Page 42 of Ghost

It seemed like they were really hitting it off, and after everything she’d been going through, Kay needed that—maybe even more than Whitney. It had to have been tough to hear that her worst fears were coming true, and her ex-husband’s past was catching up with her. She was a smart lady. She knew that losing her house was just the start.

I was contemplating whether I should leave or interrupt their moment when Kay announced, “I’ll go find Zeke and have him pick up what we need. I’ll be back in a few.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Kay patted me on the shoulder as she walked past me. “Hey there, sweetie. I’m off to see a guy about an errand, but I’ll be back.”

Before I could respond, she was gone, and I was left alone with Whitney. She glanced over at me and muttered, “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You weren’t at breakfast.”

“I had some things to tend to.”

“Hmm.”

We hadn’t spoken since our encounter the night before, and an awkwardness had settled between us. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have given her a hard time about being jealous,especially when I wasn’t sure how she was feeling about things. “So, you’re thinking about coloring your hair?”

"I don’t know." She raked her teeth across her bottom lip. "I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“I’m afraid it might make it easier for him to find me.”

Her eyes were filled with worry, and I got why. Dylan was an asshole and had put her through hell. The last thing she wanted was to make it easier for him to find her. But there was more to it than that. This was a chance for her to take back a piece of herself, and I knew it was important for her to take it. “The color of your hair isn’t going to make much difference either way.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“If you wanna go lighter, do it. But if it doesn’t feel like the right time, don’t. You call the shots."

"I just don’t want to do anything that might mess things up.”

"You’re not going to mess anything up.” I stepped over to her and placed my hand on her chin, gently lifting her head so she was looking at me. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I worry about everything,” she admitted. “It’s hard not to. Every time things start going well like they are now, something always happens, and it all falls apart.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen.”

“I really want to believe that.” She looked up at me and whispered, “I’m so tired of being afraid.”

“You don’t have to be afraid anymore.” Her eyes stayed trained on mine as I told her, “Not as long as I’m around.”

I stepped closer, narrowing the gap between us, then reached over and carefully brushed a strand of hair from her face. She didn’t move. She just stood there staring at me with that longing look in her eyes. I couldn’t stand it. I had to know what her lips would feel like against mine, so I leaned down and slowly lowered my mouth to hers.

I feared she might pull away, but instead, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back. It was slow and soft, just like I imagined it would be. My hand fell to the nape of her neck, and I gently pulled her closer. A shudder ran through Whitney’s body as she parted her lips, giving me full access to delve deeper.

Our tongues tangled, and I knew this one kiss would never be enough. Just as things were starting to get heated, Whitney placed her hands on my chest, pulled back, and inhaled a deep breath. “I’m sorry... I just...”

“You can trust me, Whitney. I’d never hurt you. I need you to know that.”

“I do.”

“You don’t,” I argued. “Not yet,but you will. I am going to prove to you that you have nothing to worry about with me. It’s just going to take some time.”

With that, she gazed into my eyes as our lips met again in a kiss I wouldn’t soon forget.

Whitney

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