Grim Crush (Grimly Ever After) by S.L. Bynum Read Free Book Online

reapers are gossiping about it like crazy. So what did our superiors say?”
    “Because this is the third time I’ve failed an evaluation, I will be given punishment,” I answered in a low voice. “They will decide what it’ll be by tomorrow.”
    “Punishment? Uh oh. What if they relocate you? You could end up reaping souls half way around the world! We’d never get to see each other–”
    “Relax, Jayza, I’d still teleport to see you.”
    “But what if you’re sent somewhere death occurs regularly like Baghdad or Pakistan and you don’t have time to do anything else…?”
    I grinned at her. “Did I ever tell you that you’re such a pessimist?”
    “I don’t want you to leave.” Jayza pouted.
    “I don’t think they’ll do anything too bad to me. They might just extend my coverage area so that I have a few extra deaths than usual. No big deal.”
    Jayza and I were silent for a minute, listening to the sounds of the night birds chittering and the cool wind sighing through the trees. As we watched the sky go from purple to dark blue, my friend asked, “Did you get a chance to tell them about Shilah?”
    “No,” I replied. “If I do now, they’ll assume I’m using it to keep them from thinking about my punishment.”
    “How did I know you were going to say something like that?” Jayza rolled her eyes, and we laughed.
    “So, what did you think of him?” I asked.
    Jayza cocked her head as she thought. “I have to admit, I see why you like him.”
    I blushed. “I never said I like him!”
    “You didn’t have to. You wouldn’t keep meeting him if you didn’t like him. And I can see it in your face.”
    My cheeks burned even more, and I rubbed my hands over them.
    Jayza grinned. “Shilah’s a cool person; he has a good sense of humor. And I can tell he’s really curious about you. He’s also…what is it human females say? Hot? Sexy?”
    Jayza and I went into a fit of giggles.
    “Now that I think about it, I guess he is hot,” I mused. “I don’t usually look at humans that way.” I sighed. “I’m going to hate telling him goodbye. I can’t stay friends with him, you know. Especially if I’m relocated.”
    “Do you want to stay friends with him?”
    “Um…” I knew my answer should be no, but I didn’t want to lie to my best friend.
    “I’ll take that as a yes. For your sake, I hope our superiors allow you to keep seeing him. And you know you would have to tell Shilah what you are.”
    “Why?”
    “Because he already has questions about you! One day he might follow you and see you teleport. I’d love to see you give him a logical explanation for that .”
    “But humans can’t know about us until they’re dead. It’s against the Rules. That’s why I can’t keep seeing him, whether I want to or not.” I paused. “As much as I hate to admit it, it might be a good thing if our superiors relocate me.”
    Jayza nodded slowly. “You’re probably right.”
    The two of us sat staring at the stars and listening to the owls in the trees around us for several minutes. Then, Jayza had to go to a late-night club shooting to reap two souls. Eventually, I had a couple of jobs to do too. But every time I had a break, I went back to Chad’s Cliff.
    When it was daytime again, I always teleported into a tree first to make sure no one was around, then I’d teleport to the spot where I usually met Shilah. I did this till around four o’clock, when he finally appeared on the cliff.
    When I arrived from my latest reap and saw him, I immediately ran forward, throwing my arms around his torso.
    “I’m so, so sorry!” I told him. “Please don’t be mad at me!”
    “Wha–? Xia, why would I be mad at you?” Shilah asked, sounding utterly confused.
    I pulled away from him. “Because I lied to you. I didn’t come yesterday when I said I would.”
    “Oh. Well, I wasn’t surprised. I knew you were probably working for you dad.”
    “I was, and I wanted to come tell you, but I