Page 37 of Ghost

She was older but very attractive, with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair. Even though she was just wearing jeans and a pullover, there was a presence about her that made me wonder who she was and what she was doing here.

The guys all smiled as they hugged her and welcomed her home. Memphis was the last to step forward, and he quickly wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. His voice was filled with affection as he said, "Hey, it’s good to have you back, Mom."

Bridget had talked about Memphis’s mother being there and how eager she’d been to leave, so I was surprised when she smiled and said, “It’s good to be back.”

Even from a distance, I could tell there was a history between them, but they hid it well as they hugged each other tightly. Memphis released her and asked, “How was the drive?”

“Long,” she sighed. “I’m in dire need of a hot shower and a bite to eat.”

“That can be arranged.” Memphis reached for her bag as he said, “I’ll get you to your room and have the girls scrounge you up something to eat.”

I didn’t want them to catch me eavesdropping, so I quickly closed the door and made my way back over to Toby. As soon as I sat down, he glanced up at me and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Memphis’s mother is back.”

Like he knew who I was talking about, he muttered, “Oh.”

Then, he turned back to his movie like nothing had happened. I, on the other hand, was quite interested in why she’d returned and if her arrival had anything to do with theguys’ unusual behavior. It was something that weighed on my mind as I crawled into bed.

I eventually drifted off to sleep, but woke when I heard a deep thump of bass came rattling through the walls. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. In fact, I heard it almost every night, but usually, it was down the hall at the bar. Tonight, it was coming from the family room, and it was growing louder by the minute.

I sat up in the bed and listened to the women’s laughter—so carefree and full of life. Hearing it made me wonder what they were up to. I glanced over at Toby and found him sleeping soundly. I had no idea how the noise hadn’t woken him. I laid back down and tried to ignore the low rumble of voices and bursts of laughter, but I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what was going on.

My curiosity gnawed at me, and when I couldn’t stand it a second longer, I slipped out of bed and threw on a hoodie. Being careful not to wake Toby, I eased the door open and stepped out into the hall. I closed it quietly, then started down the hall.

The noise got louder as I got closer to the family room, and I grew more and more apprehensive. I had no business snooping around like this, but my curiosity had gotten the best of me. I had to see what was going on.

When I reached the end of the hallway, I peeked around the corner and spotted Ghost sitting at one of the large tables with a stack of cards in his hand. Around him were Goose and several of the guys, along with Bridget and a few club girls. The girls were draped over the guys with loose smiles and glittering eyes, and they were clearly having a good time.

Sadie, one of the younger club girls, let out a high-pitched squeal as she leaned against Ghost and checked out his cards. Her fingers traced the ink on his arm, but he didn’t seem to notice her touch. In fact, he didn’t seem to notice her at all. Hisfocus was more on the play he was about to make, but seeing the way she was pawing all over him made my stomach turn.

I had no idea why it bothered me so much. I had no claim to Ghost. We weren’t a thing—not even slightly, but there was something about seeing the girls flirt with him that got to me.

I watched as Ghost lifted his shot glass and quickly downed it. He immediately reached for the bottle and had just started to pour them another round when Bella, another one of the club girls, wound her arm around his neck, giggling flirtatiously as she whispered something in his ear. The sight had my entire body humming with a mix of anger and jealousy and hurt.

I’d seen enough.

I needed to get the hell out of there.

And I planned to do exactly that, but when I turned, I tripped over my own two feet and almost fell flat on my face. My stumble caught the attention of Goose. He was all smiles as he called out, “Hey! It’s Whitney!”

“Hey,” I muttered, quickly adjusting my stance.

“Come play a round with us.”

Bella was practically glued to Ghost when his eyes locked on mine. He held my gaze until I said, “I’m good. You guys have fun.”

The words had barely left my mouth when Ghost pushed Bella to the side and stood. “Hey! Whitney! Hold up!”

I didn’t want to talk to him, so I hurried back to my room. I could hear him calling out to me, but I didn’t stop. I just kept going, and as soon as I reached my door, I opened it and slipped inside, praying that he would take the hint and go away.

He didn’t.

“Whitney,” he whispered. “Open the door.”

I didn’t answer, but sadly, that didn’t stop him.

“I’m not leaving,” he warned. “Whitney, open the door.”

---