𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ⇀ 𝗃&𝗍𝗉

chapter nine

chapter nine:: forgive me

MY body practically flew back when I closed my fridge door to see Alex, Luke, and Reggie suddenly standing in my kitchen, "Jesus!" I yelped only to glare at them, "Don't ever do that again or I will kill you all with my bare hands!"

Alex then glanced at Reggie, "I told you guys it was a bad idea to just pop up."

"Yeah," Reggie agreed, "We should have rang the doorbell." Alex shook his head at him, but Reggie spoke again, "At least we didn't show up in your room. That would be creepy."

"How is showing up in her room creepy?" Luke asked him, "I did it the other- I mean, we did it before?"

"She summoned us there that time," Alex explained, indulging in their pointless conversation, "I think you're the only creep here, Luke."

"What? No," He dismissed, crossing his arms over his chest.

I huffed out and placed my apple juice on the counter to pour me some before looking at them as they kept going back and forth, "What are you guys doing here besides talking about being in my bedroom?"

"Nothing," Luke shook his head, sitting on my counter, "We just came to check on you."

"You mean you did," Reggie remarked, but lowly.

Luke then shot him a look, before looking at me, "We just wanted to make sure that Hayes guy didn't come see you."

I smiled before sipping my juice, "No, but thank you guys for caring. I can take care of myself, though."

Reggie hummed, "Yeah, but you know, it's always good to have back up."

"Ghost back ups, you mean?" I laughed, staring into my cup, "That's good because if I need back up, I'll just summon all the spirits I've ever encountered. I'm sure I'll be protected." I looked up and only Alex was laughing at my sarcasm.

"Speaking of summoning and things weird," Luke intervened, "This shock thing that's happening to us, have you figured anything out?"

"Yes," I nodded, before pulling out my phone and having them huddle around me, "I think it has to do with the power a ghosts has. Every spirit I've ever met has had a certain amount that is used to roam the world, touch things and open things as they please."

"So what, our power is disappearing?"

"More like being extracted painfully," I then turn around to face them, noticing how close they were, so I sat on the counter, "You guys feel pain whenever your power is being taken from you, but I don't know why or how."

"Maybe we know the why," Alex mumbled and I raised a brow, "We went to this club where lifers can see us and there was this guy, Caleb, who-"

"Wait, wait," I interrupted, "You guys encountered Caleb? Caleb Covington? Magician kind of guy? Creepy smile?"

"I wouldn't say creepy, but yes," Alex tried to persuade, but I shook my head and groaned.

"What? What is it?" Reggie asked me and I huffed out.

"That guy is not someone you would want to approach regularly, let alone let him do something like this to you guys," I explained, "This guy is a dead magician that gives access to people that are alive to see him and profits off of it at that club of his. All those ghosts there are controlled by him, none of them can pass on because they're all stuck there. It's like making a deal with the devil."

"You're saying we did that? We made a deal with the devil?" Alex asked me.

"You're saying that we have to work for him?" Luke asked and I shrugged, "What if we don't?"

"I think this thing you guys have will get worse until-" I paused, looking at their curious faces, "Until you're gone."

"So we pass on too?"

I shake my head, "No, you don't go anywhere. You just disappear, you don't even go to limbo, where most spirits are right now." Their face change to sadness, causing me to frown when Luke suddenly disappeared, "Where is he going?"

"Probably to see his parents," Reggie explained and I furrowed my brows, "It makes him feel better."

"We'll go check on him," Alex said and nudged Reggie before they both disappeared from my kitchen. I sighed, glancing at my phone to see it was almost time for me to go to school. I downed my juice and rushed upstairs to go get ready only for my doorbell to ring once I finished. I furrowed my brows since my mom went to work early and Evan planned to pick me up, but Evan never rings my doorbell.

I hesitantly went downstairs, hearing it ring again and pan out by time I reached my door. At first, I thought it was the guys but I hesitated again. They would just pop up, wouldn't they? It rang again, causing me to quickly open it and be greeted with a foreign smile from Hayes.

Confusion is drawn on my face as I parted my lip, "I-uh..Hayes, why are you at my house?"

"I brought you coffee," He held up two cups of coffee, one iced and one hot, "You still like caramel mocha, right?" He held out the ice coffee, patient to hand it to me, but I kept my hands close to myself.

"I don't want it," I declined, but he let out a low laugh, still holding out the cup.

"Look, Dawn-"

"If you're not going to tell me the real reason as to why you're here, I'm closing my door," I warned him and he nodded before grinning wide.

"I just wanted to see you again," He explained, and I rolled my eyes, causing his smile to drop, "What?"

"Go to hell, Hayes."

"Trust me, I will when I'm no longer an anchor," He assured me, hoping I would smile to his joke, "Dawn, I know I messed up."

"You did more than mess up, Hayes. You left me with no explanation. You got your stupid car and left," I gritted, and he lowered his head, "So you owe me more than just an ice coffee. I'm not going to forgive so easily this time- not anymore."

I turned and grabbed my purse and keys to lock the door as I stepped out of my house and had him move to the side, "Dawn, what I did was awful and you didn't deserve it- any of it."

"No, I didn't," I agreed, "So when you left, I had time to myself to think that I didn't deserve that and you didn't deserve me." I faced him, noticing the sympathy look he would always tried to fool me with, but I kissed my teeth, "You know, I avoided talking about you for a year? First month, I thought you'd come back. Second month, I began to cry at night thinking that you leaving was my fault. Now here we are a whole year later, and I don't even want to look at you."

I walked down my steps, having him trail close behind as I did, but I realized that Evan would be driving me. This is the one day I'd pray he'd pick me up early.

"Dawn," He called me, but I looked down the street to keep an eye out for Evan's car. He sighed out, "Dawn, let me make it up to you."

I scoffed, "I've heard that before and each time was from you."

"I just.." He trailed off, "I just couldn't-"

"You couldn't what? Leave a message? Write a note? Or, I don't know, actually break up with me?" I snapped, finally seeing Evan's car arrive. Hayes is quiet, even as Evan pulls up to the curb and peaks through his passenger side to look at us. I huffed out, "Just leave me alone, Hayes."

"I've changed, Dawn. You have to believe me," He told me before I got inside Evan's car.

I peaked through the window, watching him stand before me, "For once in your life, Hayes, show me and stop telling me."