Page 100 of The Ghost of You

“You alright?”

“Yeah. I will be.”

I kiss her briefly before heading into the shower.

When I walk out of the bathroom, she is on the phone.

“What do you mean you didn’t know about the engagement party? You were the one who told me he wanted to propose months ago?”

I can’t hear the other person on the line but my only guess is that she is talking to Becca.

“Well I’m in town. Finally after all these years. It would be nice to see you.” She paces the room while the person on the other line talks. “You’ll try to find time for me? What the hell, Becs?”

I walk up to her and place a hand on her shoulder to let her know I’m here for her.

“Whatever, Becca. Let me know if you can make time for me.” She hangs up the phone and throws it on the bed.

“She won’t be there tomorrow?” I ask.

“It’s weird. She said she wasn’t invited. She only heard from word of mouth.”

I pull her into me. “Maybe you can ask your sister tonight?”

She nods. “I don’t know why Jessica wouldn’t have invited her. Probably some stupid drama.”

“Probably.”

Anna takes the time to take me in. I am standing in nothing but a white hotel towel and by the look in her eyes, she appreciates it.

Her hands go to my towel and she unwraps it from my waist, throwing it to the side before dropping to her knees.

“Baby, we need to leave soon.”

She looks up at me with hooded eyes filled with desire. “We can be late.”

She sucks me deep into her mouth and I groan in agreement. We can most definitely be late.

* * *

“Oh my goodness,let me show you this scrapbook I made!” her mom exclaims.

After a quick romp between the two of us, enough to ease her nerves and flush her body, we finally got ready and headed to her parents.

All of her doubt and fears were erased the second they opened the door with open arms and a lot of tears.

Her family missed her. And Anna missed her family more than she realized. Tears were shed between her parents and her sister. A lot of words were said. But they accepted Anna and all the decisions she made over the last seven years. She even told her parents about the night of the accident. The fight that closed her off and shut her down. The fight that made her run without looking back. She explained how she moved around for years seeking solace and eventually came to terms with the fact that she wouldn’t find it; it would come to her.

And that was why she moved to Asheville. To be around Seraphina, a friendly face who always accepted her, flaws and all.

She also told her family I gave her her life back. I brought her heart back to life, kept it beating, let it find the pieces of her she lost along the way.

I couldn’t help but look at her in admiration as she spilled her soul to her family and spoke such high praise about me.

This reunion was perfect. And everything she needed. I can tell her family loves me and I can’t help but feel adoration for them as well.

And that’s how I find myself sitting next to her mom after a delicious meal with a scrapbook of Anna’s life in front of us.

“Oh this was her on her first day of high school. Look how awkward she was.” I can’t help but laugh when I look at the picture of Anna. A bit heavier with braces and wild curls blowing across her face. Next to it is a picture of her, Kyle, and Becca.

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