Page 35 of Ghostly Bother
"I know you're trying." Angus moved toward Lance.
Lance held up a hand. "No, don't try and coddle me. I'm too upset." He couldn't think straight and the last thing he needed right now was Angus to touch him or do something to try and calm things down. He wanted this anger. Needed to say the words so both of them understood how upset he really was. "I can't go on like this. I can't think when she's always hovering over me. She doesn't understand I have a life to live as well. Just because her life is over doesn't mean mine is. I have a job. I have a life. You don't get it, Angus. She's always here. The fact that Idon't allow ghosts in my bedroom and she's standing in it right now shows you how disrespectful she is. And she just laughs when I get upset over it."
"What can I do to help?" Angus asked.
Lance laughed. "Solve her murder so she goes away?"
"I'm trying." Angus sighed.
"I know that. You know that, but she doesn't care." Lance shook his head. "I don't know what to do. I just want her gone."
"Is she still in here?" Angus asked.
"Of course. She's not going anywhere." Lance gestured to where Eden was standing in front of him.
"Eden, give Lance a break. Go spend the night with your family or something. Tomorrow, we have a meeting to discuss your case at nine in the morning. Tag along with me and you'll hear everything going on." Angus looked at the area in front of Lance. "Give Lance the night off, okay?"
"Not after all the mean things he said to me." Eden had her hands on her hips.
"You want me to be nice, maybe you should try it first." Lance glared at Eden. "She says she won't leave because I said mean things."
"Fine, then I'm leaving." Angus walked over and grabbed his duffle bag out of the closet. "If she's bothering you because she thinks you can get answers from me, then we make it clear that's not going to happen. I'm going to Mom's until this case is over. Lance and I won't be talking until it's done. I won't take his calls. I won't call him. If you want answers, Eden, you're going to have to hang around the station and get them there. I'm done having you try to manipulate the two of us to get what you want when you won't even help us by giving us the names of people you worked with." Angus started stuffing clothes into his bag.
Lance swallowed hard. He didn't want Angus to leave. It felt like Angus was abandoning him. Eden wasn't going to leave himalone. He was the only living soul she knew could hear her. That alone would keep her coming back around. "Angus…"
"No, this is for the best. I'll be back as soon as the case is closed."
"And if you don't close it?" Lance asked.
"We'll reevaluate things in a week." Angus met Lance's gaze across the room. "If you're cut off from all information, then she'll have to leave your side to know what's going on."
Lance lifted his hands up, palms out as he looked at Angus. "Fine. If you want to run away to escape her as well, go. I don't care. Do what you think is best." He was pissed that Angus would leave him. It wouldn't change anything. He glared at Eden. "I mean it this time, Eden. I'm done. I will not even acknowledge you again. You pushed me too far." He cast a final look at Angus. "See you whenever." He stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Alone for the first time in hours, he leaned against the bathroom counter, allowing the tears to fall. The stress of the last few days had finally broken him. He hated fights, and now he was fighting with Angus. How the hell was his leaving going to make things better? Lance needed him around. He was his safe place. The fact that Angus could so easily leave had him questioning their whole relationship. Sure, he understood the idea that if Eden couldn't get information from him, she might leave, but being the only living one she could talk to, Lance doubted she'd stay away for long.
"Lance," Angus called through the door.
"Just go," Lance called. "I don't have it in me to fight more tonight."
"Are you sure?" Angus asked.
Lance ran his hand across his cheeks to wipe the tears away. "Yeah. Maybe your mom knows where I can get some Ghost-Be-Gone spray or something." He just wanted to get into the shower, then climb into bed and forget the entire day.
"Funny," Angus said. "I love you. I'll be back as soon as we close this case."
Lance wanted to be petty and not say the words back, but he couldn't do that to Angus. This wasn't his fault. Lance could understand Angus's thinking. In Angus's mind, he was the reason Eden was bothering him so much. "I love you too." Lance closed his eyes. He heard the bedroom door open, then shut again. Angus was gone. Eden had upset their lives so badly. He wasn't sure what to feel. His anger at Eden grew stronger, but just as he'd said to her, she was a ghost and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to her either. Ignoring her was the only option he had.
He imagined she was still sitting in the bedroom, waiting for him to come out. He didn't care. He meant what he'd said. He was done. He would act as if she wasn't even there from now on. After stripping off his clothes, he turned on the shower. The hot water eased the tension from his muscles, but nothing eased the pain in his heart. Angus leaving hurt. His heart ached at the idea that they might not talk for a week or more. They'd never gone that long without talking, even when they'd first started dating.
"You're really not going to let him leave, are you?" Eden asked from the other side of the shower curtain.
Lance's eyes went wide, and he almost screamed at her to get out, but quickly reminded himself of his vow to ignore her. Let her watch him shower. Let her follow him around. He would not give her the attention she craved. He was done. He was taking his life back, even if it cost him everything he loved.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Angus walked into his parents' house without knocking. He didn't want to explain to them why he was there, but there would be no avoiding it. He was a fool to leave Lance the way he had, but he couldn't see any other solution. If Eden saw they weren't talking, he'd have to leave her alone. She'd have to get her information somewhere else. As if they had any information to give her.
"Angus, what are you doing here?" His mother looked up from the dining room table where she was working on a large puzzle. She stood, coming over to him. She wore an oversized Pantera t-shirt and gray sweatpants. "Everything okay?" She eyed his duffle bag and stepped back, her eyes narrowing. "Where is Lance?"
