What He Needs

Chapter 38

Winston's POV:

What. The. Fuck?!

I'm seeing things...

Glancing around despite my racing heart, I noticed that everyone else also seemed to be staring in shock at the glowing translucent woman – or Miranda as Jonathan, Macy, and Amanda had called her.

Okay, so maybe I'm not the only one seeing things...

"Foxy?" Jonathan mumbled lowly, drawing Miranda's attention away from Amanda. "You're actually here?"

We're in the presence of a ghost!

"I've always been here, Bugsy," Miranda replied as she floated – glided – over to where Jonathan stood beside me. My breathing faltered and nervous sweats broke out across my skin. "I've never left."

Is this technically classified as being haunted?

"B-but how are you here? Why? Why now?!"

My boyfriend was asking all of the right questions because everyone else – except April and Alyssa – were too stunned to move or say anything.

"I realized that I couldn't cross over because there was unfinished business for me to take care of," Miranda answered as the glow around her seemed to dim. "I thought that unfinished business was introducing you, Bugsy, to your other soulmate so that you wouldn't be alone."

"Other soulmate?" My boyfriend asked confusedly.

"Yes. I was one of your soulmates – in a more platonic sense – while Winston here is the love of your life," the ghost – Miranda – said before glancing at me with a playful wink. I wanted to smile at the loaded declaration, but I couldn't even blink, much less move my lips. "However, I realized that you weren't my unfinished business at all after finally getting you two to meet."

"Then what is?"

"It's her!" Miranda answered in a burst of anger as she returned to hover over Amanda. "You leave us without a trace then have the nerve to come back and demand to be in my daughters' lives?!"

"I-I-I-" Amanda stuttered, unable to get her thoughts out due to how scared she was. I didn't blame her. My heart hadn't stopped beating at a mile per minute since Miranda's grand entrance.

"You tore our family apart and claimed to never have wanted kids, but now that you can't make anymore, you want to return and take mine?!" With every word, Miranda seemed to get angrier and her voiced raised to an almost deafening level. "You have no right!"

"Miranda, please."

"You didn't even come to my funeral."

"What?" Marilyn interrupted gently, drawing all of our attention to her. "Mandy, you lied to me? You said your ex kept you away from your daughters because she was being spiteful that you divorced her, and you were too scared to try to see them after being rejected so many times until she passed."

"You said what?" Jonathan seethed beside me as his eyes darkened considerably. "Girls, go to your rooms."

April and Alyssa didn't have to be told twice before hurrying out of the living room.

"I've been waiting since day one to smack this bitch," Macy spoke grimly, shoving us aside as she stormed in Amanda's direction. Quickly, I wrapped my arms around her waist so that she didn't get too far. "Winston, let me go!"

"No," I replied while tightening my hold on her. As much as I was starting to think she deserved it, Amanda was in no position for a beat down. It would be an unfair fight, and even more so, we were grown adults capable of having a discussion rather than a brawl. Macy didn't let up though as she struggled childishly in my embrace. "As a leader of a number of support groups, you of all people should be open to having a conversation about this."