my voice. “You didn’t trust me.”
He looked at me with a guilty expression. “I thought you’d be scared …”
“I don’t scare easily. I told you that.”
“I know. I’m so sorry, Joey,” he said, and reached out towards me, brushing the side of my face gently with his fingers. It tingled lightly, but not like it had last night. Now the sensation was much more faint.
“You’re the bravest person I know. And I trust you with my life,” he added.
I looked into his eyes, and saw how much he meant it, the sincerity of his words. It made me smile.
“Do you remember what happened at the cemetery, when midnight struck? What you said to me?” he asked.
I paused, trying to gather up my memories. They felt like shifting sand, trickling through my fingers. It felt like a dream slipping away piece by piece after waking up.
“Not really … it’s all hazy and jumbled,” I confessed.
“Listen, I gotta tell you something about yesterday …” he started to say, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. But then, as he realized something, he stopped.
“Hey, I can touch you now! How amazing is that?” he whispered, wonder lighting up his face.
He leaned his face slowly closer to mine. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin. One inch closer and his lips were going to touch mine …
Chapter Eight
Compromise
Apparently, the universe disagreed about that, because the front door burst open at that exact second. My mom’s voice called out to us from the hall.
Tristan and I both jumped two feet off the couch, surprised as hell by her sudden arrival. I sat up straight, patting my hair, while Tristan pushed the covers up to his chest and leaned on his elbows for support.
I glanced at him and he looked a little flustered, his cheeks slightly pink. It was the first time I’d seen some color on his face: he was always so dead pale! I guess that was down to him being a ghost, but what was he now? Was he human?
My mom entered the living room, carrying a bunch of shopping bags. She must have found the only stores in town open on New Year’s Day. “Hey, guys! You look like you were still sleeping!” she greeted us happily.
“Hum, yeah, we were. We were woken up by you slamming the door right now,” I said, lying through my teeth. I glanced at Tristan and a tiny, almost imperceptible smile curled the side of his lips.
“I had to go out. I was worried about leaving you alone after last night … but you looked like you were fine sleeping, so I risked it,” she said, smiling. “You two look a lot better, by the way.”
“Yeah, I feel a lot better,” I said realizing it for the first time, while Tristan nodded. “What time is it?”
“It’s three in the afternoon already. Come on, Joey, help me prepare something for you two to eat in the kitchen. We have a lot to talk about,” she said, pointing towards the kitchen.
“Okay. Just give me a sec, I’ll go change and brush my teeth, I’ll be right back,” I said, patting my hair and realizing I must look like hell, wearing my old sleeping sweats and my hair like a bird’s nest. I was so embarrassed!
“Alrighty. Tristan, I couldn’t wait for you to wake up to ask what clothes you prefer, so I decided to go on my own. A girl at the store helped me pick them up for you; she guaranteed they were the latest fashion thing, very … tight!” Mom said, unsure about modern slang. “I didn’t know your size, so I just guessed. I hope it all fits!” she said as she handed him the collection of bags.
He took them while trying to get up and cover himself with the blanket, all at the same time, resulting in a small avalanche of bags falling over him. Typical of my mother: whenever she needed to cope with stressful situations, she went shopping! By the amount of bags on Tristan’s lap, she must be pretty stress-free now …
“T-thanks so much, Mrs. Gray. I don’t know how I’ll repay you …” he began, but Mom cut him off.
“Nonsense. It’s
He looked at me with a guilty expression. “I thought you’d be scared …”
“I don’t scare easily. I told you that.”
“I know. I’m so sorry, Joey,” he said, and reached out towards me, brushing the side of my face gently with his fingers. It tingled lightly, but not like it had last night. Now the sensation was much more faint.
“You’re the bravest person I know. And I trust you with my life,” he added.
I looked into his eyes, and saw how much he meant it, the sincerity of his words. It made me smile.
“Do you remember what happened at the cemetery, when midnight struck? What you said to me?” he asked.
I paused, trying to gather up my memories. They felt like shifting sand, trickling through my fingers. It felt like a dream slipping away piece by piece after waking up.
“Not really … it’s all hazy and jumbled,” I confessed.
“Listen, I gotta tell you something about yesterday …” he started to say, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. But then, as he realized something, he stopped.
“Hey, I can touch you now! How amazing is that?” he whispered, wonder lighting up his face.
He leaned his face slowly closer to mine. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin. One inch closer and his lips were going to touch mine …
Chapter Eight
Compromise
Apparently, the universe disagreed about that, because the front door burst open at that exact second. My mom’s voice called out to us from the hall.
Tristan and I both jumped two feet off the couch, surprised as hell by her sudden arrival. I sat up straight, patting my hair, while Tristan pushed the covers up to his chest and leaned on his elbows for support.
I glanced at him and he looked a little flustered, his cheeks slightly pink. It was the first time I’d seen some color on his face: he was always so dead pale! I guess that was down to him being a ghost, but what was he now? Was he human?
My mom entered the living room, carrying a bunch of shopping bags. She must have found the only stores in town open on New Year’s Day. “Hey, guys! You look like you were still sleeping!” she greeted us happily.
“Hum, yeah, we were. We were woken up by you slamming the door right now,” I said, lying through my teeth. I glanced at Tristan and a tiny, almost imperceptible smile curled the side of his lips.
“I had to go out. I was worried about leaving you alone after last night … but you looked like you were fine sleeping, so I risked it,” she said, smiling. “You two look a lot better, by the way.”
“Yeah, I feel a lot better,” I said realizing it for the first time, while Tristan nodded. “What time is it?”
“It’s three in the afternoon already. Come on, Joey, help me prepare something for you two to eat in the kitchen. We have a lot to talk about,” she said, pointing towards the kitchen.
“Okay. Just give me a sec, I’ll go change and brush my teeth, I’ll be right back,” I said, patting my hair and realizing I must look like hell, wearing my old sleeping sweats and my hair like a bird’s nest. I was so embarrassed!
“Alrighty. Tristan, I couldn’t wait for you to wake up to ask what clothes you prefer, so I decided to go on my own. A girl at the store helped me pick them up for you; she guaranteed they were the latest fashion thing, very … tight!” Mom said, unsure about modern slang. “I didn’t know your size, so I just guessed. I hope it all fits!” she said as she handed him the collection of bags.
He took them while trying to get up and cover himself with the blanket, all at the same time, resulting in a small avalanche of bags falling over him. Typical of my mother: whenever she needed to cope with stressful situations, she went shopping! By the amount of bags on Tristan’s lap, she must be pretty stress-free now …
“T-thanks so much, Mrs. Gray. I don’t know how I’ll repay you …” he began, but Mom cut him off.
“Nonsense. It’s
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