Existence 02 - Predestined

from the parking lot to get here. Like me Leif could see the souls and he dodged them and let them drift past so I didn’t have to walk through any on the way out of here.
    “Loveyousomuch,” Miranda began to chant forlornly. The sad drunk was starting to emerge. I hadn’t thought about that possibility.
    Leif opened the passenger side door and eased Miranda into the seat instead of letting her fall inside. Which I had to admit was very thoughtful. Especially for a voodoo spirit.
    I walked around to the driver’s side when I heard the passenger side door close and the rear door open. Snapping my head around I watched as Leif got into the backseat. No way was that happening.
    I stopped and opened the rear door on my side and stuck my head in. “What do you think you’re doing?” I hissed.
    “I’m making sure you two get home safely,” he replied with a polite smile on his face.
    “Oh no, you’re not. Get out!”
    “Donbesomean Pagan,” Miranda chimed in from the front.
    Rolling my eyes I let out an exasperated sigh. Fine, if he wanted to be prince charming he could. I wasn’t dealing with him right now. I needed to get Miranda home before she passed out, or worse, threw up in the car.
    “Whatever,” I grumbled and slammed the door for extra effect.
    I managed to crank the car and pull out onto the road without once glancing back or acknowledging Leif’s presence. I intended to ignore him the entire way home. Maybe he’d get miffed and disappear. God knows Miranda wouldn’t realize it. I shifted my eyes over to her and saw her eyelids getting heavy.
    “Stay awake. I won’t be able to get you inside if you’re passed out. We don’t want your Daddy coming out and finding you like this.”
    That perked her up. If her Dad found her drunk he’d be furious. Well, maybe. Her parents had been so worried about her he might understand. Or they might admit her to a mental house. She really didn’t want to go to one of those.
    “That’s better, keep those eyes open,” I rolled down her window. “The cold air should help and if you start to feel sick please lean out that window and puke.”
    Miranda giggled and laid her head back against the headrest letting the cold breeze blow her hair across her face.
    “Whose idea was it to get her wasted?” Leif asked from the backseat.
    I was going to stick with my plan to ignore him so I reached for the volume to turn up when Miranda drawled, “Paaagaaans, shesosmart.”
    Leif chuckled from the backseat. I had to agree with him. I was questioning my intelligence at the moment too.
    “Canwedoit agaaain to..tomorrow?” Miranda asked.
    I shook my head, “No. Trust me, the headache you’re going to have in the morning will agree with me. That was a one-time deal.”
    Miranda made a “pfft” sound that caused spit to spray from her mouth.
    I pulled into Miranda’s driveway fully expecting Leif to just evaporate when he opened the car door like a human and then proceeded to get Miranda out of the car. Great, Prince Charming was going to continue with his polite behavior. I followed them to the door and Miranda’s mother met us there.
    I stepped forward and handed her the half empty bottle of wine.
    “She wanted to go see Wyatt’s grave tonight. I took this because I felt like she would need it. I’m sorry--”
    Her mother held up her hand to stop me. “No, it’s okay. I understand. That’s not any worse than the pills I’ve been giving her.” Her mother’s tone was so defeated. I’d heard that tone before with my mother. I hoped they weren’t going to do with Miranda what my mom had done with me.
    “Just go on home tonight Pagan. Your mom’s already called me looking for you. Her plane arrived an hour ago. I’ll look after Miranda tonight.”
    I nodded and stepped back as Miranda went into her mother’s arms and she closed the door.
    “Looks like it’s just you and me,” Leif said, entirely too pleased.

Chapter Eighteen

    “No, it’s just me and I’m going home,” I replied turning around and heading for the car. I didn’t give him the pleasure of even looking back. I opened my car door with a little more passion than was actually required and got inside. Reaching up for the keys I’d left in the ignition I fumbled around and couldn’t find them. Frustrated, I turned on the overhead light and peered around the steering wheel to see my keys weren’t there.
    I checked both my pockets and started to lean down and feel around in the