Then she recalled the phone again, still tucked in her pocket. Hayden Yates had to be working for her grandfather. And if so, he was probably in contact with Hayden. That meant she might have her grandfather's number in the phone.
If her grandfather hadn't changed his number again.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, after Burnett had visited Holiday, Kylie moved into the bedroom. Holiday, her red hair looking redder against the white sheets, looked pale, but alive. The bruise on her throat hadn't gone away.
She touched her throat and motioned for Kylie to hand her the water on her bedside table.
"You brought me back." Holiday's voice sounded raw, painfully raw.
"But I didn't heal you all the way." Kylie's throat hurt hearing Holiday talk. "Do you want me to see if I can-?"
Holiday shook her head. "I think you've done enough. You look worn out."
Kylie felt worn out, but not so much that she couldn't try. "I could-"
"No. I'll heal." Holiday looked concerned. "You haven't stopped glowing."
"I know," Kylie said. "But it'll go away, right?"
Holiday nodded but didn't look confident. Then she motioned for Kylie to sit in the chair beside the bed. "I got to see Hannah before she passed over. Right as I was dying, everything slowed down and she came to me. We talked. We made amends." Tears brightened Holiday's green eyes. "None of this would have happened if not for you. Thank you. I know the cost you have to pay, and I promise to live my life so it won't cost you even the tiniest piece of your soul."
Kylie took her hand and squeezed. "I don't think you've ever lived it any other way."
"I can be better." Holiday swallowed. "Nothing like dying to show you how to live."
Kylie smiled. "I hope in that message, you're talking about Burnett."
Holiday grinned. "The stupid vamp just asked me to marry him. Here, now? As if looking like I just died is how I wanted to be proposed to."
Joy did a lap around Kylie's heart. "And you said?"
Holiday took a sip of water. "I asked him if we couldn't just live together in sin."
Kylie frowned, but then she saw something in Holiday's eyes. "And?"
"He told me it wouldn't be a good example to our students. So ... I agreed to marry him." She pushed a hand against her forehead. "Dear God, what am I getting myself into? He's not an easy man to deal with."
"I can hear you," Burnett called out from the other room, a chuckle sounding in his voice.
Holiday rolled her eyes.
Kylie squeezed Holiday's hand tighter. "He loves you," she whispered.
"Yeah, that's what he said." She sank deeper into her pillow, looking exhausted, but she also looked happy.
A sense of rightness filled Kylie's chest. She'd done it. Or at least, she'd helped do it. Burnett and Holiday were getting together.
She couldn't help but wonder if she and Lucas would have the same luck.
Holiday stared up at the ceiling for a second. "I also saw your grandmother, Kylie."
"Nana?" Kylie asked. "What did she say?"
"No, not Nana, the other one. Heidi."
Kylie saw something almost sad in Holiday's eyes. "What did she say?"
"Just to say hello." Holiday sighed.
Something told Kylie there was more. What was it that Holiday didn't want to tell? Kylie almost asked, but when Holiday's eyes fluttered closed, Kylie realized now wasn't the time to push. Later, she thought, and reached down and touched Hayden's phone in her pocket. Later.
* * *
It was after lunch before Kylie could sneak away to her bedroom. She pulled out Hayden's phone and searched for her grandfather's number. Unfortunately, there were no names listed. Just numbers. Three had been called the most. Kylie sat down on the edge of her bed and called the first.
She held her breath while it rang.
A woman answered. "About time you called," the voice said.
"Who is this?" Kylie asked, unsure how to approach the call.
"This is ... Casey. Who are you?"
"I..."
"What are you doing with Hayden's phone?"
"I..."
"Damn that bastard! He said he wasn't seeing anyone else. Tell him I said to go to hell! He wasn't that good in bed anyway, as I'm sure you probably know." The line went dead.
"Uh-oh." Kylie considered calling back and trying to explain, but what would she say? I'm not his girlfriend, just someone who stole his phone after accusing him of being a serial killer. That might complicate matters even worse. Best to let him handle it on his own.
"Sorry, Hayden," Kylie muttered.
Before Kylie called the next number, the phone dinged with an incoming text. She debated over reading it, thinking it might be from his pissed-off girlfriend. Then she saw it wasn't from that number. She might be invading his privacy, but after stealing his phone, what was one more sin?
It took a second to figure out the phone's features to display the message.
But she was so damn glad she did.
Chapter Thirty-seven
The message wasn't for Hayden. It was from him.
You're answering my messages? Hayden
Kylie typed back. Only because I hoped it was either you or my ... She paused. Should she let him know she assumed he was with her grandfather? She didn't see any advantage to playing dumb.... my grandfather. She tapped her fingers on the phone waiting for a reply.
The phone dinged. What did you tell the others?
She decided to be honest. Only that you helped save Holiday's life. You can come back.
She waited for him to respond. When he didn't do it quickly, she wrote, Sorry I suspected you.
He replied: If you did the right thing and came to live where you belonged, I wouldn't have to return.
Kylie considered her answer.
I belong at Shadow Falls.
She no sooner finished typing the words than her reflection in the dresser mirror caught her attention. She hadn't stopped glowing yet. How long could she continue to believe she belonged here when everything pointed to the fact that she was different? Different even from all the other supernaturals.
Her chest swelled again at the thought of leaving. She rejected it. But what was going to happen in two weeks when her mom was expecting to pick her up for parents' weekend? How would she explain the fact that she was freaking brighter than a fifty-watt bulb?
The phone pinged again. It's not safe for you to stay there.
Holiday and Burnett won't let the FRU do anything.
It's not just the FRU. You were right in what you told your grandfather. There's an underground rogue gang after you.