The Troublemaker's Ghost | ✓

28: Goodbye

Max's POV:

"What gibberish are you uttering?" I asked clearly confused by Joe's verses.

"Just shut up and let me do my work. These are verses from the bible", Joe explained giving the bible in his hand a wistful look.

"It's all greek to me".

"No this is Hebrew actually", he continued with his verses while I sat in the holy salt circle waiting for my end. I sighed, I was going to miss Grace a lot. It actually hurt to leave her and Audrey. Oh God I forgot about Audrey.

"STOP!" I screamed, I need to see Audrey for one last time. In fact not just Audrey, Grace too. One last glance of her.

"What now Max?" Joe asked looking irritated.

"I need to do something before this", it sounded more like a request.

He nodded understanding and probably trying not to kill me for interrupting him in his head. Too bad Joe I am already dead.

Joe removed quite a bit of salt to give me access to move from there. Apparently no entity can cross the holy salt circle so I wasn't going to try any of that.

I apparated after seeing the invisible wall around me coming down.

I was now inside Audrey's room. She was playing with her dolls, her backside facing me.

"Audrey", I called her.

Turning around she saw me, her lips quirking up to a smile, "Max! You are here!", she screamed.

"Yes. I am", I smiled back at her. Audrey reminded me of my younger sister Mia. She might be older now but she is still my baby sis.

"I thought you went away after having a fight with Gracie", she frowned. "Gracie is grumpy. Don't ever listen to her", she advised.

"No she isn't. Well yes sometimes she is", I joked.

"I thought you were going away forever. I was sad. Promise me you won't leave us. Ever".

My chest became heavy. I couldn't do this to Audrey or Grace. But I had to leave... before they got too much attached to me.

I cleared my throat,"Don't worry I am not going anywhere now", I lied.

She continued playing with her dolls, while I left the room heavy heartedly.

I apparated to Grace's room. I decided to just have one last glance at her before I am gone only to find the room empty. I heard the distant sounds of someone talking.

It sounded awfully similar, I clenched my fists. Is it that dickhead? I went outside to find Grace and Rodrick sitting on the couch. Rodick had his arm on Grace's back their foreheads almost touching.

Jealousy surged through me. Why was that asshole so close to my girl?

"But nobody will like you like I will", he said looking into Grace's warm brown eyes. Then he kissed her.

I had the urge to rip his head off and throw it in the nearby dumpster. Or better manipulate him into jumping from an eight storey building. But I didn't do anything, instead I watched as Rodrick kissed her.

I had to go away from here. I just couldn't watch it anymore. Finally I apparated to Joe's place ready for my end.

......................

Grace's POV:

Before I could respond he had his lips on mine. His fingers were into my hair pulling me closer.

I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him. "Stop!", I said breathing heavily. "What the hell are you doing? I didn't tell you to kiss me!" I yelled. I just wanted a shoulder to cry on and my old best friend back. But unfortunately he took it another way.

"Grace you love me. I know it. Please try to undertand", he reasoned. 

I was livid now. I dramatically got up from the chair getting away from him as much as possible,"I will never go back to you. You cheated on me twice with my best friend. I feel like my whole life has been a lie", I yelled trying to get the words in his skull.

Before I had to chance to say more, Audrey interrupted me rushing to me.  "Where is Max?" She asked distraught.

"He is-", I couldn't get the words out of my mouth.

"No he just came here. He promised he would stay in fact he was coming to meet you".

I froze to my place. He came back and he might have seen me kissing Roddick, totally getting the wrong idea. Oh no!

"He is not going anywhere right?" Audrey asked her innocent eyes held a glint of hope.

"Yes he won't", I picked up my jacket from the rack and along with Audrey's too. Wearing mine I helped her Audrey out on her jacket. "Let's go Audrey. We need to save Max", I said.

"What and who the hell is Max-",Roddick butted in.

"None of your business. It's over Roderick I don't want you around here anymore, next time I see you lingering around my apartment I will make sure you won't be able to father kids anymore", I threatened him glaring at him.

"Okay I will show myself out", Rodrick said clearly shocked by this.

We got downstairs, I decided to take an Uber since my car is definitely not steady enough to reach there on time.

"Grace", someone behind me called out. I turned around to see it was Max's sister Mia.

"Mia! You okay? What are you doing here?" I asked it clearly looks like she has been sobbing.

"Max... Max is leaving us. He wrote a letter to me. I don't want him to leave. Even though I can't see him but he was the only one there for me after my family died in the fire", she sobbed,  showing me the letter.

"No he can't. I am going to convince him not to. Let's go we need to reach there as soon as possible".

After some excruciating moments, we were finally in front of Joe's place.

"How did you find me?" I asked Mia getting out of the car.

"Max left your address in the letter. He told me to take care of you and Audrey while he is gone".

I was totally touched by the gesture. Tears were threatening to spill down my face but I held them back. I needed to be strong, for Mia and Audrey who looked miserable.

We went inside to find the house pitch black. It was spookier than the last time I have been here.

"You sure Joe still lives here?" She asked suspicious upon inspecting her surrounding.

"Yeah. Follow me", I took her downstairs where I found Joe reciting something off from the bible.

Wind was blowing everywhere, it was so strong that it was preventing us from coming down. The dust in the air was making it hard.

"Grace, Mia stay away from here!" Joe screamed over the wind. Max was sitting in between the holy circle, he looked ill. He was lying on the ground unconscious.

I took Audrey in my arms and handed her to Mia, "Mia hold Audrey I need to save Max". I instructed them to stay upstairs, not to come down.

I rushed down trying to avoid the dust  as much as possible. The darkness enveloped me, Joe was muttering the verses.

"JOE PLEASE STOP IT", I screamed the wind backing me away.

"IT'S TOO LATE. DON'T COME NEAR US. IT'S TOO DANGEROUS".

I didn't let that stop me. Finally coming down the stairs, I rushed towards Max backing him away from the holy circle.

Crossing the holy circle felt like a stab in the heart. I ended up on Max his body shielding me from the fall. I felt light headed, the whole room was spinning around me.  But at that time I only wanted to know if Max was okay or not. But before I could do that I passed out.

................