Read Online Reaper by Emily Goodwin - Free Book Online

"You ok?"
    "No," she grumbled. "I feel like I'm dying."
    "It's probably from this." I picked up the bottle; it was almost empty.
    "Probably." Slowly, she pushed herself up. "Sorry I called you. I just didn't know who else to call. Keith is working and Shelly was up with me all night." Michelle—or Shelly as René called her— was her sister.
    "Don't feel bad. I'm glad you called."
    "Really?" she asked and wiped her eyes.
    "Yeah." I patted her shoulder. She hugged me "So what happened?"
    "We went out last night. At first it was fun, he kept telling me how much he liked me and how he thought I was different than everyone else. He took me back to his place, and I knew what he wanted. He made some drinks and we started talking about everything. He was so open! Or at least I thought so. We had sex and after it he told me I should go home because he had to get up early for work. God, I’m so stupid to believe that!" Tears rolled down her face. "I forgot my phone," she paused. "I didn’t realize it until I was home, but I needed it so I turned around. It didn’t even seem weird that all the lights were on in his house. And then I saw the car in the driveway. I don’t even remember why I did it; it was like I was on auto pilot or something. I marched up and opened the front door. And there he was…with his hands all over another girl. "
    "René, he's an asshole." I put my hand on hers.
    "That's not even the worse part."
    “He laughed, like the whole thing was just a big joke. He never wanted to date me; he just wanted to use me for sex.” Her voice choked up and she buried her head in the pillow. “I feel like such a loser!”
    “You’re not a loser,” I promised. I remembered all too well the feeling of thinking you’re only good enough for sex and not a relationship.
    “And I didn’t even like him that much,” she cried. “So why does it bother me so much? Am I really only a slut only good enough for one thing?”
    “I don’t think you are.”
    “I know.” She straightened up. “I’m glad I met you.”
    “Me too.” I smiled and then realized I agreed that I was glad to meet myself.
    “Ah! I hate this!” She threw her pillow against the wall, almost knocking over the bottle of booze in the process.
    “We can summon spirits to haunt him,” I joked.
    “Yeah!” She smiled. “Or we can curse him and make his penis fall off!”
    “Or both.”
    “I like the way you think.” She flopped back down on the remaining pillow. “I feel like crap and I don’t want to be here anymore.”
    “You can come over if you want,” I offered. “You can see the horses. They always make me feel better.”
    “Ok.” She didn’t move. “Can I shower first?”
    “Of course. It’ll help you feel better too. Have you had anything to eat?”
    “No,” she said softly.
    “No wonder you feel horrible,” I laughed. “I’ll make you dinner,” I offered.
    René wiped her eyes again and smiled weakly. “I’d like that.”
    I called Laney while René showered to tell her about Sam’s surprise visit. It was so nice to have someone to vent to, and she agreed with me on Sam trying to make me jealous. With perfect timing, René was ready to go just as I said goodbye to my best friend.
    René was very talkative on the way home. I was so wrapped up in our conversation about the spirit realm as we walking into the house that all the weapons on the table didn’t register as weird in my brain.
    Needless to say I was shocked to see Julia and David in the kitchen. But René had to be even more shocked because weapons of all sorts were spread out on the table and Julia was cleaning a large cut on David’s arm. She had one herself above her right eye.
    They froze like deer in the headlights when they saw René.
    “It’s ok!” I assured them, though I wasn’t sure if it really was. Hunter raced over to greet us.
    “Wow.” René knelt down and let Hunter sniff her. “He’s not normal, is he?”
    “No,” I said quietly,