Chapter 9 Gia
NINE
GIA
Gia’s heart pounded as she hurried across the street and into her condo.
She’d been talking to a ghost. No, to herself. She shouldn’t even consider the possibility that ghosts were real.
Gia dumped the logbook on the coffee table and curled onto the couch, bending her legs and tucking them against her chest. One of her pill bottles sat on the table beside her. Too bad they didn’t prevent hallucinations.
God, her stomach hurt. What was she supposed to do?
She’d been to countless doctors ever since her blackouts started, and none had come up with a conclusive explanation for what was happening. Would these hallucinations help a new doctor find a better solution for her than the pills that worked as often as they didn’t? Or was she back at square one?
Gia buried her head in her hands.
She didn’t need this. Physically, she could have sworn she’d been doing well. She hadn’t blacked out since before escaping her family. Nothing more than a regular headache had bothered her, and since she’d recovered from the long drive, she hadn’t even had a twinge.
If it weren’t for the ghostly hallucinations, she’d have said she was doing better than ever.
Could they be unrelated to her headaches?
Could the ghost be real? Would that be so bad?
Aurora hadn’t been frightening. It wasn’t as if she’d been covered in blood or trying to attack Gia. If, against all odds, the ghost was real, she didn’t seem more threatening than any random woman Gia might meet.
Maybe she should have given Aurora a chance to speak before running away.
If Aurora was real, and that was a big if. She probably wasn’t.
Gia only entertained the idea because hallucinations were the scariest possible option, and given her luck, the worst-case scenario would turn out to be the truth.
It figured she’d imagine a gorgeous woman.
She was so lonely that she was being haunted by the idea of a girlfriend. Seriously, fuck her life.
A shiver wound down Gia’s spine, and the hairs on her arms rose. Had the room gotten colder?
“Oh shit!” a voice shouted.
Gia’s head whipped up.
The ghost was floating in the middle of her living room.
“How did I get here?” Aurora asked.
How was Gia supposed to know? She shrugged, intrigued by her own lack of fear as her goosebumps faded. She was almost relieved to see Aurora again. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
The ghost crossed her translucent arms and regarded Gia, her hair floating around her face as it might if she were underwater. “Is this your house?”
“Sort of. I just moved in.”
Aurora spun around, her hair flowing gracefully behind her. “Well, this makes no sense.”
Gia stood from the couch. “Me moving makes no sense? You existing makes no sense.”
Arguing with a figment of her imagination was the real nonsense.
Aurora’s attention sharpened, even as her whole form seemed to flicker in and out of focus. “What I mean is, being trapped at the theater had some logic to it. I don’t get why I’d suddenly be here.”
“You don’t know how you got here?” Expecting the equivalent of an imaginary friend to explain anything was ridiculous, but Gia couldn’t seem to help herself.
Aurora drifted to the window and peered out. “Doesn’t look like I went far. I was trapped in the theater for ages, then there was this pull, and I appeared here.”
Interesting, however…not as interesting as Aurora’s floating hair. It was mesmerizing. Ethereal. Strands of washed-out, almost white blonde flowing in constant, gradual motion, like they were caught in a current. The ends were so translucent, Gia could hardly make them out as they swayed.
What would Aurora’s hair feel like? Each lock appeared silky soft, but Gia’s hand would sadly pass right through.
And the rest of Aurora… Gia had to employ every strategy she’d learned over a lifetime of not openly gawking at women for fear of making them uncomfortable. She wanted to do nothing but stare at Aurora, and really shouldn’t.
Well, maybe not nothing, but she was keeping her thoughts appropriate.
Yet she noted each one of Aurora’s curves. How her bralette hugged her full breasts. The way the ghostly fabric of her sheer, mesh top clung to her shoulders and stomach, somehow giving off the same white sheen as her skin, while still conveying the undertones of color.
Gia’s imagination could ensnare her all right. This ghost was gorgeous, and her modern appearance almost tempted Gia into believing she was real.
Aurora turned away from the window, and Gia’s face heated. “What were you doing at the theater?”
“Getting a handle on the business. Did you say you were trapped there?” Had Aurora died in the theater? She couldn’t have if she were a hallucination, but still, Gia’s heart ached at the thought.
“I’m in the process of joining the Lockwood Coven, so the connection must have drawn me in and trapped me. But what does that have to do with you? Are you part of the coven?”
Gia’s stomach flipped. “I have nothing to do with any coven.”
Aurora floated closer, and Gia took a stumbling step away. Aurora stopped abruptly. “You’ve got something to do with the Lockwoods if you were in the theater.”
“No, I don’t. Look, I don’t even know if you’re real.”
Aurora huffed like she couldn’t believe they’d returned to this ridiculous argument. “I’ll prove I’m real, okay? You know someone in the Lockwood Coven. Otherwise, you couldn’t have gotten inside the theater. Call whoever it is and ask if Aurora Thornfield requested to join.”
Gia didn’t want to talk to Ramirez. Asking about his coven would encourage him to recruit her, and she needed a coven in her life like she needed a hole in the head.
Unless… Oh fuck, she was losing it, but she couldn’t help wondering: if Aurora was real, could witches be real? Magic and spells, and who the hell knew what else?
Gia changed her mind. That was the worst-case scenario. She’d rather deal with hallucinations.
“Please.” Aurora drifted even closer, her features twisted in desperation. “I need your help.”
Aurora’s pain seemed to fill the air, and Gia swore the feeling echoed her own, the familiarity crushing. How could she deny helping someone? She was only here because of the kindness of strangers.
“Okay. I’ll call.”
Aurora shimmered, her expression relaxing. “Thank you.”
Gia’s stomach twisted. She didn’t deserve gratitude. Averting her eyes, she curled onto the couch and grabbed her phone to look up Edward Ramirez, Shearwater Landing lawyer.
Aurora hovered at the other end of the couch, her arms crossed. As if pulled by a magnetic force, Gia met her stare, unable to look away as she raised the ringing phone to her ear.
She was either about to sound ridiculous or confirm something she wasn’t sure she truly wanted to know.
“Ramirez Legal Services, this is Grace. How can I help?”
“Hi. I was in to see Mr. Ramirez the other day and had a…uh… follow-up question. My name is Gia.” She didn’t want to give her last time to this unknown receptionist, or Aurora. They might not have heard of the Balzanos all the way out here, but she couldn’t shake her cautionary nature.
“Oh, Gia,” Grace said, recognition brightening her tone. “Edward will be pleased you called. I’ll pop you through.”
The line went quiet. Seemed Grace was already aware of who she was. Made sense, but unease put Gia on alert. Was Grace part of the coven?
“What can I do for you, Gia?” Ramirez’s familiar voice asked.
She cleared her throat. “I have a question about the coven you mentioned.”
He hummed, sounding pleased. “Of course. Ask away. You’re welcome to come over in person and—”
“No, that’s not necessary. I was wondering if Aurora Thornfield requested to join?”
“Do you know Aurora?” Surprise lit Ramirez’s tone.
Gia’s grip tightened on her phone. Holy shit. “Do you?”
“Not personally. I believe Aurora is close friends with Lilly and some of the younger witches. I look after our official membership records. Susan was coordinating Aurora Thornfield’s acceptance into the coven before her death. I really should follow up.”
“Awesome. Thanks. Bye.” Gia cringed and ended the call.
Aurora raised a brow. “So?”
“He said you were joining the coven.”
“And if I were a figment of your imagination, there’d be no way for him to know what you were talking about. You couldn’t randomly guess the name of someone joining the Lockwood Coven.”
Shit, she was right. Gia’s heart thumped, her pulse rushing in her ears. Ghosts were real, and her aunt had been in a coven. Of real witches.
What had Gia gotten herself into?
“Don’t panic.” A small smile tugged on Aurora’s lips. “This is good.”
“No, it isn’t. I need to get away from these people. I’m done living a life controlled by power-hungry mobs.”
Confusion broke over Aurora’s face, her form flickering. “The Lockwoods aren’t after power. Do you know other witches like that?”
“I don’t know any other witches. I didn’t believe they were real until five seconds ago.”
“Right.” Aurora shook herself, her hair swirling. “How’d you find the Lockwood Coven, anyway?”
“I didn’t. They found me.”
Aurora snorted as if she didn’t believe her any more than Gia first believed in ghosts. “They found you and gave you keys to the Spotlight Theater out of nowhere?”
“What does the theater have to do with anything? My aunt owned it, and I inherited it. It’s mine now.”
Aurora’s eyes widened. “Susan Lockwood was your aunt?”
Damn it. Gia didn’t want to share personal information, but at the same time, she needed answers. Maybe Aurora could explain who these Lockwood people actually were.
“Yeah, Susan was my aunt, but I didn’t know her. I discovered our connection recently. Turns out, I’m not as related to the father I grew up with as I thought.”
“But you’re related to Susan, by blood?” Aurora’s gaze slid over Gia.
Her skin prickled as if she’d been touched, and she bit her lip. Oh, dear lord, she needed to focus. Aurora was not checking her out.
Aurora’s assessing stare turned triumphant. “So you are a witch.”