Page 75 of The Ghost of You

“I’m going to tell you this and you need to promise not to punch me in the face.”

I look back at him.

“You loved Claire more than anything in your life. She was your entire world. But you weren’t hers. She never loved you the way that you loved her. I know that’s hard to hear but it’s the truth. I saw her multiple times when she was out with her girlfriends. You don’t want to know what she would say and I’m not going to tell you because you don’t need to hear it.

“But you do need to walk next door and let that beautiful girl know how you feel about her. She is special. She is special in so many goddamn ways but she isn’t the girl for me. She was meant for you. Your ex-wife left you. And if you don’t get over that fact, Anna will leave you too. She will move on. And I don’t think you want that to happen.”

I don’t know what to say to my brother. This is probably the most honest he has ever been with me about my relationship with Claire and my relationships in general.

I take a deep breath and nod.

He doesn’t say anything more to me as he walks down the porch steps and climbs back into his Bronco.

I watch him drive away before I head inside and throw my beer bottle in the recycle bin. I pull out the picture of Claire and me and look at it one last time before I rip it up and throw it in the trash.

Mason is right. I am never going to move on if I don’t try. Claire might not have loved me like I loved her but I am sure the girl next door can love me more than Claire ever did.

I shut my front door and march across the driveway to her house.

I take a deep breath and knock on her door.

I wait for what feels like hours for her to answer.

I’m worried she might already be asleep.

I go to turn around and head home when her porch light flips on.

The door creaks open and she looks at me in surprise. “Noah? What are you doing here?”

I don’t answer.

I don’t think I can find the right words right now to say to her.

So I do the one thing the two of us have been denying each other for the last month and a half.

I push open her door and walk in her house, forcing her to step backward to let me in.

I shut the door behind me as I grab her waist and bring her tight to my body.

“Noah, what are you—”

I don’t let her finish the sentence. I cut her off by pressing my lips to hers.

And she is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted.

19

Anna

The datewith Mason was a doozy.

I felt awkward the entire time we were out. I didn’t know how to act around him as a date. As a friend it’s easy. But the whole time I felt like I was on a date with my nonexistent brother.

There were no fireworks. Not even a spark to light a flame.

When he dropped me off in front of my house, I was glad he didn’t get out of the car. I didn’t want him to try to kiss me again.

The only lips I was thinking about were Noah’s.

---