Page 88 of Chasing Your Ghost

Riley beamed even as tears filled her eyes. “No,” she replied.

His head lowered, his lips meeting hers again with even more desperation than before. His teeth tugged on her bottom lip, sending shockwaves through her nerves and warmth rushing to her core. The sensation was too much, and Riley couldn’t contain the moan that escaped her.

Asher’s hands, which had moved to rest on her waist without her realizing, tightened. His fingers dug into her skin in a grip that wouldn’t leave bruises but would stay with her long after, the memory of his touch haunting her in the best way possible.

She felt like she was burning, the blood in her veins turning to fire, and she would gladly succumb to the inferno if it meant their kiss never had to end.

So, naturally, Riley’s phone had to ring moments after one of Asher’s hands had lifted to her hair, his fingers delving into the lavender strands.

Asher groaned, only this time it wasn’t the good kind. “Do you need to answer that?” he asked between near-bruising pecks.

Riley shook her head. “Just ignore it,” she said breathlessly, pulling his head down to ensure he understood that whoever was calling was not nearly as important as what they were doing.

It stopped ringing long enough for Asher to lift her off her feet and move her to the bed, but before she could pull him down on top of her with the bold confidence she’d never thought she would possess, her ringtone started again. Asher paused, his gaze moving from her to the phone and back again.

Riley closed her eyes and sighed. “I should probably get that,” she admitted, though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

Unfortunately, reality couldn’t wait for them to finish making out, even if this was the only kiss Riley had ever had aside from her very underwhelming barely-even-a-kiss first kiss.

No, reality wouldn’t wait. Not even for a kiss as mind-blowing as the one they’d been in the middle of.

But some things couldn’t wait. And when Riley reached over to grab her phone from her bedside table and saw who was calling her, she knew this was one of those things.

“It’s Ella. She, Noah, and Chris know everything,” she explained to Asher before answering it. She put it on speaker so he could hear as well.

He blinked at her, looking completely taken aback, and Riley didn’t blame him. The last he knew of it, Riley was adamantly against informing the others about what was going on. She’d have to explain it all after she told Ella the good news.

“You won’t believe—” Riley began, but the other girl didn’t seem to hear her.

“I dreamwalked,” she yelled excitedly before letting out what sounded like a hiss of pain.

Asher’s eyebrows lifted, his forehead creasing as he looked at Riley for an explanation. Before she could give him one, tell Ella that he was listening in, or ask what was wrong, the other woman barreled on.

“I could feel Asher, but I got stuck trying to get to him again.”

“Ella—”

“I know it’s not the best news we could have hoped for, but it’s something, right?”

“Ella, he’s—”

“It means he hasn’t moved on, right? And if he hasn’t—”

“Ella,” Riley said more loudly, laughing at the other girl’s excited rambling. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Asher is here.”

Her words were met with a long silence. “He’s there?” she finally asked, sounding just as dazed as Riley had been when she’d heard Asher’s voice.

“Yes, he’s here,” Riley replied, sure her broad smile could be heard in her voice. “He didn’t move on. He was just pulled away again.”

“Oh my god,” Ella muttered. “Oh my god,” she repeated, her excitement returning. “I’ll call Noah and Chris right now, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Riley silently scolded herself. As soon as she’d seen Asher, she should have called everyone to fill them in and let them know he was okay. Instead, she’d kissed him. Though she couldn’t bring herself to regret it, she knew she’d put herself above everyone else by doing it.

“Thanks, Ella,” she replied. “Asher and I will see you soon.”

“Tell him…please tell him I miss him and that I love him.”

“He heard you,” Riley told her. “You’re on speaker.”

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