Phantom Me

Chapter 4: Wonderful Life

Curious to see if they could relate, I scanned the incoming comments as they zoomed by.

"Are you ok, Rhea?"

"Is she talking about her relationship?"

"We stan Rhelan! Rhelan forever!"

I imagined the viewers behind the keyboard and wondered what their young and receptive minds might have conjured up. Maybe they didn't understand, or worse, maybe they didn't care. They showed up for a good time, that meant they wanted fun and fashion. No one wanted to discuss serious matters at a time like this.

I didn't clarify their questions and concerns, feeling comfort in the fact no one besides Nolan knew I may have stroked out and began seeing things. There was no need to go any deeper than I had, anyway. I mostly needed to vent, to get those thoughts and feelings off my chest.

My eyes shifted from the comments, and I thought aloud. "I mean, I guess ignoring it would only do so much, especially if I know the truth. I must sound crazy, but..." I stared ahead at a misty, shadowy shape as it materialized in front of me. The faint outline of a humanoid body hovered feet above the ground. I shook my head and looked back at my phone, trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

The comments continued rolling in. "What's wrong, Rhea? Are you okay?" Over and over, messages filled with concern and curiosity scrolled by. "What's wrong with her? I don't think she's well. You look like you saw a ghost."

I shook my head, on the brink of letting it all spill out of my mouth, but knowing better. "There's just so much I wish I could share with you—" the phone disappeared from my hand before I could finish my thought.

"Nolan!" I stared at the phone in his hand as he turned it off without so much as a pause. "Seriously?"

"What are you doing?" He shook his head, frustration etched into his forehead with a couple of worry lines. "You're supposed to rectify your previous mistake. Not make new ones. Rambling on like that is going to make you lose your sponsorships. All the big brands."

"I was just talking, Nolan." I glared at the black screen of my phone in his grip. "When did talking become such a bad thing?"

"No, you were not just talking. You were going on a tangent about nonsense, and we can't have that." He huffed, pacing back and forth by the coffee table. "You need to remember you are a professional, not a fucking high school vlogger."

"What are you talking about? Why are you so angry?"

Talking to my fans and being personable, and even relatable, had always been a part of my brand. That's how I started on UpTube, by sharing my thoughts along with my fashions. There were probably many members of my audience that preferred I didn't share my thoughts, but regardless, that part of me had been a part of my time as Rhea since the start.

"You were gonna tell them about that woman you thought you saw." He paused and shook his head. "That's crazy, Rhea. We can't have your fans or the fucking industry elite thinking you're losing your mind. You know how important this week is to your career. You can't go around telling everyone you're having a mental breakdown."

A mental breakdown?

"I wasn't gonna say anything." I scoffed, not surprised that we couldn't go one weekend without an argument. The look on his face said so much. Did his intense stare come from a fear that I was getting sick or concern about the business? I extended my arm, displaying my palm. "Can I have my phone back?"

"I think I'll hold on to it for the time being." He pocketed it.

"You got to be joking." I waited for another angry remark, but he silently strolled back toward the kitchen instead. Maybe I would try a different tactic, using the magic word. "Can I please have my phone back?" I didn't know what I would do with it once I got it, but having my property back in my grasp had become my mission.

"I'm only looking out for you, Rhea." His calm voice took me off guard, although it was direct. "You'll thank me later."

My mind immediately took me back to an argument we had a few weeks ago. After I had made a batch of red chili chicken wings and invited him to sit down and enjoy them with me. Instead of indulging, he grabbed my plate as soon as I lifted a chicken wing from it and tossed the entire dish into the trash. His only explanation? "I'm looking out for you. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

"Nolan, give me my phone." This time, I put fire behind my words. "Just give it to me."

He paused, staring unblinkingly. "You want your phone back?"

"Yes."

"You want it back that bad?"

"Yes. I do."

He pulled it from his pocket. "Then bloody have it." He drew his arm back and pitched the phone through the air like a baseball. It met its target, landing in the center of my gut.

I buckled over from the sudden blow, clutched my stomach, and gasped for air. Not caring for the phone anymore, struggling for a proper breath had become my sole concern.

"Aw, fuck." He rushed to my side. "Sorry, Babe. I didn't mean to—"

I shrugged his hand from my shoulder and pushed him away as I made my way to the bathroom, where I closed the door behind me, locking it. He had promised, sworn, and vowed not to hurt me again. He lied.

~~~

Please share your thoughts in a comment! What would you do or say if you were Rhea?