Page 29 of Purrfectly Haunted

“It’s okay. I don’t care.” He puts his arms under my armpits and hoists me effortlessly out of the stall.

He helps me out of my wet clothes, leaving only my boxer briefs, and wraps me tightly in a towel. I’d feel self-conscious if I wasn’t so damn cold. He turns the water off and we exit the bathroom.

By the time we make it back to our room, my teeth are rattling in my skull again and I’m shaking like a leaf in the wind. I shuck off my wet boxers when he has his back turned and put on dry ones with great effort, then give up on the rest.

Ewan tucks me into bed like a caterpillar in a cocoon, then he sits on the edge of the bed and watches me for a moment.

“Better?” he asks.

I shake my head jerkily. “I feel like I’ll...never...be warm.. again...ExorSquad...better...give me...a hazard pay...for this...”

He drops a hand on my shoulder, face scrunched in worry. “What can I do to help? Should I take you to a hospital?”

I shake my head again, then I say, “Get...in bed...”

He blinks rapidly. “What?”

“You’re warm... It’ll help...”

His mouth makes a comical oh when he understands what I’m implying.

“If you’re okay with it...” I add, suddenly realising I might have asked for too much. He’s been avoiding me since the events of the library. “Nevermind... I’ll survive... don’t worry...”

“Aye! Alright. I don’t mind.” His ears are pink.

He gets to his feet and pulls his wet shirt off, but when he’s about to look for a new one in his bag, I say, “Stay...like this. You’ll be warmer...”

Now I’m just pushing my luck. But I’m not doing it for an evil design to know what Ewan’s skin feels like, I just know he’ll share his body warmth better like this. Or at least that's what I like to tell myself.

“Su—sure,” he says.

He takes his shoes and socks off, but keeps his overalls on, the top half hanging around his waist. He grabs his comforter and then climbs over me to get to the other side of the bed.

“Light off, please,” I request before he gets too comfortable.

He slaps the switch by the bed, and we are plunged in darkness. Quickly, my eyes adjust and the bed is bathed in the warm glow from the lamppost in the street. Ewan throws his comforter on top of the both of us, and I finally emerge from my cocoon like a frozen butterfly.

He hisses when I get closer to him. “You’re cold...”

“Sorry,” I mumble.

“It’s okay. I’m just... worried about you.”

I sigh. “And you’re a furnace... Fucking... amazing.”

“Good. Good...” he says in the dark.

I get closer to him still, until I’m snug against his chest, and I sigh with relief. I’m still shaking violently, but it helps. Ewan hesitantly places his arm around me, and when I say nothing, he tightens his embrace.

“This is fucking amazing,” I mumble.

I don’t have the energy to pretend otherwise and play games. If he hates it, he can fucking say it and we’ll finally know where we stand.

“I didn’t know ghosts could do that,” he says after a moment. “That was a possession, right?” He shudders.

“An attempt, at the very least. I could feel him inside me. I could feel my consciousness slip away.” It’s my turn to shake with disgust. “Damn ghosts.”

“In Lana’s notes, it says he died of choking during a banquet. A shameful death for a warrior, and he’s been resentful ever since, looking for a fight.”