Page 222 of His Virgin Romance Series

“I haven’t,” he admitted. “But there’s no reason not to go inside. I don’t believe in ghosts anyway.”

“I do,” I said.

“You do?” Ryder turned to me.

“Well… yeah,” I nodded. “I think very few people actually see the ghosts, but I think it’s possible that people leave behind an imprint of themselves.”

“To finish unfinished business?” Ryder asked.

“More like to watch over the people they care about.”

Ryder smiled. “That’s a beautiful notion.”

“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?” I asked.

“No,” he said quietly. “I don’t think you’re crazy. It’s nice that you have faith in things. I don’t.”

“You don’t have faith in anything?” I asked.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Faith implies that there’s some sort of cosmic reason for everything. Nothing happens by chance; everything has a purpose and a meaning. I’ve always felt like life itself is one big accident. Things happen every day without any reason. There’s no order or meaning; there’s just chaos and random occurrences.”

“Hmm…”

Ryder turned to me with a smile. “Not the most optimistic viewpoint.”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to think any differently,” I admitted. “No offense, but you don’t look like the optimistic type.”

I laughed. “Come on… let’s see what the inside of this ruin looks like.”

The door was sort of wedged shut, and Ryder had to push it open with the side of his body. There was nothing inside the house… not even furniture. It was just empty rooms filled with cobwebs and not much else. I closed my eyes for a second and imagined what it would have been like ten or twenty years ago with painted walls and curtains on the windows and the sound of people living amongst its walls.

I turned to Ryder, and he was looking around like he really was seeing a ghost. I wondered for a second why he had chosen to bring me here and why he had chosen to come inside after years of avoiding it. Was that significant to him, or was it significant to us?

“When I was a kid, I always assumed I’d spend the rest of my life in this house,” Ryder said, breaking the silence.

“You never know.”

Ryder turned to me. “You think I’ll come back here?”

“Why not?” I asked.

Ryder shook his head. “This house is part of a different story,” he said. “Its purpose is different. I think I may just tear it down and put up a new structure… something specific for the club.”

“Really?” I asked, in surprise.

“My parents are gone,” Ryder said. “They raised their family here, and now I’ve moved on too. Maybe a fresh start is necessary.”

I wondered if there was a double meaning to his words. Was he trying to encourage me in the same way? Was he trying to tell me to get on with my life, to start fresh in a new place? Was he trying to tell me that since Walter had vanished into thin air, it was time to move on?

“A fresh start,” I repeated. “It sounds scary to me.”

“It always is,” Ryder nodded. “Even if you want it.”

“What if you don’t want it?” I asked.

“Who wouldn’t want a fresh start?” Ryder asked.

I nodded. “Yeah…”

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