Page 102 of The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games 1)
I dug in my heels. "I'll be here all night. Oh, and the next day, and the next day. You're kind of stuck with me. Out with it. Why are you afraid to be sorted?"
"I don't know who I am," he blurted.
"So? Isn't that what the witch is supposed to figure out?"
"I don't know what type of life I've lived. I don't know who I was. Was I a doctor, a mobster, a priest, a criminal? I have no idea. Don't you get it? I don't know which way I'll be sorted."
"Oh." It had never occurred to me that Logan could be anything but a good soul. Kindness just seemed like an integral part of his character. But he was right. I had no idea what went into sorting or how much control I'd have if I did it. What if I had to sort him to the underworld? What if Rick ended up eating his soul for supper? The thought was horrifying.
"The worst part is, if I wasn't a good person, you'll know. It'll be you who makes the call. Despite what you think, I do care for you. It's the major reason I'm not afraid to stay. Being with you, it makes this existence worth it."
"I can't be your whole existence." There, I'd said it. "I don't want to share my life with someone for eternity." Silence settled between us until we were interrupted by the timer on the oven.
"The roast is done," he murmured.
"How did you get all of this food? I'm sure I didn't leave a roast in the refrigerator."
"Um, yeah, you may owe around fifty dollars to Red Grove Grocery and Pub. I had it delivered."
"They delivered this on credit?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I may have taken the package while the delivery boy was distracted. Like, maybe the door opened by itself and the package fell from his hands before the door closed again."
"I see. I'll make sure the grocery gets paid, but please, in the future, give me a heads up first. I won't allow you to steal anything from anyone, and I can't afford to eat like this every night. Plus, I can't have the residents of Red Grove suspecting this place is haunted."
"Understood." I could have been mistaken, but for a moment, Logan appeared to be blushing. I'd never known a ghost could blush, but then Logan was my first.
"Listen, Logan. Dinner smells awesome. I'm sorry I'm not more appreciative, but I need to be alone right now.
He lowered his head, and I made for the bathtub by way of the wine cellar.
My Personal Crisis Intervention
Hot soapy water cures a multitude of ailments. Wine, the rest of them. I soaked in the bathtub, sipping Pinot noir since I'd polished off all the Shiraz, and tried to clear my mind. An image cut through the darkness. A thought. A dream. Maybe a memory.
Rick, in a bar, upside down. Wait, no, I was upside down, my red hair dragging on the floor below me. A grunge band rocked out in the background, and I was having trouble keeping my hockey jersey tucked into my pants in my inverted position.
The human pyramid suspending me chanted my name, Sam, Sam, Sam. I raised a shot of tequila to my lips, tossed it back and swallowed. The hot liquor coursed up to my stomach, the heat radiating to my toes.
"Whoa-oh-oooh," a man's voice said from behind me. I felt myself begin to tip, but it was hard to tell if it was gravity or the alcohol making my head swim. It was gravity. My human suspension system toppled like a deck of cards, arms and legs and bar stools flying. I reached out, prepared to handspring off the sticky mess of a bar floor to safety. I didn't have to. I landed in the cradle of Rick's arms. A cheer rose up from the bar behind us as the patrons realized they wouldn't need to call an ambulance after all.
"Upside-down shots?" Rick asked, eyebrow raised.
"It's the newest thing. You should try it."
He flashed his quirky half smile. "I think I'll pass. Looks dangerous."
"So do you." His eyes had bled to black, and he was staring at me like he was hungry. "Will you always be waiting to catch me when I fall?" I raised my hand to run my nails through the sides of his hair.
His eyes searched mine. "Always." Slowly, his lips lowered. I'd take care of that hunger.
"Take me home," I whispered into his kiss.
I startled awake in the tub, the vision passing like a thick fog. One word rattled like an echo through my brain. "Always."
* * * * *
Sufficiently pruney, I dressed and descended to the kitchen. I hadn't eaten since an early lunch and prayed that Logan hadn't trashed dinner even though I deserved as much.
