It was a month after Logan kissed Violet; she decided against telling Tate about it since she wasn't sure what it meant. She still hung out with Logan, changing the topic whenever he'd bring up the kiss. They were sitting in his bedroom when he asked her once again about it. She was already ticked off because Isaac was up to his normal charades and causing trouble everywhere, making Tate run after him as he tried to keep Isaac away from Violet. Logan waited patiently. "I don't know what this means for us, Logan!" she screamed. "I love Tate, but I don't even know what things are between the two of us."
Logan lowered his head. "I like you, Violet. I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't. Why can't you understand that I'm the one who sees you as you really are?"
Violet smirked. "What am I?"
Logan began rubbing his hand and took a deep breath. "You're scared. I get it. You died before you knew what love was. You died because you were afraid of someone loving you so strongly; fear is the only emotion you know well. I maybe blind, but it doesn't take eyes to see. In fact, they really get in the way. They only show us what we want others to see. You want everyone to think you're so tough, but really you're as scared as everyone else." Violet was speechless as he explained his words. "I like Tate. He makes me think of you, he was scared of life, too. But just because I like him doesn't mean I'm not going to fight for you. And all of his evil glares and intimidating moves won't work on me. I know what I want… I just have to wait for her to see that she wants it, too." Logan stood up and left before she had a chance to answer.
Violet ran her hands across her face in frustration. "Hey," she heard the familiar voice behind her that never failed to send shivers down her spine. Tate walked in the room and sat down next to her. She stared at his saddened eyes. "Look, I can see you like Logan, and that's good. He's normal—aside from the lack of vision—and normal is good for you, it's what you deserve. It's my fault that you like him since I asked him to help me protect you from Isaac." Tate took a deep breath. "You should be with him, not me." Violet's head was reeling from everything that was happening. "He's right… You killed yourself because of me…" Violet watched as a tear rolled down his cheek. She started to respond, but he took one of his long fingers to her lips. "I scared you. He's the one you should be with."
Violet could feel herself losing all composure. "But—but I want to be with you, Tate. I need you." Tate smiled slightly; that was all he ever wanted to hear from her. "I love you, Tate."
He bit his lip. "I love you too, Violet. I always will, but… I… don't want to be with you anymore," he choked out every word. He watched her heart break in front of him through her brown eyes. It took everything in him not to tell her he was lying, but he knew he wasn't right for her. She deserved better than him or anything he could ever give her. She deserved to be happy like she was when she talked to Logan.
Violet felt everything inside her breaking. She didn't know what to say or do. She tried not to cry in front of him, but a couple tears slipped down her cheek as she watched him get up and walk out the door. She felt alone and broken. The only one she could say she loved and not have a shred of doubt in her head just told her he didn't want to be with her.
The feeling took her back to the day when she told him to go away. She was angry with everything she found out; that her mom had just died in front of her eyes, that he (or at the time she thought it was him) was responsible for killing her mom and other innocent people. She remembered when she screamed the words and closed her eyes; how she was praying that he wouldn't really disappear. He would be standing in front of her and she'd run to him, banging on his chest a few times with her fists. Then she'd lose all composure and just start bawling in his arms, and everything would be okay before long. But what was she supposed to do now? He left voluntarily. How was she supposed to behave when he was the one making her cry, and he was the only one who could put her back together?
Tate sucked up his nerves and went to find Logan. Logan was in the kitchen, sitting at the dining room table. "I need to talk to you," Tate said as he entered the room. Logan put down the sandwich he was eating and raised his head in response. "I finally have the plan to rid this house of the evil."
Logan raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Go on, I'm intrigued."
Tate took a seat across from Logan. "Have you heard of the Croatoan spell?" Logan shook his head. "It's a spell that works to rid spirits of a particular place. Violet and I tried it once to get rid of Chad and Patrick, but it didn't work."
Logan chuckled. "Well, if it didn't work, what makes you think it will now?"
"Because you're alive. Violet and I are dead; ghosts can't rid the house of other ghosts."
"What? Is that in the ghost handbook or something?" Logan said, sarcastically.
Tate rolled his eyes. "No! It won't work because those who are alive are the only ones who possess the belief that these things work. They do it to have control. In the end, it's what you believe with your entire being that means something. Not what others tell you to believe."
"So what am I supposed to do?"
Tate leaned back in the chair. "I am going to get Isaac's thumb ring and I want you to throw it in a fire, when he appears just say the word. Everything else will happen on its own." Tate then paused. "But I want you to do one more thing for me, also." Logan's eyes widened. "I am going to give you something of my own and I want you to send me away, too."
Logan scoffed. "Why would I send you away?"
Tate stared at nothing and took a deep breath. "Because I'm evil, also. I hurt the only thing that matters to me. But it's for her own good." He looked up at Logan. "I want you to take care of her. Love her. Make her happy." He reached his hand over to Logan's. "Do we have a deal?"
Logan thought about it for a moment before shaking Tate's hand. "Deal."