Page 31 of Ghost
“Coulda fooled me.”
The second the words are out of my mouth, I want to call them back. Even hammered, I know they’re wrong. And Ember doesn’t let me off the hook easily. Her palm connects with my cheek, and the sting chases away the booze more than anything else could have.
“You’re a dick, Parker, ya know that?”
She doesn’t give me a chance to answer before stomping onto the porch and unlocking the front door, but my voice stops her in her tracks.
“It’s. Ghost. Parker died when you left him.”
CHAPTER 16
EMBER
You! You were more important. You’ve always been more fucking important!
“What canI do to make it better?”
I stare at Lori, her face a blur through my tears. It’s been a week since I broke things off with Parker, and I’ve done nothing but cry. Lori has been with me every free moment she has, but I can’t expect her to keep it up. I have to find a way to pull myself together.
“I th-thought he’d fi-fight for me,” I cry.
She wraps her arm around me. “I know, hon. Honestly, I did, too.”
“Why d-didn’t he?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should call him, talk to him about it,” she suggests, not for the first time. “You guys have been together since middle school. Surely, he doesn’t want this to end either.”
I wipe my nose on the sleeve of my hoodie. “I can’t c-call him.”
“Why not?”
Why not, indeed?
Shuddering, I hiccup several times as I try to pull myself together. “Because, if he wanted to be with me,he’dpick up the damn phone.”
She snorts. “Parker’s a guy. Guys are stupid.”
“You said it yourself, we’d been together since middle school. He knows he can call me.”
“Does he, Em? Because from what you’ve told me, you made it pretty clear that you were done.”
As my best friend, it’s her prerogative to call me out on my bullshit, but it doesn’t mean I’ve gotta like it. Signing, I decide that maybe she’s right. Maybe I should call him.
“Fine. Hand me the phone,” I grumble, pointing to the cordless sitting on the arm of the couch in my apartment.
Lori grins like a kid on Christmas, her hope flaring, and it’s impossible not to feel a little myself. But as soon as I make the call, any hope is immediately snatched away.
“Ember, honestly, why are you calling?” Mrs. West says once I identify myself.
“I just want to talk to Parker,” I say. “Please.”
“Even if I wanted to let you talk to him, you can’t.”
“But… why?” I work hard to keep my lower lip from wobbling.
“He’s gone, Ember. Left for Oregon two days ago. Said there was no point in waiting since you aren’t getting married and that staying here to possibly run into you in town would be worse than death.”
My heart cracks wider than I thought possible. “Oh.”
