Page 112 of Hidden

"How long were you going to keep it going?" I ask. I need to know how long he’s planning on being the Ghost around me, even though I now know.

He looks at the path ahead. "I hadn't decided."

"That's not an answer."

"No," he agrees. "It isn't, but at the moment that’s all I’ve got.”

The path curves toward the humanities block. A group of students pass in the other direction, loud and unconcerned, splitting around us without noticing.

"Am I still getting the flowers?" I ask.

"Yes."

"The essay."

"Yes."

"The…" I stop, then I start again. "All of it."

"All of it," he confirms.

I look at him. "Why the camera bracelet?" I ask.

He's quiet for a moment. "Because you photograph thresholds," he says. "The point where one thing becomes another." He glances at me briefly. "It seemed appropriate."

I look down at my wrist. Both of them catching the path lights as I walk.

We reach the humanities block.

He stops and looks at me with attention that I now understand differently. It’s not just Miles looking at me, but someone who’s been looking at me since September and knows exactly what he's seeing.

"Do you want dinner tonight?"

"Dinner?" I repeat.

"Seven. I'll pick you up."

"You know where I live," I say. I close my eyes for one second and then open them again. "Obviously you know where I live."

The corner of his mouth lifts. "Obviously."

I know I should be asking him about how much he does know about my life, but at the moment not one question is scaping my mouth. But tonight, at dinner I will be getting some answers from him.

"Seven," I say.

He nods, then he steps forward. One hand comes up to my jaw, it’s warm, and he tilts my face up, then he kisses me. My hand finds his jacket and I hold on.

He pulls back and smiles. "Seven," he says again. Then he steps back, his hands returning to his pockets. He turns and walks back up the path looking around to see if anyone is around.

I stand at the bottom of the humanities block steps with my camera bag on my shoulder and both bracelets on my wrist. And the warmth of a kiss that just changed the shape of everything.

My phone buzzes.

Ghost

Don't be late.

Ghost.