Haunted Devotion

8.

Bored of the conversation at the lunch with Gavin, Louis and Gavin's father, I ask for my third glass of wine while holding my head trying to stay present.

The only thing that they've talked about was football and opera shows that I had no interest in.

But when Luis brought up the name Morgan, I perked up waiting for Gavin's response.

"Morgan? That girl I had a fling with? She was alright, didn't really see her as a keeper."

Once that left Gavin's mouth lights flickered with cold spots taking over.

"How'd you two meet?" I asked Gavin.

Gavin crossed his arms, shrugging,"At some rando's party off the coast," The cold spots got worse each time Gavin lied.

The torn jersey girl appears grabbing hold of a knife off the table getting ready to stab Gavin until I shook my head slowly telling her no.

Glaring, she drops it and just shrieks instead, having the glass break right in Gavin's hand as he was about to sip his wine.

"Shit," He ushers out while having blood trickle down from a cut made by the shattered glass.

"We'll get you a napkin," A waiter says frantically.

I watch as the torn jersey girl walks over going across to me now, leaning down in my ear another message having me ask Gavin.

"The hockey game over near the coast, black and red jersey with the number 32 on it, rings any bells," I say while watching Gavin's posture change.

Licking his bottom lip, he fake thinks on it and then shook his head.

"Don't remember such a thing, why?"

Crossing my hands on the table I nodded, "If you want me to help you, start telling the truth Vin."

Gavin clears his throat, "I think we should head out," Getting up abruptly, he has his chair slide back creating a loud scraping sound against the floor.

Showing signs that he might have done something to the girl haunting his winery, I excuse myself by making up a lie to leave early then head to the car waving, then completely go emotionless lighting a cigarette.

"Damn Vin," I say to myself while shaking my head blowing out smoke as Gerald drives me back home.

As I got in front of the house, Gerald stopped the car and turned to have something on his mind let out.

"Miss, I think it's that time where I tell you to stop being naive with Mister Elrod."

Putting out my second cigarette, I roll my shoulders back then sigh, asking, "What do you mean? I can hardly stand the guy and you're saying what? That there might be something happening between me and Linus?"

Gerald slowly nods but agrees, "Won't he create problems? Especially with his family? They don't like us, Miss Relish."

I groan, overwhelmed, saying, "Then barricade the entry gate, the front door, windows, anything to keep a drunk from entering then. Happy? Good. Now I need a bed to sleep in before I can figure out why Gavin is having this debacle at his winery."

Opening the car door then slamming it shut as I entered the house, I went straight to my room throwing myself on my bed.

Few minutes went by without any interruptions only because I was in Nolan's house now.

"I didn't ask to be kidnapped," I say sitting up in his bed instead of mine.

Washing his hands then drying it with a small hand towel, he points to having food made fresh on his nightstand, ready for me to eat.

"Not hungry," I lay back down watching the ceiling fan spin round and round.

Nolan lays beside me watching the fan too, then looks to me from the side.

"What's really bothering you?" He asks softly.

Turning to the side to face him, I shrug, "You think you know people until you don't."

Nolan reaches up, moving a strand of hair behind my ear, "And Linus? Who is he to you?"

Just the mention of Linus name I go blank not really knowing if the hatred I feel is actually pure hatred or confusion.

"When do I break whatever this is without dying? Can we talk about that?"

Nolan sits up propping himself up with his elbow, looking down at me, searching my eyes being completely entranced by just me, "Tell me something about you that you haven't said out loud."

Closing my eyes I breathe heavy, searching for something not too deep but enough to share.

"Being alone but having so many people around you is still lonely as they just treat you as something to use instead of someone to love," Saying that, Nolan holds my face caressing it lightly understanding as we are connected emotionally.

"That's what I'm here for, to love you, everything about you."

Reality kicks in, he's a ghost made to fit my ideal of romance, passion, love.

He isn't really real as he should be.

Standing, getting out of his bed, I shook my head at him.

"You're not supposed to even be here. I did a dumb thing and that dumb thing happened to make you appear. You can't actually love me because it's not based on natural emotions. So just stop popping in, stop trying to make me feel better and just stop being here."

Walking out, I go back home, now seeing Linus but sober this time.

"Not right now," I tell him as I go inside but he follows me in.

Catching up to me, he grabs my wrist.

"My parents got in a wreck, said there was nothing to worry about it but I think there is," Taking out the report, I took hold of it and read what was written in their testimony.

"A curse? They're saying I put a curse on them based on the sudden loss of control of the vehicle that could easily be tampered with manually?"

I handed the report back, "One, I'm not a witch. Two, they hate me enough to blame me. Three, I'm not a witch."

Linus follows me inside as I toss my heels off and go into the ballroom.

"I tried telling them that but they're taking it to HQ in the morning."

I laughed, "To Yerlin? Yeah like he's going to call me in and reprimand me."

Linus being serious, he looks to me with this expression of he's not joking.

"They can try and come up with whatever story but the facts are plain and simple. I can't do what they said they think I did. Now, I have stuff to do."

Opening up my laptop, getting the logs on the Reign's, I start researching and lose track of time only to fall asleep on the ballroom floor as he leaves, closing the door behind him.

Moments later a light humming fills the room, with a woman bent down and touching my hair delicately.