Credit to: evanpetersahsimagines
I still remember the day I died like it was yesterday. I don't remember dying, I don't remember the pain of the broken bones I suffered from my fall down the hotel stairs. I don't even remember the period in which I went from being human to a ghost. But regardless of how I got here I along with many others now call the Hotel Cortez a permanent residence.
This hotel has been my home for close to one hundred years now since my fall in 1928 and I have loved every second of it. I used to work alongside the owners main maid but after my fall I decided to enjoy my time in the hotel and he let me step down from my job even though Hazel, his main worker, still serves him to this day despite the fact that they died around the same time I did.
James was a kind man often described as manipulative and malevolent by others but he never did wrong by me so I trusted him implicitly. After all he is my former employer and we do have to spend eternity together whether we like it or not so it's for the best that we get along and don't hold our dark tendencies against each other. To be honest I almost loved watching James kill. It gave me a different kind of thrill to see him take the life of another man.
"Hello Y/N, how are you on this fine day?" James asked waltzing up behind you as you were talking to Liz at the bar.
"Well I'm very good James." I smirk turning to face him, "and yourself?"
"Better now that I've found you my dear." He smiles and turns to Liz to order a drink. James and I have always been rather close and most people in the hotel assumed that it would lead to something more which it had on many occasions but his ex-wife Elizabeth was always an issue that pushed us apart. She didn't directly forbid our relationship progressing but James had an obsession with her still and I couldn't get past the fact that no matter how long he didn't have her in his arms he was still fixated on her.
"So my dear what would you say about having dinner with me in my room on Thursday?" James asked suddenly snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Of course." I blush, "I would love to."
James smirks before walking off and I'm left once again with Liz.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she says, "He's still obsessed with the countess I just don't want him to hurt you again."
"Don't worry about it Liz it's just dinner, his infatuation with Elizabeth can't possibly interfere with that could it." I reply but I don't even completely believe the statement myself.
-
Thursday came quicker than I anticipated and I eagerly got ready for the dinner James had invited me to. I put on the most elegant blue dress I own along with my favourite pair of black heals and diamond earrings. I left my room and walked down the hall until I got to James' room which was only a few doors down from mine. I knocked on the door and waited for over a minute until it was yanked open and Ms Evers appeared on the other side.
"Hazel, may I come in?" I say stepping towards her but she moves to block my path.
"I'm afraid Mr. March is rather busy Y/N." she says in a voice I recognize from when she's trying to hide something from me.
"James is expecting me for dinner Hazel may I please come in?" I say more insistently and she's about to object when James' voice rings throughout the room.
"Whoever it is Hazel tell them to go away, come back and serve Elizabeth and I this instant." He bellows and I look at Hazel in shock before shoving her out of the way and running into the room to see James and the countess sitting at the dinner table originally set up for James and I.
"If this is your sick idea of a game James it isn't very funny." I say through gritted teeth as he stares at me in horror.
"Y/N I'm so sorry dear Elizabeth wanted to move up our monthly dinner because she is getting remarried to Will Drake." James says in his defense but I just laugh.
"She's getting married and you still value your date with her more than you do your date with me." I practically scream.
"Can't we just reschedule dearest?" James starts but I cut him off.
"No, no more rescheduling, no more games. If you don't wanna be in a relationship with me then just stop playing games okay? I'm done with your shit James." I say and turn to leave slamming the door behind me.
I walk slowly down the hallway half expecting James to chase me down, but he doesn't. When I get to the elevator I break down into tears before punching the button of the first floor. It hurt more that he didn't come running after me than it did that he blew me off for an engaged woman that doesn't even love him.
I walk sobbing and wiping my tears to the bar and I'm met by Liz who immediately walks around the bar and engulfs me in a tight hug.
"He blew me off for Elizabeth." I sob as she just strokes my hair until I start to calm down and then she sits me down on a bar stool and returns to the other side of the bar so she can lean over it to talk to me. Liz has become the most comforting and important person in my life since she first came to the Cortez. We could tell each other anything and it became my greatest joy to talk to her so she was the only person that could make me see straight in this situation.
We talked forever until I stopped crying and I had a few drinks and that's when someone else walked stumbling into the bar and sat directly beside me. He ordered a scotch and that's when I recognized his voice and turned slightly to see Donovan looking just as sad as me.
"Why so gloomy?" I say sniffling slightly. He turns my way and sighs before speaking.
"I just found out Elizabeth is marrying Will Drake," he says sighing again, "What have you been crying about?"
"James blew me off for Elizabeth because she is getting married." I say tears returning to my eyes, "I guess we both mixed with the same wrong crowd.
"I guess so." He chuckles sarcastically before downing his scotch in one go as I take sips of my drink.
Before long we are both engulfed in partially drunken conversation about anything and everything in our messed up relationships and it honestly felt so good to open up to someone who understood the pain I was feeling.
"It's been a hundred years of the same thing with James and when I told him I wasn't putting up with it anymore he just sat there." I say as I let a tear slip down my cheek. Donovan reaches out a hand to wipe it away and I look up so I'm properly looking into his eyes.
"The countess changed my life and then she just threw me away like I meant nothing to her." He says looking directly into my eyes for the first time. "I would never hurt you the way that James did because I know how that feels, to never end up with the person you love."
Slowly he leans closer and stops just as our noses are touching, "I would never hurt you like that." He says again and that's when I close the gap between us. Our lips move in perfect sync as he brings a hand to my waist pulling me closer as we both fight for the passion we've been wanting for so long, finally finding it in each other.
Before I register what's happening we've left the bar and Donovan slams me against the wall of the elevator as he pushes the floor of my room before resuming kissing me. His hands find their way to my waist and he lifts my legs around his waist and proceeds to carry me down the hallway once we reach my floor. Just as he fumbles the key to unlock the door I hear a door open down the hallway and spot James and Elizabeth walk out of his room and stare at us in shock. I give James a wink before the door opens and Donovan walks us inside.
As soon as we walk in Donovan slams the door and throws me on the bed and that's when I stop him.
"You know neither of us actually want this." I say and he nods agreeing and sitting beside me on the bed.
"I miss her so bad." He says and I wrap my hand in his.
"It's gonna be okay, "I say soothingly, "But their decisions can't make us become reckless okay? We need to be here for each other."
"I think we'll be good friends." He smiles with tears welling up in his eyes as I lay down on the bed expecting him to leave but he doesn't. Instead he crawls up beside me and strokes my hair, "I think we could both do with some company right now." He says and we both fall asleep wrapped in each other's arms.
-
The next morning I wake up with Donovan's arm wrapped securely around me and know that I made the right decision the night before. He slowly wakes up and smiles down at me as soon as he opens his eyes.
"I think I drank too much last night." I groan reaching blindly for the glass of water I always order from Liz every night but realize that in my drunken haze I forgot to ask for it.
"We should go get breakfast, it might help with the hangover." Donovan smiles and I get changed out of the constricting dress I somehow slept in all night into some jean shorts and a t shirt and we walk hand in hand down to the bar where Liz greets us.
"Boy have I heard about you two." She says sauntering over to us, "James and Elizabeth came down here ranting about the fiasco you two pulled on them last night."
"They saw us walk into a room id hardly call it a fiasco." Donovan says downing a glass of water like it's the last drink he'll ever have.
"Well from what they're saying it sounds like you two had a fun night." She smirks and I sigh. If Liz heard about it I can only imagine how many people we are going to have to explain ourselves to.
"Nothing happened Liz, I swear." I say and she looks directly into my eyes, nodding when she knows I'm telling the truth, "I believe you but I'm not sure she'll be so forgiving." She says not even looking up and gesturing in the direction of someone behind us.
We turn to see Elizabeth standing not too far behind us waving gesturing for Donovan to come over.
"Good luck." I say and he smiles and gives me a quick hug before walking off in her direction and they both walk a little bit away from the bar.
"Since when did you two become friends?" Liz asks and I shake my head.
"I don't even know, it just happened." I say and she smiles, "It was good to have someone who understood me to talk to."
"Since when do I not understand you?" I hear a familiar voice behind me as I see Liz's smile drop and she turns around pretending to be busy but not before giving me an encouraging smile.
"I said I'm done talking James." I say bluntly without even turning around.
"Who said I'm done talking, Y/N?" he says moving to stand directly behind me, "You don't just pull stunts like you did last night."
"Oh, you of all people want to talk about morals?" I scoff, "remind me of who you were with when you promised me a date?"
"It was a mistake, she was getting remarried you know about our monthly dinners." He says but I just laugh at him.
"Save it James. I'm done waiting for you." I snap and go to walk away but he grips my arm tightly and yanks me back towards him.
"Get your hands off her!" Donovan yells across the room as he stomps towards us.
"Who are you to say that? She belongs to me or did you forget that last night?" James says talking to me just as much as he was Donovan.
"I'm okay I promise." I say to him and he nods warily before walking away.
James literally yanks me toward the elevator and I see Liz go to object but I give her a grim smile that tells her that I'll be fine and she backs off as James shoves me inside the lift.
"James I..." I start but he cuts me off.
"We'll talk when we get to my room." He answers bluntly and I decide it's not the right time to test him so I keep silent the entire way to his room. As soon as we step inside he slams the door and forces me to sit down on a chair at the dining table.
"Do you want to tell me what you were doing with Donovan last night?" he asks angrily.
"Nothing happened James I swear. We were drunk and we fell asleep that's all that happened I promise." I say begging for his forgiveness.
"It didn't look like nothing from what I saw." He says coldly and I realize how much I must have hurt him.
"I couldn't go through with it. I thought about you and I just couldn't do it." I say grabbing his hand to really get his attention, "You have to believe me I didn't do anything."
"I believe you." He says suddenly and I snap my head upwards to face him in shock.
"Really?" I ask with tears welling up in my eyes and he nods his head.
"I trust you. I love you." He says so quietly I'm not even completely sure that I've heard it.
"I love you too James I never thought I'd hear you say it back." I say quietly and he kneels down so our faces are at the same height as his eyes grow darker than I've ever seen them.
"You're mine Y/N do you understand that. Don't you ever forget that again. I can't even begin to explain how enraged I felt to see you with another man." He grits his teeth angrily and grips my hands tightly.
"That's called jealousy James." I laugh and he grows even angrier.
"I am not the type of person to become intimidated by another man." He demands but I just laugh at him.
"Really? Because what you're describing sounds a lot like jealousy." I laugh again wrapping my arms around his neck and he smirks pressing his lips to mine and I smile into the kiss.
"How could I be jealous when the girl I love has always been mine?" He smirks pressing his lips to mine once more. "I'm... not... jealous."
"I'm not sure I believe you Mr. March." I whisper and he looks up at me smirking, "Maybe you should prove it to me."
James reconnects his lips to mine as I happily lean into him. This is the first day of a relationship I've waited over one hundred years for and I couldn't be happier to finally spend forever with the man I love.