Page 47 of Ghostly

“The judging for the snowman contest’s about to start.” Mark looked at Gabriel. “Wanna come? We like to make bets on what the scores are gonna be. Purely for fun.”

“And you can see people’s weird interpretations of a snowman.” Jason beamed a smile at him.

“You’ve sacrificed yourself enough,” Ida said. “If you don’t want to go, I can Google for the best excuses.”

“No.” Gabriel shook his head. “I mean, yes. Let’s go see some snowmen.”

***

Ida was haunting the deer statue when Gabriel returned. When she flicked out, he was in the living room, calling for her, but turned to the kitchen just as she came to the doorway. She stepped across, back out, in, out—and fortunately, the loop released and let her into the room. Gabriel still hadn’t noticed her.

Ida’s cheer had gradually dwindled during his ride back—he’d ended the call before that. The evening had been lovely, but once she was left to her own devices, fear and anxiety easily sneaked back in, fed by one particular event at the fair.

Gabriel thought he’d seen Wynona. Even if she could forget things, she’d never forget the tone of his voice at that moment—like he’d spotted the most beautiful Christmas present.

“There you are.” Gabriel stepped out of the kitchen. “Careful with that sneaking around.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to.” Like she hadn’t meant to delete Wynona’s messages, but did so, anyway. Worse—kept quiet about it. And even worse—loved it when Gabriel was having a good time, because that must mean she wasn’t all bad, and he didn’t hate everything here.

“Something wrong? I know tonight wasn’t the perfect conclusion to the holy trinity of successfully fulfilled terms of the contract.”

Everything felt wrong. Perhaps even more so because today, she’d had a glimpse of how beautiful life could be—not just in the company of other people, butwithGabriel. And it wasn’t fair because she had to leave, and he had to, as well, so why couldn’t he just—just—

“Why can’t you forgive?” she said. “It’s a simple act, it should be easy.”

“Easy?” Gabriel’s tone took on some defensiveness.

“Well, yes.” Growing agitated, she circled the living room. “I don’t see how there could be any tricks to this part. You can really interpret forgiveness only one way. And if you could just do it already, you’d be out and you could go back to…” His perfect life. His perfect Wynona. His perfect career with that perfect case he was dying to get.

And she could take the cowardly way out and never tell him about the messages she’d deleted. It wouldn’t matter, because she wouldn’t be here to hold him back anymore.

“You’re the one to talk. Isn’t revenge why ghosts get trapped here?”

“Yes, but I realized the error of my ways!”

“Well, excuse me.” Gabriel spread his arms. “I’m just a normal, short-lived human who doesn’t have the time to go on a fifty-year psychology course to learn how to deal with my issues.” He drew back, as if being surprised by his own outburst, and raked his hair. “Look. Not being forgiving isn’t bad. Where do you think I’d get in my job if I forgave everyone and everything? Hell, the prisons would be empty!”

“And I suppose you’re proud of being heartless.”

“No. Oh, no.” He pointed a finger at her. “That’s not the same.”

She was going too far, she knew it. Gabriel wasn’t heartless, and it hurt to call him that when she wasn’t angry at him, but rather at herself. But there was another part of her, awakening after years—decades—angry and frightening, all shadow and no light, and it screamed inside her:You’ll never get out.You’re trapped on this Earth, forever. There’s no solution; only an endlesscycle of defeating the desire for revenge and having it wake up again.

Lights flickered.

“Ida.” Gabriel’s tone was somewhere between warning and worry.

The TV came on but displayed only blurred lines and white noise.

“Ida, calm down.”

Delicate, fern-like crystals of frost appeared on the corners of the windows and spread until they covered the glass. Scorching energy surged inside her. Oh, that anger, she’d missed it.

No, I didn’t.

Yes, you did.

From behind the sofa, Gabriel stretched out a hand, as if trying to help.