Page 1 of See Through

“Memento mori. Remember we must die. Memento amoris. Remember you must love.”

— 28 YEARS LATER

CHAPTER ONE

“Oh my gosh. All the people in the comment section of our last video think you’re in love with me,” Aubrey laughs to herself, as if that’s the most insane thing she’s ever heard.

I have to stop myself from saying they’d be right, and that I am maddeningly in love with her—have been since I could remember. I bite my tongue, wishing she would see what everyone else sees, but she’s either ignoring that or completely oblivious.

It could be either, honestly. She’s been through more than anyone can fathom in the time I’ve been lucky enough to know her. The first time I laid my eyes on her our freshman year of college seven years ago, I was gone. It took me weeks to even gain the courage to talk to her, because I was worried I’d make a fool of myself, so I started easy. I went up to her and complimented her forearm tattoo, a ghost, didn’t stammer too much, and we’ve been friends ever since.

Too bad that I want more—always have—but I’m too scared to say anything. It would ruin our friendship if she didn’t feel the same way, and all I do every time I see her is attempt to hold myself upright with how beautiful she continues to be.

It’s officially a problem, and I might go insane trying to figure out what to do.

“Wow, that’s weird,” I choke out.

“More like hilarious.” She spins around in her desk chair. “But our video is doing well. People are loving watching me lock you in a room with all those noises.”

“Yeah, I bet,” I say as I fiddle with our camera equipment. “How close are you to a million subscribers?”

“Few thousand.” She turns around, hating when I bring up something she should feel accomplished about. I blame her parents for her unwillingness to celebrate her accomplishments. Not only have they been the opposite of supportive, but they’re very vocal when it comes to Aubs celebrating any wins in the career she loves.

They wouldn’t call ghost hunting a career, and they especially wouldn’t call being an internet personality a job either. It’s more of a hobby to them, even though Aubrey is doing very well for herself.

“I’m already mentally preparing a gift for you,” I joke, knowing she’s going to say it’s not necessary.

She stares at me for a few seconds. “I don’t need anything.”

Called it. “Too bad. I want to get you something. Come on. Let me spend my paycheck on something fun besides rent.”

She sighs heavily as she fluffs her light pink hair away from her face. “I know I can’t stop you even if I wanted to.”

“God forbid I want to celebrate and show you how proud I am of you, especially with everything you’ve had going on. This is something that deserves to be recognized.”

“I guess,” she mumbles under her breath as she projects her laptop screen onto the television in her living room. “Now, this is the list of places I could reach out to next. I picked a few around Pennsylvania.”

“I see Virginia and Colorado on the list too.”

“Only if we feel like traveling.”

“Isn’t that one place still an active college? Why do you think it’s haunted?” I wonder.

“I sent you about a thousand articles about that one.” She heads to her email inbox and pulls it up. I don’t remember ever seeing this. “Need I say more?”

She’s so cute when she’s putting me in my place. “Nope.”

“You’re telling me a murder on campus where a student found the body isn’t ground zero for some hauntings?”

I shrug. “Maybe we save that one for the winter. That way, we can escape the heaps of snow.”

“Fine.” She types aggressively on her computer. “Grand Mountain, Virginia, you’ll have to wait. Now, which one catches your eye?”

I see her mouse start to hover over the first one on the list, and I know that’s her favorite. Every time we try to figure out where we’re going next, she always subconsciously hovers over the one she wants to do.

Aubrey Spencer is easier for me to read than a children’s book.

“Number one sounds interesting. I think that’ll make for a good video.”