Templeton Manor Book 2 of The Reflections Trilogy

CHAPTER 3. STILL HAUNTED

I have to admit, the longer I lay here and think about what just happened between me and Adam, the more embarrassed I become. I don't know what came over me to let our conversation go right from missing him to straight up rehearsing for a porno.

He was so kind and gentle to me when we made love on the yacht. This just seems so out of character for him, and for me too for that matter. I wonder what he must think of me now. Maybe that was a test and I failed. I can't believe I'm starting to let another man mold me into the woman they want me to be again. I swore I'd never change myself to please a man again after what happened with Blake. At some point, I lost my own identity by letting him control me. Something happened to me in Florida that brought me out of all that madness, and I've got to stay true to myself and really fight hard this time, so I don't lose myself again.

I continue to drive myself crazy with all the "what ifs" and finally decide to let it go. I had had a rough day and I missed him. Can't blame a girl for having needs, right? I'm not a slut. I'm sure he loved every minute of it and if anything, it probably brought us much closer. Lots of couples play around like that and experiment with phone sex, so I have nothing to be ashamed of. It's times like this though that I have to talk myself through a mini therapy session, so I don't go off the deep end and beat myself up too badly about it.

When I start yawning, I decide it's time to put all of those thoughts to rest, crawl back under my covers and try to get some rest. The moment my head hits the pillow, I close my eyes and start to drift off to sleep.

A sudden knock at my door jolts me awake. I jump out of bed and quickly run over to look through the peephole. It's not a ghost, thank God. But it's something even scarier. It's Tiffany, and she's smiling back at me, waving her hands furiously in front of the peephole trying to persuade me to let her in. I mumble to myself as I fidget with the door handle, taking my sweet time to open it.

It is much too late to be this damn chipper. Where the hell does she get all of her energy?

I scowl at her behind the door and get it all out of my system before I have to come face to face with her in about 3 seconds. I take a deep breath and slowly unlatch the door to let her in.

"What took you so long? Something could have gotten me while I stood out there all alone in that dark hallway!"

She laughs as she barges in and begins chasing me around the room mocking me. She has her arms out in front of her and she's using a deep, creepy voice doing her best impression of a ghost.

"Oh Joy! Don't be afraid dear. I'm only going to take you up to the attic with me and rattle your bones!"

"Alright Tif, that's not funny at all. I passed out and hit my head today after being scared out of my wits. How could you be so insensitive."

"Jeez Joy, I was only trying to lighten the mood is all. We can't have you being so uptight and scared shitless all the time if we're going to be living and working here. I've gotta toughen you up girl! How do you think it looked to my aunt today after you acted like that? The whole staff has been going on and on about it all day."

"So what you're saying is you don't believe me?"

"Come on Joy! I think you have a very vivid imagination, and you let it get the best of you sometimes. That's all I'm saying."

I step toward her and give her a dirty look. She is instantly stunned by my demeanor, having never seen me quite like this before, and I lay into her.

"Tiffany you weren't there! You have no idea what you're even talking about. From the moment I touched the doorknob to this place I got an eerie feeling, and I've had real experiences with ghosts. It pisses me off that you don't believe me. You have someone breathe on your damn neck and say your name in a creepy voice and see if it doesn't scare you half to death-or better yet watch a man fishing in a boat and then when they disappear when you turn around for two God damn seconds, see if you don't faint just like I did. He had even just smiled and waved at me! Yeah! That was all in my head, Tif!"