A shadow passes behind the living room curtains, and then another one follows and I freeze. I scan the driveway but there are no cars that I can see.Oh, what the fuck.She’s ignoring me to fuck around with that dickhead texter? We haven’t even been broken up for a whole month. That’s fucking low. I shake my head and crouch down, slowly moving toward the house. My body is vibrating with rage and I can’t stop shaking my head. He’s gonna swoop in here and just take the money that I earned after putting in all this time with her crazy ass? That’slow.
I pause under the living room window, listening for any noise. Triss moans like a fucking whore and I pop my head up to try and get a look at what’s going on. Oh she’s really putting on a show for this guy. I can just see through the small gap in the curtains and I shake my head in disgust. She’s spread out on the couch with her tits hanging out all over the place like she’shot shit and he’s on the ground with his face in her pussy. She’s probably fucking paying him to do this. I can see how wet she is from here, there’s no reason for him to still be down there. This is just pathetic.
She bucks her hips and cries out again and jealousy flares in my gut. She never put on this good of a show for me. I frown and rub at the bulge in the front of my pants. What a bitch. This guy looks like a little bitch two. Kinda scrawny looking and nerdy. I’m a way better catch. It’s really sad what she’s willing to settle for instead of trying to work shit out to earn me back. Who knows, maybe this was her plan all along. To use me until she got into this house and could get with this greedy muff diving twat-waffle.
He stands and bends Triss over the arm of the couch letting the top half of her body hang forward as he grips her throat in one hand, then slams into her from behind in one stroke. His free hand slaps her big ass and she screams. I roll my eyes. She’s such a fucking fake. I run a hand roughly through my hair and stick my hand in my pants, fisting my dick. If she wants to do porno shit in front of the windows that’s not my fault. I stroke myself, closing my eyes and thrusting into my hand. When I look back to watch the show I pause. Where the fuck did they go? They were just on the couch. I let go of my dick and press my face against the glass trying to get a better look. The window fogs up with my breath and I wipe it quickly. A shadow passes above and I look up—and then fall back onto my ass. What the fu—they’re in the air! Triss is grinding on his dick while he pumps into her from behind, her back pressed into his chest. His hands are cupping her tits and my jaw drops.
I watch as they fly around the room, feeling more anger than I think I’ve ever felt before. This is worse than I thought. She didn’t leave me, she’s being used as a fuck toy by a ghost thanks to this big, haunted ass house that she moved into. That makesway more fucking sense than her ignoring me. I watch until they finish and then slink off to find my phone in the direction of where I threw it. There’s still no excuse for her bullshit attitude but at least I know why she’s been so distant now. Okay, new plan… get rid of the fucking leech and then lay on the charm. I glance back to the light coming out of the window and smirk. Step one… get her back and secure the bag. After that it’s whatever steps I gotta take to get her to try those acting skills out on me and my superior performance. My head shakes in disbelief. They always hold out when they’re in a comfortable situation.
I spot my phone in the grass ahead and jog over to it, grabbing it up and shooting off a quick text. Things are finally looking up for me. I knew they would. Good guys always win.
Chapter twenty-three
The Worst, Worst Date Ever
Cian
Sunlight streams in through our bedroom window—just enough to kiss my skin with its warmth. Trissa is snuggled into my side with an arm across my chest and one thigh covering mine. I smile into her hair and drop a gentle kiss on the top of her head. I actually slept last night! After a while as a ghost you forget how refreshing it is to be able to be able to turn off with a good night of sleep, made all the better when you have someone you cherish to hold on to. Unbidden, my mind wanders back to everything we learned from Leona’s letter yesterday.
My heart aches, and I’m still not sure exactly how to feel about everything. For the first time since dying I understand why Lee did what she did, but now I carry the guilt of knowing the price of my happiness. If I had just died like I was supposed to, Trissa’s family would probably all still be here. An unexpected flare of anger burns in my chest. None of it is fair. They all deserved so much better.
I wish that I could speak to Lee, if only for a moment. To be able to apologize for doubting her. Thank her for everythingthat she sacrificed, and promise her that I will always look after Trissa—even if there comes a time that she chooses something other than this life with me. It’s so easy to promise forever when you’ve never had to face the reality of endless time.
My heart soared when I read about the elixir that Leona claims will allow Trissa to be with me always, but now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I’m weary. If she had just been a little more concise maybe it wouldn’t seem so alarming, but that bit about ‘mortal days’ makes me pause—I don’t doubt her desperation to protect Trissa, but her desperation to save a loved one is what put us all in this position to begin with.
I was always supposed to die. Trissa has a choice… a life. Can I really claim to love her if I would let her sacrifice her life for me? I want to possess her—that urge has not lessened, and I’m not sure if it’s some kind of ghost thing, or an effect of being witch-bound by her bloodline, or even some carnal urge. Maybe it’s a combination of things… I don’t know. Witches do die, but they age slower than humans. We have years before we really have to think about anything drastic. Maybe we can get the local coven to examine the elixir and tell us what it may be, now that we know they aren’t involved in the disappearance or deaths of Trissa’s family.
I start to daydream about what life might look like if we complete the ritual. A smile stretches the corners of my mouth. I don’t mind the forced proximity of our current situation—I don’t mind it one bit, actually—but it would be nice to be able to leave this house. I know she doesn’t do well with vehicles, but even just walking around the grounds with her would be an improvement to our current situation. Maybe taking strolls through town… I can’t even imagine how much Kismet Falls has changed since I died. I could take her on a real date! Granted I don’t exactly have money. I do still have a basement full of antiques that would be worth more now than when I pricedthem the first time around. I’m sure most of my contacts are long since gone, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find new ones, especially if Trissa can help me navigate the internet.
My planning is interrupted by a loud snore that ends abruptly as Trissa startles awake. I chuckle as her eyelashes flutter against my chest. She yawns and her arm tightens around me as she stretches. The motion pressing her soft body more firmly against my side in a way that has my cock stirring to life. She smiles lazily as she angles her face to look up at me.
“Good morning, beautiful.” My voice is still rough with sleep, despite having been awake for a while now.
Trissa mumbles good morning and a pretty blush stains her cheeks. I can see the moment when the past 24 hours come back to the front of her mind. A small V forms between her eyebrows and her eyes glaze over.
“You want to talk about it, baby?”
“Not really,” she sighs deeply, “but we probably should.”
I nod slowly and wait for her to talk. The only way that I can be sure I won’t influence her decisions is to let her voice her feelings first. She looks up at me when it becomes clear that I’m deferring to her and sighs again. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she brushes some stray tendrils of hair back from her face. I follow her lead and lean up against the headboard, trying to school my face into one of careful neutrality.
“I’m still a little jumbled,” she hesitates for a moment before continuing, “I’m a little nervous that our feelings for one another—this intense longing—is some kind of side effect from the bond not being finished. Like some kind of magical compulsion or something.”
Oh.I frown, shaking my head without realizing it. I can’t deny that she has a point, but it feelswrong.
“Let me finish, please—I have to get it all out before I wake up all the way and lose my nerve.”
I nod and smile apologetically. So much for my stoic and neutral poker face.
“I… I have faith that it’s real and that it will last beyond the completion of the ritual. So, I think… I think maybe we take today to just let everything finish settling in… and then tomorrow we do the ritual.”
“Trissa… we don’t have to rush it. I—”
“No, I want to. I want you to be free. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want you to leave. Please, don’t leave me.” Her eyes water and I open my mouth to reassure her, but she continues quickly, “I don’t want the elixir right now though.” Trissa pulls her bottom lip into her mouth and worries it. Her eyes crinkle with nerves and I can tell she’s holding her breath.
“There is no leaving you, my love. You’re ingrained on my soul. Where you go, I follow. From now until I cease to exist, I am yours… if you want me.”
She lets out the breath and rushes, fumbling over the words, “I—yes! I want you!”
