Page 52 of The Ghost of Ellwood

“Thanks for being honest with me.”

A group of teenagers entered the store, decked out in skinny jeans, colorful beanie hats, and graphic tees. One of the boys laughed when he held up a clown mask and scared his friend. She slapped his arm before pinching his armpit. He shrieked and ran out of her reach.

“I gotta get back to work,” Carter said, but he smiled when our eyes met. “Was there something you wanted, Ben? Or did you just want to stalk me?”

Damn him and his sass.

“I was actually going to see if you wanted to come to my signing.” I dramatically sighed and looked away. “But I understand if you’re too scared or whatever.”

Carter bounced a little in place. “It’s at the mad house, right? I’ve seen advertisements for it. Oh man. That’s gonna be a trip. I can’t believe the city approved it.”

“They were paid handsomely, I’m sure. Plus, with all the tours that go through there, they already work on the upkeep. There will be a party after the signing too, or at least that’s what they told me.”

“We’re going as friends, right?” he asked and glided his teeth over his bottom lip. He was such a flirt.

“Yes.Justfriends.”

I knew he was just messing with me now.

“Fine,” he said, backing up but keeping his eyes on me. “I’ll walk over to your place Saturday and help you get everything ready. In a very friendly manner.”

“See you then,” I responded, rolling my eyes.

I left the mall with a new outfit and a weight off my shoulders. Carter was someone I could see myself settling down with. Easily. However, we worked better as friends. I refused to string him along, giving him false hope. He deserved better than that.

Theo sat at the table in the parlor when I got home. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I hadn’t seen him in days.

“Hey,” I said, approaching him in the way you’d approach a frightened animal, slow and with my hands up.

He moved a chess piece forward before walking to the other side of the board to make a move there too. Silent.

“Playing against yourself?” I dropped my bags on the floor. “I could play a game with you.”

“No, you can’t,” he said.

“Why not?” Irritation prickled under my skin. The pain in my head made me even more irritable. “Are youstillpushing me away? I haven’t seen you in days! You made me promise things wouldn’t change between us, and here you are, shutting me out and—”

“Calm down, Ben.” Theo frowned. “You can’t play chess right now because your agent is due to arrive any minute. Remember? It’s written on your calendar.”

“Oh. I forgot.” My cheeks heated. Then, I remembered James was coming with him. “Shit!”

I grabbed the bags and hightailed it up the stairs. Not that I needed to impress my ex-boyfriend or anything, but I wanted to look fucking amazing when he saw me after months apart. There was some satisfaction in making him at least regret fucking me over.

In the bathroom, I wet my face and lathered it in shaving cream. I dabbed the razor under the running water and slowly began to shave.

Theo walked in, and I smiled. He liked watching me shave for some reason. After days of not seeing him, it was hard to look away.

“I was never able to do this,” he said, once I was halfway done. “Harvey had some scruff that he shaved, but mine had trouble coming in. He liked to tease me about it. ‘You won’t be a man until you have your first shave,’ he had said.” Theo smoothed a hand along his smooth jaw. “I suppose I’ll never be a man now.”

I stared at his reflection in the mirror. The glass made him look more transparent than he did when I looked directly at him. But even while appearing as a shimmery apparition, there was no mistaking the sadness in his eyes.

Theo had only been nineteen when he went ‘missing.’ He had missed out on so much. And now he’d be young forever.

“Why do you stare at me in that way?” he asked.

“Sorry.” I focused on the blade in my hand. “Things have just been weird with us lately.”

“It’s better this way.”