Page 44 of Ghost
It had to be quite a few because I don’t recall a time I’ve ever been this hungover.
“You didn’t have any.”
“I did, though. I know Addison gave me a few.” I squint as I try to recall who else handed me shot glasses throughout the night. “I’m sure there was more, but I can’t remember who gave them to me.”
Ghost tenses beside me. “I must’ve missed it,” he snarls, and I lean into him in an effort to calm him down.
“It’s okay,” I assure him. “It’s not like anyone forced me to drink.”
“It’s not okay,” he insists. “I should’ve paid more attention.”
“You can’t watch me every second,” I scoff.
His scowl turns to a grin. “I sure as fuck want to.”
Rolling my eyes, I scoot to the edge of the bed and set my feet on the floor. Just then, a memory slams into me, and I stiffen. “Did you threaten one of your brothers last night?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder.
“Maybe.”
“Yes or no?”
“Yes.” He scratches the side of his nose. “Python had it coming though.”
More of the incident surfaces in my mind. “Oh my God,” I say on a whoosh of breath. “You told them all that I belonged to you.”
“I did.” There’s not the slightest bit of apology or regret in his tone.
Not that I want there to be.
“Why?”
Ghost shifts on the mattress so he’s sitting behind me and slides his arms over my shoulders. “Em, I know we’re just supposed to be friends, honestly, I do. But…”
My heart stutters. “But what?”
“What if we’re meant to be more?”
“What if we’re not?”
He sighs, releasing me so he can move to stand in front of me. “Em, look at me.”
I lift my eyes to his. “I’m scared.”
“Fuck, I am, too. But I think it’s worth a shot.We’reworth a shot.”
“This is crazy.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. “Embrace the crazy with me, Em.”
I can’t stop the tilt of my lips. I want to embrace it, embrace him. It’s not like we’re strangers, not really. I’ve tried to fill the void left after breaking up with him, and the only thing that came close to making me whole again was work, always work.
“We can’t go back to what we were before,” I say.
“No, we can’t,” he agrees. “We were broken before. I don’t want that any more than you do.”
“And we have to take things slow because… well, just because.”
“I can do slow.” He must sense my continued hesitation because he continues. “Em, forget about labels, about the past or what the future might hold. Just think about this, us, right here, right now. We’ll take it one day at a time. No expectations. We’ll simply be together in whatever way feels right in the moment.”
