Off Limits: The Smarty-Pants by Kat Bellemore

Author:Kat Bellemore [Bellemore, Kat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: KB Press
Published: 2019-10-27T20:00:00+00:00

13

Gracie

Gracie stepped into the cold night air, though it felt warm compared to the chills she had been experiencing before they left the clock tower. Almost immediately, she felt a weight lift off her chest. She could breathe easier and her heart rate slowed. Mark had led her out, his hand on the small of her back, and she was grateful he had kept his promise. There hadn’t been any immediate threat—that they could see—but when she’d said she needed to get out, he’d been there for her.

“That is the first and last ghost tour I am ever going on,” Gracie said, pulling her coat tight around her as she sat down on a step. She pulled a beanie out of her pocket and pulled it on over her ears. “As much as I hate horror movies and haunted houses, this was so much worse.”

“Yeah,” Mark said, sitting down beside her. He looked nervous and he rubbed the back of his neck. “The thing is, the tour isn’t over. This was only the first stop. The tour is two hours long.” He paused, like there was something else he didn’t want to say.

“What?” Gracie asked.

He hesitated. “The last stop is St. Peter’s Cemetery.”

Gracie felt the blood drain from her face. She was probably as pale as the ghosts she was hiding from. The tour had only begun. She had known that, of course. Except, she hadn’t known about St. Peter’s Cemetery—supposedly the most haunted place in the whole city. “I don’t even need to pretend to not feel well,” she said, suddenly feeling weak. She rested her head in her hands.

She felt Mark’s hand on her back, even through her thick coat. It was comforting, and appreciated. Gracie had been caught by surprise earlier when he had pulled her into a hug as their ghost tour had entered Independence Hall. The rush of adrenaline from his touch had been so unexpected, and then the disappointment she’d felt when he’d pulled away so quickly—it had left her feeling…empty. Like he filled a void.

Gracie slowly sat up. She felt the blood slowly starting to return and the lightheadedness wasn’t as bad now. Mark’s hand fell away from her back, but he stayed close. After a moment, he leaned back on his elbows on the step above them. His arm brushed against hers.

“Thank you,” Gracie said. She glanced over her shoulder at Mark.

He raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

All of a sudden she didn’t know what she was thankful for. She felt like Mark had done something for her—something important—but she didn’t know how to put it into words.

“Everything,” Gracie finally said. When Mark didn’t respond, she turned away and stared forward, into the night. She couldn’t see the Liberty Bell, but it was nice just knowing it was close by. “You’ve made this trip bearable.”

She heard Mark snort, like he didn’t believe her. She leaned back against the step so she could look at him. “It’s true,” she insisted. “I wasn’t sure what to expect on this trip.

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