Fearless, Abby Brooks [leveled readers .txt] 📗

and occasionally reminding him to eat. Gone were the days of walking the beach. Gone were the dinners at Overton’s. I had a few magnificent hours with Alex in the morning while we went over my notes on his new pages, but then he was pretty much gone, too.

Which was okay.

Totally fine.

One hundred percent to be expected.

He was a writer. He needed to immerse himself in his work or he’d never finish the book…especially considering how far behind schedule he was before we met. His deadline crept ever closer. Just two weeks away. With the proper focus, he’d make it, so I did everything I could to take the pressure off our relationship. I’d be there when the book was done.

My phone jingled and jangled from its place on my coffee table. I put down my book and answered a video call from Amelia. “All right. Spill it,” she said as soon as her face filled the screen. “What’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong—”

“Don’t you bullshit me, Evie. You know I can tell when you’re lying.”

She did have an uncanny sense when it came to the truth, but this time, her lie detector was broken. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but everything’s great here.”

“That’s not what I’ve been hearing.” Amelia tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“Sounds like your spirit guides finally got something wrong.”

“One, they never get things wrong, and two, they aren’t my source. It’s worse than that. According to Greta Macmillan’s Facebook page, you and Alex haven’t been seen out together in at least a week.”

I snorted. “Ah, yes. Reading what my nosey neighbor has to say about my relationship is the best way to know what’s going on…”

“It is when all you tell me is that everything’s perfect.”

“Everything is perfect.” I leaned my head against the back of the couch. I was happy. Alex was happy. He was writing. I was thinking about starting a book for the first time since the Drew incident…

“Then why aren’t the residents of Wildrose Landing gushing about you two anymore? Hmm?” Amelia’s face said I’d been busted. “They also stopped talking about your ghost. Which seems odd. Given how that was the only thing anyone wanted to talk about last month.”

I hadn’t told Amelia that Alex was the cause of the ghost rumors yet, though it was probably time. “Maybe people found something better to focus on then boring old me.”

“Better than a power couple making it work in a haunted house? I think not. Greta implied there might be trouble in paradise.”

“Really?” I’d tried to find Greta’s gossipy posts endearing. It hadn’t worked. Every time someone brought up that damn Facebook page, I found myself more annoyed. “How did she make such an implication?”

“She said, and I quote, ‘Well, dear friends. It seems as if there might be trouble in paradise with WRL’s newest couple. Evex—Alex and Evie for those of you who don’t understand relationship names—haven’t been seen in weeks. Could this be a repeat of the Candace situation?’”

The Candace situation? What the hell was the Candace situation?

“Amelia. Nothing in that was an implication. She straight out said—”

Amelia waved my concern away. “What’s this Candace situation?”

I shrugged. “No clue. Look, I’m touched that you’re so concerned for me—”

“It’s not just me. The whole town is starting to question if this is the beginning of the end for you guys.” Amelia sighed dramatically. “And after only a few weeks of bliss…”

“It’s not the beginning of the end. Alex’s writer’s block cleared and his publishers wouldn’t extend his deadline. He’s had his nose in his laptop almost nonstop, writing like a madman to catch up so the project doesn’t get pulled. I see him every morning, he goes to work, and then sometimes we see each other at night. We’re just not going out as frequently. That’s all.”

“I hope you’re right. I’ve been so happy for you since everything came together.”

“I’ve been happy for me, too. Still am. You really shouldn’t worry over what Greta says. She’s not always right. She’s the one who started the rumor that my house was haunted, and she was so wrong about that.” Bracing myself for her judgement, I filled Amelia in on how I discovered Alex had been the ghost all along.

She frowned. “Alex was breaking into the house, everyone thought he was a ghost, and he just let them keep thinking that so he could get what he wanted? I’m not sure I like what that says about him.”

Even though I’d had a similar thought the night the story came out, I didn’t want to mention that to Amelia. “I think you’re oversimplifying things and jumping to conclusions. You’ve decided something’s wrong between us, so you’re looking for proof to validate your concerns.”

“I just want you to be happy.”

“I am. I promise.”

“Have you started writing again?”

“I’ve considered it…”

“Well, if you’re considering writing, then things must be going better than Greta says they are.” Amelia blew a kiss at the screen, made a promise to talk again soon, then ended the call.

I dropped my head back on the couch. It had been an awfully long time since Alex and I went out. After our Range Rover adventure, we’d eaten at Overton’s once, and that had pretty much been that. Maybe, it’d be smart for us to go out tonight. Especially if people were starting to think the magic was fading.

I laughed to myself. Since when did I care what other people thought?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Evie

Bridget the hostess clapped her hands to her chest when Alex and I walked through the doors of Overton’s. “Oh, yay! I’m so glad to see you two out and about! I’ll post an Evex sighting and the whole town can relax a little.” She pulled out her phone and aimed it our way.

Alex gently lowered the device before she could snap the pic. “Evex?”

“That’s your ship name. You know. Evie. Alex. Put ‘em together and you get Evex.” She raised the phone again. “Do you mind? I get bonus points if I post