real?
“No.” She was getting used to the idea of having him around.
Tate followed her inside. This time he noticed the way her dark hair caught the light, the way her hips moved as she walked. While he was lying in hospital injured, possibly dying, Eloise was life. Her cheeks were pink from being outside and her eyes were bright. He wanted to reach out and taste the vitality again. When her lips had touched his, he’d felt the heat of her skin. His breath would’ve caught if ghosts could breathe, and for that second he’d been close to life. He looked up at Eloise as she went upstairs. He wanted her. She was the spark that had been missing. The rush of attraction that had been lost with Ruby.
Guilt snaked its way around his heart. He should be thinking about Ruby… And while he was sad, he wasn’t devastated the way he should be. What kind of guy was he? He shouldn’t be thinking of someone else.
He stopped halfway up the stairs. What should he be doing?
Living was out, as he couldn’t get back to his body.
Dying was off the list, as he wanted to live.
Eloise had said he was in bonus time. Time to work out what he wanted and where he was going before he woke up and had to deal with the extent of his injuries.
“What’s wrong?” Eloise turned and looked at him, eyebrows raised.
He smiled, understanding what she’d meant. Bonus time. He didn’t have to hide what he was feeling as no one would know except him and Eloise. And when he woke up? Would Eloise still want to see him? He hesitated, not sure if she was being nice out of pity or because she liked him. Did it matter when his future was so uncertain? She watched him, waiting for an answer, her dark eyes gleaming with life. There was no pity there, only attraction tempered with concern. He wanted to feel the rush again and he’d deal with the consequences when he woke up. “Nothing.”
Her lips curved. “How are you with microbiology?”
“I’ve heard of it.” And he knew it was something to do with animals, probably small animals. He’d hated that kind of stuff at school. He was much better at math and how things worked.
“Want to help me study?”
He shrugged. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do, and the idea of spending more time with Eloise was very appealing.
“We could do something else if you’d rather…I don’t know what.”
Neither did he. Besides he was already disrupting her life by being here, and despite her outward calm, befriending a ghost had to be unsettling. “No, you need to study. Besides you can help me when I wake up.” He tried to sound positive, like if he pretended he was going to wake up, it would happen.
But the fear that he would be in a coma and destined to sleep away the rest of his life surged. Panic gripped his chest, and for a moment he struggled to stay in the house and not be dragged back to the accident scene. Eloise was talking, so he focused on her words.
“Sounds like a fair trade.” Eloise grinned. “I’ll hold you to it.”
He hoped she meant that. Although he wasn’t sure how much study he’d get done if she were in his bedroom.
She sat at the desk and got her laptop going again while he stood in the middle of the room, not sure what to do. Being in her room seemed too familiar, too soon, and if he woke up and couldn’t remember her, she would still remember him. Was he setting her up for hurt? That was the last thing he wanted. Had she even considered that? This was getting weirder by the moment.
He sat on the edge of the bed and laced his fingers. The bed had been made, but not neatly. The sheets had been dragged up but not smoothed, and the arm or leg of pajamas hung out the side from under the pillow. His lips curved as he recalled seeing her in the clingy pajamas, her hair messed up from sleeping. He lifted his gaze from the bed to Eloise.
“I want to make sure I remember you.” He couldn’t take the chance that he’d forget. He didn’t want her to remember
“No.” She was getting used to the idea of having him around.
Tate followed her inside. This time he noticed the way her dark hair caught the light, the way her hips moved as she walked. While he was lying in hospital injured, possibly dying, Eloise was life. Her cheeks were pink from being outside and her eyes were bright. He wanted to reach out and taste the vitality again. When her lips had touched his, he’d felt the heat of her skin. His breath would’ve caught if ghosts could breathe, and for that second he’d been close to life. He looked up at Eloise as she went upstairs. He wanted her. She was the spark that had been missing. The rush of attraction that had been lost with Ruby.
Guilt snaked its way around his heart. He should be thinking about Ruby… And while he was sad, he wasn’t devastated the way he should be. What kind of guy was he? He shouldn’t be thinking of someone else.
He stopped halfway up the stairs. What should he be doing?
Living was out, as he couldn’t get back to his body.
Dying was off the list, as he wanted to live.
Eloise had said he was in bonus time. Time to work out what he wanted and where he was going before he woke up and had to deal with the extent of his injuries.
“What’s wrong?” Eloise turned and looked at him, eyebrows raised.
He smiled, understanding what she’d meant. Bonus time. He didn’t have to hide what he was feeling as no one would know except him and Eloise. And when he woke up? Would Eloise still want to see him? He hesitated, not sure if she was being nice out of pity or because she liked him. Did it matter when his future was so uncertain? She watched him, waiting for an answer, her dark eyes gleaming with life. There was no pity there, only attraction tempered with concern. He wanted to feel the rush again and he’d deal with the consequences when he woke up. “Nothing.”
Her lips curved. “How are you with microbiology?”
“I’ve heard of it.” And he knew it was something to do with animals, probably small animals. He’d hated that kind of stuff at school. He was much better at math and how things worked.
“Want to help me study?”
He shrugged. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do, and the idea of spending more time with Eloise was very appealing.
“We could do something else if you’d rather…I don’t know what.”
Neither did he. Besides he was already disrupting her life by being here, and despite her outward calm, befriending a ghost had to be unsettling. “No, you need to study. Besides you can help me when I wake up.” He tried to sound positive, like if he pretended he was going to wake up, it would happen.
But the fear that he would be in a coma and destined to sleep away the rest of his life surged. Panic gripped his chest, and for a moment he struggled to stay in the house and not be dragged back to the accident scene. Eloise was talking, so he focused on her words.
“Sounds like a fair trade.” Eloise grinned. “I’ll hold you to it.”
He hoped she meant that. Although he wasn’t sure how much study he’d get done if she were in his bedroom.
She sat at the desk and got her laptop going again while he stood in the middle of the room, not sure what to do. Being in her room seemed too familiar, too soon, and if he woke up and couldn’t remember her, she would still remember him. Was he setting her up for hurt? That was the last thing he wanted. Had she even considered that? This was getting weirder by the moment.
He sat on the edge of the bed and laced his fingers. The bed had been made, but not neatly. The sheets had been dragged up but not smoothed, and the arm or leg of pajamas hung out the side from under the pillow. His lips curved as he recalled seeing her in the clingy pajamas, her hair messed up from sleeping. He lifted his gaze from the bed to Eloise.
“I want to make sure I remember you.” He couldn’t take the chance that he’d forget. He didn’t want her to remember
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