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Lawrence gave a tip of his chin as he opened the entrance.
With the separation of the ivy-covered gates, my breath caught in my throat. The headlights from the car illuminated the spirits ahead, just like the first night I saw them. Despite the blinding lights, they continued to walk aimlessly along the paths, wondering in the space given. Their steps were leisurely, calm, and casual.
Caius could immediately sense my unease. With his hand still gripping the inside of my thigh, he gave me a reassuring squeeze, making his solace known.
I closed my eyes. If anyone could drive through the spirits, it’s him.
“Hey,” he spoke with a gentleness. “I got you. Don’t be afraid.”
Forcing myself to take his words to heart, I opened my eyes. The car made its way through the path, passing the giant statue of the Angel of Grief, stopping intermittently between ghosts. All of them kept their focus on the path ahead, and none of them cared about us. They were in their own version of their afterlife, with nothing to focus on but themselves.
By the time we made it to the house, my anxiety was still high, but it was manageable. I was still scared, and I knew it was something I couldn’t change right away, but at least I was facing it head-on.
Caius got out of the car, made his way to my side, and opened my door for me. I climbed out, the damp air refreshing my skin as I breathed it in.
And as soon as my foot hit the pavement, I looked up to meet the stare of my Uncle Russ.
My heart fell into the pit of my stomach as he continued to walk toward me, but off to the side a bit. He was following thepath in front of the house, his steps carrying him in a stride I’ve known my whole life.
Within seconds, he passed me, nearly brushing my shoulder as he didn’t break pace.
I remained frozen in place, unable to move anything besides my eyes as I watched him go. Once he was a few feet down the path, I turned and looked over my shoulder, watching him as the shadows swallowed his spirit whole.
Everything in me was telling me to go. I needed to take off and get out of here because this is against everything I’ve come to know in my entire life.
But the second my body moved to run, a strong arm wrapped around my body, lifting me back against his warmth. I panicked and kicked out my legs in an attempt to flee from the haunted grounds.
Caius held me close to him, not in a capture, but more as a safety net.
Breathe, Celeste. Breathe.
It’s him, but it’s not him anymore.
I did my best to calm my racing heart as Caius moved his hand up to the side of my face, brushing my hair away.
“Stay with me,” he hushed, his words dark and soft.
And I knew that if I wanted to be with him, I had to face my fears.
Black silk sheets wrapped around me as my body stirred, slowly waking to the dim dawn filtering through the windows. I reached over to the other side of the bed, hoping to feel the one person I wanted, only to be met with cool material under mytouch. I peeked one eye open to confirm my suspicions. Caius was gone.
The silk felt so good against my bare body, but I needed to know where he went. Slowly climbing out of bed, I searched for my clothes, only to find them sporadically thrown throughout the room. I could feel my face turn a deep shade of red at the memory of him ripping my clothes off and throwing me onto the bed, leaving no part of my skin untouched.
Instead of trotting around and trying to collect my clothes, I tiptoed into the master bathroom to pee. Then, I grabbed the black cotton robe that hung on the wall of the shower and put it on, the fabric instantly warming me. I rinsed my mouth with mouthwash as a temporary fix until I could find Caius to ask for a spare toothbrush.
Judging by the limited light coming in from the window, I knew dawn was just around the corner, but Caius didn’t have any clocks around to confirm.
Did clocks even work around here?
Stepping out of the bathroom, I could see a sliver of a black pantleg on the balcony. I walked over and quietly opened the door to see Caius sitting outside, his legs spread as he leaned back in his chair.
Morning Caius was a sight I didn’t know I needed to see until now. With his black sweatpants, he wore a loose, grey sweatshirt, and his messy, dark hair stuck out in the most random places. His eyes were alert but still sleepy as he looked to me, his index finger brushing against his lower lip. I smiled wide, loving this unknown side of him.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“My shifts at the coffee shop start pretty early, so I’m used to it.” I stepped toward the railing, cautiously looking down to the populated paths below. “But I should be askingyouthatquestion,” I added, throwing a quick glance to him over my shoulder.
There was a brief silence between us, one that I didn’t know was there until he spoke again. “No one has ever spent the night before.”
