Page 94 of The Ghost of You

“I guess that night I made you dinner could be considered a date. But it was more of you squirming underneath me.”

“And on top of you,” I moan as his hand roams between my legs.

“Mmm. Yes and on top of me and everywhere in between.”

“Oh god Noah.” I tremble as his lips suck on my ear, his fingers inside of me again.

“I thought it was Officer McDreamy.”

“Officer, Detective, God, I don’t care which one just don’t stop.”

“Fuck breakfast,” he growls as he lifts me from the counter and carries me back upstairs.

* * *

The last weekwith Noah has been amazing. I’ve never felt things for someone as quickly as I am with Noah. I don’t know what it is or why we have the intense connection that we do. I just know I am starting to feel things too fast and too hard. I’m scared that reality is going to hit soon and this whirlwind we found ourselves in is going to end.

I pour a new cup of coffee before I walk into my music room and sit at my desk. I shuffle the bills around I need to pay and look at the calendar.

My cup shatters on the ground when I realize the date.

I was so caught up in Noah I forgot what matters most to me.

My hands go to my necklace. The one I put back on after that first night with him. It was to make myself remember not to forget. But little good it did.

It’s been seven years to the day since I lost Kyle. And at this moment it feels like no time has passed at all.

22

Noah

“Ten-four,”I say into the radio as I flip my lights on and head to an accident that was just reported. Our shift was just about done but it looks like we will both be working overtime tonight.

It’s the middle of December and cold as shit. I don’t want to be standing outside on a street corner talking to witnesses about a car that failed to slow down and rear-ended another vehicle but it’s what I am stuck with.

I glance at my watch as Niko writes down notes from a fourth witness. It wasn’t that big of an accident. A simple fender bender. But because it took place on a Friday night in downtown, every person that saw it wants to get in on the action.

I want nothing more than to go home to Anna. To slide between those luscious thighs and forget everything. I never knew that falling for another woman would make me forget about Claire so easily. But that’s the thing. It was easy. Being with Anna made me realize all the things I had with Claire were shallow. We never shared the deepest parts of our souls. Never gave in to the pain we felt through our past.

But with Anna, it’s all different. Coming clean about Claire last week was the best thing I could have done. Anna took everything with a grain of salt. She didn’t judge me, didn’t accuse me of being the reason Claire left. And that just made my feelings for her grow deeper.

I also never thought I would open up about Claire. But I did and I feel lighter than I ever have. I almost feel regret for waiting too long to get over something that was never there.

I pull my beanie down over my ears as I wait for Niko to wrap up with the witness. I glance at my watch again. It’s almost three in the morning. We were supposed to be off an hour ago. My dick is stirring because I can’t get thoughts of Anna out of my head.

Niko finally makes his way over to me to let me know he got all the witnesses’ statements. He blows into his hands as he complains about the cold. All I want is to drop him off so I can get home to Anna. I’ve learned rather quickly that she loves me in my uniform. And loves taking it off me even more.

I breathe a sigh of relief thirty minutes later when I am on my way home. It’s gotten so cold that the dampness in the air has caused snow to start falling. I crank the heat in my cruiser for the last few miles home.

When I pull into my driveway, I do a double take. I see a flickering light from Anna’s porch that looks like a candle. There is no way she is sitting outside, it’s too cold. She should just be getting home from work.

I slam the door to my cruiser and walk over to her yard. I pick up scattered papers as I go. I realize as I look at them, they are covered in songs. Words that speak of the doubts and pain festering inside of her.

I’m lost up here

This stage lonely and dark

I can’t find the words anymore

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