbeat to slow before I opened my eyes again.
“Did you see her?” I managed to whisper.
“Who? Josephine?” Maggie leaned forward. “Was it her? I mean, the tree—”
“No,” I shook my head. “She was trying to warn me, and I think she saved me. The green light. It was her, wasn’t it?”
Maggie shook her head. “I don’t know.”
I looked over at Ty. “I guess I owe you an explanation.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
I sighed. “I wish I were.” I took a deep breath and glanced back at Maggie, who was uncharacteristically quiet. “Mags?”
“It’s up to you, Styles.” She took a deep breath and gave me a small smile. “But the dude just saw a tree come to life and attack you. He might as well have the whole story.”
I nodded, and before I had the chance to talk myself out of it, I blurted out the whole damn story: the attacks, the visions, the necklace. Everything.
Ty watched me as I spoke, his face unreadable. “And you don’t have any idea who Josephine is or why she keeps appearing?” he asked when I’d finished.
“I have no idea. I thought she was trying to hurt me, but after tonight . . .”
“We’ve been doing research,” Maggie piped up from the back. “But there’s nothing to find. We don’t have a whole lot to go on.” Her voice sounded as deflated as I felt. “And now, there’s this thing with the tree.” She bit down on her bottom lip. “Can we all agree that that did in fact happen? Because I’m starting to question my own sanity here.”
“It happened, all right,” I said, chewing on my bottom lip. The pain in my body was proof. “I have no idea what to do.” I looked over at Ty. “You think we’re crazy, don’t you?”
“Not at all.” His voice was soft but certain.
“So you’re telling me that some girl you barely know just told you she’s seeing ghosts and getting attacked by evil trees, and you’re not even the slightest bit skeptical?”
Ty shrugged. “Not everything in the world makes sense.”
That certainly wasn’t the answer I’d expected. I stared at him for a moment, not sure what to think. “Well . . . thanks for what you did—helping me back there.”
“You saved my life, remember?” He gave me a half smile. “I figured I owed you one. Besides, it’s not every day I get to hold a pretty girl in my arms—even if she is screaming in my face.”
A flush warmed my cheeks. “Sorry about that.”
Ty waved his hand. “No apologizing. Aside from a few claw marks, I came out relatively unscathed.
“Claw marks?”
Ty smiled sheepishly and pulled up the hem of his shirt. His lower abdomen was covered in angry, red lines.
“Holy crapkittens, Styles.” Maggie’s head bobbed between the seats. “You put my cat to shame, and that’s saying something. Frodo Fluffkins is as ornery as they come.”
“Oh my God.” I covered my face with my hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“No apologies, remember?” Ty pulled his t-shirt back down in place. “It’s nothing. I’ve had worse. And trust me, some of the guys at the gym have way longer nails than you.”
He’s trying to make me laugh. I cracked a tiny smile.
“So, what do we do now?” Maggie asked. “I mean, that was some freaky shit back there.”
“We need to come up with some kind of plan,” I said, even though every inch of my body was throbbing and achy. I wanted to go home and go to bed more than anything, but now more than ever we needed answers.
Plucking a leaf out of my hair, I pulled down the visor to open the compact mirror. I probably looked as awful as I felt. I was right. My eye makeup was running down my face in black streaks. Smudges of dirt mixed with the ruined makeup, and my skin was pale and splotchy. “Yikes,” I muttered, leaning forward to wipe away some of the grime.
Then I gasped.
It’s just your imagination, Lainey. Just your mind playing tricks on you. My mind began rationalizing away my fear, but as I stared at my reflection, I knew something was wrong.
“Ty?” I said, trying to stay as calm as possible. “Can you turn the light on, please?”
As soft yellow light filled the car, I sucked in a ragged breath. My fears were confirmed.
I turned slowly to Ty, my whole body trembling again.
“Lainey, what is it?” Ty asked, his face a stone mask.
“Styles?” Maggie was leaning forward, her hand on my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“My eyes,” I answered, my voice no stronger than a whisper. “It’s my eyes,” I tried again, my voice a little stronger this time.
Ty was clearly confused. “I don’t . . .”
“What color are they?” I interrupted, shouting this time.
I looked in the mirror again, refusing to believe it, but the proof was right in front of me. “Ty, what color are they?” I snapped my head back to face him again.
He stared at me, his hands held up in front of him. But slowly, he leaned forward, his own eyes narrowing in the dim car light.
He exhaled slowly. “They’re green.”
Green.
I dropped my head to my chest and tried to keep from hyperventilating. Behind me, Maggie was making little noises of shock as though she were trying to speak but couldn’t.
“Lainey?” Ty gripped my arm in concern. He didn’t understand.
I raised my head. “Are you sure?” I whispered, staring at the foreign irises in the mirror. I turned back to Ty. “What color are they?”
But the look on Ty’s face was clear. There was no mistake.
My once golden-hazel eyes were now a vibrant shade of green.