Page 56 of The Ghost of Ellwood

Theo slid a hand into his pocket. “You’re angry that I won’t be with you.”

“You’re goddamn right I’m angry. But not because you don’t want me like I want you. I could acceptthat.No. I’m fucking angry that youdowant me but refuse to act on it. Stop being a coward, Theo, and take what you want for a change.”

“A coward?” His eyes burned into mine, and the coatrack flew across the room. I jumped as it crashed against the far wall. “Maybe I am. Can you blame me? My heart might not beat any longer, Ben, but it can still be broken. And I have endured enough heartbreak to last two lifetimes.”

“What aboutmyheart? Huh? You’re doing a damn good job at breaking it too, buddy.”

Nausea swirled in my stomach, and my shoulder hit the wall as I lost my balance. And the pain…it felt like an icepick was being shoved into my eye socket. The dim light in the hallway was still too hard on my eyes, and I squeezed them shut.

“Ben?”

I felt Theo’s arms go around me.

And then the world fell away.

Chapter Twelve

Someone talked nearby.

Two very distinct voices; one of a smoother quality and one of a little higher pitch that held a slight rasp.

“What is wrong with him?” the smoother voice asked.

“How the hell am I supposed to know, dude? And don’t stand so close.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m still creeped out, okay?”

“What’s going on?” I asked, cracking open my lids to see Theo and Carter standing beside my bed. The curtain had been pulled over the window to block out the light, and my head was freezing. An ice pack had been placed on my forehead.

“Ben!” Theo rushed forward and took my hand. “How do you feel?”

I was still trying to figure out what the hell was happening. The last thing I remembered was being downstairs and arguing with Theo, and then my head went batshit crazy on me. The pain had mostly subsided now, aside from tenderness behind my eye and at the base of my neck.

“Better,” I answered, sitting up a bit. That’s when it hit me Carter was here, and I looked between him and Theo. “What happened?

“You lost consciousness,” Theo responded, not letting go of my hand. “I panicked, not knowing what was wrong with you.”

“So, he called me from your phone,” Carter chimed in, glancing at Theo like he couldn’t believe he was real. “Totally freaked me the hell out too. I just got home from work and thought you were calling. When I answered and heard him instead, well I flipped shit at first.”

“He threatened me,” Theo said.

“What? Why?” I asked, fluffing my pillow before sitting up higher.

“I thought he might’ve hurt you or something.” Carter sat on the bed beside my legs. His strawberry hair poked out from the bottom of his green beanie, and he’d worn bright blue contacts today. “I told him I’d be right over.”

“Then he showed up with a cross and a Bible.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s a ghost, Carter, not a vampire.”

“Hey, they work on ghosts and demons too. Haven’t you watchedThe Exorcist?”

“I believe in God, Mr. Jones,” Theo said, holding his head higher. “The only harm that can be done with a Bible is perhaps smacking you in the head with it.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll exorcise you out of this place, Casper.”

“It would be amusing to see you try.”