AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There’s a knock at the door.
We stare at each other, wide-eyed.
“He’s here,” I hiss, my heart racing up to my throat.
West puts his hands on my shoulders, gives them a squeeze that’s surprisingly strong for a ghost, then leans in. “Don’t sweat a moment of tonight. He’s into you and you’re into him. You got this, buddy.”
I stare back into his eyes, then nod. “I got this.”
“You got this.”
I nod more enthusiastically. “I got this. Yeah. I’ve got this. I can do this. I’m strong. I’m sexy. I’ve got a big dick.”
West frowns. “Alright, don’t go gloating now.”
“I got this. I GOT THIS!” I cry out, as triumphant as if I just vanquished the Headless Horseman myself.
West smacks me on the ass like some teammate heading off to the field as I hurry out of the kitchen, charged up and peppy, then position myself at the front door. After a moment with my hand on the doorknob, I glance over my shoulder at West, who stands by the table where his candle burns brightly. He gives me an unusually sentimental thumbs-up, winks at me, then blows out the flame.
He vanishes with it.
I smile. “Thanks, buddy,” I whisper before facing the front door, taking a breath, and confidently turning the knob.
13
Epilogue
A lot can happen in a year.
Like, a whole lot.
I’m talking a Friendsgiving in November with my recently-declared boyfriend Byron, some of his friends from Spooky Beans Café, some of my recently-acquired friends from Pixelomenon, plus the ever-lonesome Mrs. Shaheen, who had either since decided I was no longer infected by an evil spirit bent to eat my soul, or simply came to terms with it. There was laughter ringing in the air that whole day, happy stories and hilarious jokes being shared, and tons of delicious food.
And of course I had West in me the whole time.
Damn that boy can eat.
It’s a good thing Byron quickly got over his deep aversion to my haunted apartment, because we can’t get enough of each other. Though it makes having any candlelight dinners somewhat tricky, considering what would happen once said number of candles were lit. I did finally give in, since Byron is all about the visual drama and romantic gestures, but it resulted in an awkward conversation with West explaining why he’d have to be hidden away in my closet the whole time.
He wasn’t very fond of that.
We enjoyed a happy winter with Christmas, gifts, and big tacky decorations all over our apartments. Not to mention an explosion of fireworks a week later when a new year was brought in to usher out the old.
Our first Valentine’s Day was special, and all I’m going to say about that is Byron knows how to treat his man, and I am ever so lucky to be that man.
Late spring, I get assigned my highest-paying client yet, as the president has come to love (and deeply trust) my daring, unapologetic aesthetic for especially creepy designs. That gig earns me a very happy congratulations from my parents, whom I called to brag about the news.
Byron becomes a manager at Spooky’s, earning him the right to wear a fancy shirt and tie at work, which he looks absolutely delicious in, for the record. The corporate office even caught wind of his new and creative flavors he invents for every holiday season, and he’s in talks to be compensated for more of his ideas.
Oh, did I mention the theater down on 7th street who hired Byron as their main costumes person? They put up a lot of fantasy and “reimagined classics” works, so it’s absolutely perfect for him. Byron couldn’t be happier doing what he loves, and I am always so proud of him as we watch his shows every opening night and marvel at how spectacular the costumes look under the bright stage lights.
The summertime brings us all sorts of unexpected surprises, including a visit from Byron’s dads, who just couldn’t wait to meet me after hearing so much about their son’s new boyfriend. Just as Byron warned me, they are quite an eccentric pair of men, but we all got along perfectly. They had many obligations calling to them back in their hometown on the other side of the country, so they couldn’t stay long, but I’m happy we all at least got to meet.
Well, almost all of us.
West keeps himself busy keeping our apartment clean and happy. Over this past year, he’s gotten a lot more skilled in moving objects without a candle giving him a defined physical form. Whenever I’m at work, he gets busy fulfilling his job as my househusband (hah, okay, I only call him that behind his back) by doing all sorts of handyman stuff to keep our place in shape. He filled every hole and crack in the walls and painted them over—including that unsightly burn spot by the kitchen. Thanks to him, none of the old windows or doors creak anymore. He even fixes the occasional plumbing issue. And when his honey-do list is empty, he does laundry, sweeps up the floor, and dusts every damned surface.
