The Ghosts

Chapter Nine, Part One

That, my love, is how the story ends. Despite the negative title, the ugly duckling has a happy ending. These past months we’ve been apart, I can’t help but think our ending should be happy too.

But it’s not.

I told you once that your strongest emotions break through my barrier and I was telling you the truth. They do. And these past few months all I’ve felt from you is sadness and pain. It’s eclipsed my own so completely that I don’t know what else to do…

I read the rest of the letter, most of the words and sentences running together so later, when I tried to remember, the whole thing was just a blob. All but the ending.

Do you see me now?

I got that pull feeling and I looked up. The normal amount of people were milling around but I didn’t see anything unusual. I got up and followed the pull until I was standing in front of the Conservatory Water.

And there across the water, standing on the steps to The Kerbs Memorial Boathouse, stood a man dressed all in black. If I was anyone else, I wouldn’t be able to make out who it was. Apparently that satisfied Raphael’s idea of not being in my presence. The mark wasn’t even burning.

But my heart was.

My arms dropped to my sides as I stared at him and he stared back.

I wanted more than anything to take off around the water. But I didn’t because I knew the second I got any closer, something bad would happen. Raphael warned me and I was going to heed it.

So I stood there, stared at him, pretended he was right in front of me instead of over there where I couldn’t reach him. The bond stayed closed, neither of us even going there because I knew if it opened, I wouldn’t be able to remain still anymore.

“Geo.”

Gregori stepped up next to me but I didn’t move, I didn’t even think I was breathing. He bumped my shoulder and I blinked.

Michael was gone.

“You ok?”

I blinked a few more times, just to make sure what I was seeing was true. It made me wonder if he was even really here.

“I’m fine,” I whispered. “I just thought I saw someone.”

“Uh-huh. You know, I think you’ve been out in the sun too long. Maybe we should skip…”

“No.” I looked at him, completely, but made sure my emotions were tucked away where he couldn’t see. “No. We—we are going ice skating.”

“You sure?”

I turned to face him, trying to put that whole scene away for contemplation later. Christmas was supposed to be a happy time for the duration of the day, at least the time I would spend with him, I would fake the emotion I was getting really good at imitating. “Yes. I want to see you fall on your ass.”

He snorted and shook his head. “Not going to happen.

“We’ll see. Your balance can’t be that good.”

By the time I got back to my apartment, I was tired, I was emotionally drained, and I felt like I was going to burst at the seams from sadness. Gregori hadn’t said anything about it but I knew he could feel it. He had radar for the various emotional states I was in.

“Do you want me to stay?”

I looked up at him, studied him. There was the promise I made him back in the beginning that if I felt a black mood come on, I should call him. Well, I was pretty much slipping into one but I really didn’t want him here for that. At the moment I wanted nothing more to be alone, curl up in my bed, and cry myself to sleep.