Page 5 of Dead & Dating
My gaze lands on Vesper standing by my window, his silhouette dark against the afternoon light filtering through the curtains. He's just staring out at the yard, and I remember all thetimes I stood in that exact spot waiting for him. He'd climb up the side of the house in the middle of the night while my parents slept, his demonic abilities making it seem like he just glided up the siding.
He had even been there the night before, fucking me senseless before leaving me in a little heap of pleasure. I’m not sure how things would have changed had he stayed.
God, he was always so sweet despite the darkness that clung to him. He'd slip through the window with that crooked grin, pulling me into his arms before we even said hello. We'd spend hours tangled together in my bed, whispering secrets and laughing even after the orgasmic haze died away. I never told him how much those moments meant to me, how much I craved the weight of his body against mine, the way his sweet darkness wrapped around me like a blanket.
I wish I could scent him again, even if just once. Hell, I wish I could scent anything. Not having my own scent or even a heat made me feel defective and it ate at me every single day. Vesper and the others never made me feel lesser for it, though. They worshipped me in a way that I’m just now realizing was a bit more than friendship.
And now I'm dead, and I still don't know what it feels like to have my scent bloom.
Tears prick at my eyes before spilling down my cheeks as I reach for him without thinking, my hand stretching toward his back even though I know it'll pass right through him. A sob tears from my throat, the sound echoing in the space between our worlds.
But then my fingers land on his back.
Solid. Real. Warm beneath my touch.
His scent hits me all at once, that intoxicating mix of sweet darkness that I remember so vividly. It floods my senses, wrapping around me like a drug I didn't know I needed. A gasptears from my throat and I dig my fingers into the fabric of his sweater as another sob breaks free.
Vesper whips around, his hazel eyes wide with shock before they lock onto mine. I must be visible because he’s looking right at me, those hazel eyes running across my face before he tugs me against his chest. His arms band around me, holding me so tight I can barely breathe, but I don't care. I don't fucking care.
“You’re here, fuck, I thought—” Vesper cuts himself off as he pulls far enough to slot his lips over mine, his tongue licking across the seam of my mouth before pushing inside. I melt against him and wrap my arms around his back, one of his hands moving into my hair to hold me there. It’s only been a fucking week but it feels like forever. And now, I can taste him. I can feel the way his heart pounds against my chest, and it's the most alive I've felt since I died.
"Fuck, I missed you," he breathes against my lips, his voice breaking on the words. He pulls back again, his hands cupping my face like he's afraid I'll disappear. "Esme, fuck, I missed you so much."
I can't speak. All I can do is hold onto him, my fingers moving beneath his sweater to feel the warmth of his back against my palms. Seven long fucking days with nothing to touch or hold or taste or feel. Vesper is like a fucking drug as I stuff my face into his sweater, breathing in lung fulls of his scent until it makes me dizzy.
Vesper chuckles as he presses a kiss to the top of my head, his purr rumbling against my chest. "You've got a scent," he murmurs against my hair, his voice filled with wonder. "Esme, you've got a scent now."
I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. "What?" My brows furrow with confusion as I angle my face up to meet his gaze. “I do? But I…” The lingering question of how I’m even fucking hereright now is on the tip of my tongue but honestly, I don’t really care.
"Vanilla and honey. It's faint, but it's there. You smell so fucking good, princess."
I don't know what to say. My entire life, I wanted a scent, wanted to feel like I belonged in this world of designations and dynamics. And now that I'm dead, it finally happens? The universe really does have a twisted sense of humor. I open my mouth to respond, but the door bangs open behind us. I shriek, the sound tearing from my throat as I stumble backward. My foot catches on nothing, and I fall to the floor, my form visibly flickering right in front of my eyes before my body just disappears.
I’m stillherebut now I can see through myself again.
"No, no, no," I hear Vesper say, his voice frantic as he looks around the room. "Esme, come back. Please, baby, come back."
A growl of frustration falls from my lips as all of my senses dim to nothing, except for that annoying flicker of heat in my lower belly. “This is bullshit,” I mutter, even though I know Vesper won’t hear it. Twisting around, I look to see who rudely interrupted us, a bitter laugh following because of course, it’s my sister.
She stands in the doorway, her gaze moving across my room, her expression twisted into something that might be concern if I didn't know her better. "Vesper, baby, come on," she purrs—well, tries to, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Let's just go have some breakfast, okay? The others can finish up the room."
Vesper shakes his head, his gaze still scanning the room like he's searching for me. "I swear I just saw her. She was right here, Liora. I held her."
Liora sighs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Jesus, she wasn't that precious, okay? You guys need to let her go."
I glare at her, anger surging through me so hot that I want to strangle her. If I could touch her the way I touched Vesper, I'd wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze until she stopped breathing. But I can't. I'm stuck here, watching my sister dismiss my entire existence like I was nothing.
Fuck, I don’t even get cool ghost powers to terrify the shit out of her or something?
Vesper's jaw tightens, his hazel eyes flashing with irritation. "I'll finish up in here. It won't take me that long."
Liora huffs, her bottom lip jutting out in that stupid pout she thinks is cute. "First, Milo and Duske are whispering in the bathroom like idiots, and now, you won't leave her bedroom. What's next? The three of you doing seances in the backyard?" She throws her hands up in defeat. "You know what? I'm going to the hotel. Call me when you guys are done doing the exorcism or whatever. I'll reserve a place for dinner."
She storms out a second later, my door falling shut on its own as the faulty lock clicks shut the way it used to when I’d come home late. I can't help but laugh, the sound bubbling up from my chest as relief washes over me.
Vesper grins, the expression lighting up his face as he turns around, even though I know he can’t see me. "Esme, come here. Let me see if I can feel you again." He holds out his hand, his fingers flexing as he tries to grab onto something invisible. "I think it's something about the coffee. I don't even fucking know. Just come here, princess."
I stand on shaky legs which is bullshit for a ghost as I move closer to him. The moment I step into his space, I can feel him under my fingertips again. The warmth of his body, the steady beat of his heart, the way his muscles flex beneath his sweater. I sigh, a small content sound falling from my lips as I press myself against him.
