Stella Gets Her Ghost On

 

Stella Gets Her Ghost On

 By Jenny Iroh

A man in ass-ugly shorts ducked my cell phone. 

“You have hot dogs on your shorts,” I yelled. “Hand me the phone!” 

“I think I’m in the wrong place,” he said. The man picked up the phone from the floor and held it to me like a cracker to a starving raccoon. 

“Probably,” I muttered at the lock screen. 

“Mercer-Rourke Mediums?” he said. 

The little bell over the door jingled and a woman just barely dressed better walked in, smiling brightly. She had barbecue grills and hamburgers on her shorts. They didn’t need a medium, they needed a day trip to the fashion-police jail. 

“Watch it, honey,” the man said. 

“That was weird,” I said to him. “Watch what?”

He goggled at me like I had a wang on my forehead. 

I love people, but they don’t make much sense most of the time. 

“Uh, we’re trying to make an appointment with Mercer and Rourke?” 

“Andy is fifty months pregnant so they’re out of office,” I said. “O.M.Gee! I just got bait-and-banged! I fucking hate this man.” 

I didn’t throw the phone across the room, but I dropped it on my desk and glared at it. 

“And you are?” the woman asked. 

“Office manager,” I made eye contact. She had hot hazel eyes. “My ex asswad texted me last night how much he miissssed me, so I let him come over.” 

I slammed my hand on the desk. Hotdog pants jumped. I grabbed my phone and he visibly flinched. 

“And just now, he has the shriveled sack to tell me it’s not working out and he needs some space,” I yelled. “Space! After he ….” 

Barbecue pants woman nodded and interrupted me. 

“We can come back,” she said. “When will they be in?”

I shook my head as if they didn’t hear me. 

“They’re having a kid,” I said. “They’re booked on Zoom, save for emergencies, but I have a list of referrals. What’s the issue?”

I pulled up a clipboard, handed it to Barbecue Pants and had her fill it out. It gave me time to deal with Jack-the-Jackass. 

Me: You small-dick fucker. You said you missed me. That you made a mistake with those twin brunettes. That you wanted to wake up next to me forever. 

Him: You said you can cook. Pizza rolls aren’t food. 

I gasped. 

The couple jumped. 

“How dare he compare the two. I can cook. He can’t chub more than four inches.” I yelled, pacing around the room. 

Barbecue Pants handed me the clipboard, and I snapped into my office mode. I’m a professional with an important job, and I love that about me. 

My heart broke a little when I read the intake form. 

“Andy would consider this an emergency,” I said. “Let me pull up her Zoom calendar. While I do, please sign these waivers and get a credit card.” 

I sent a message to my best friend, and the first real psychic I’d ever met. 

Hey, a couple lost their teenage son last year and they want to make sure he’s ok. You know, ok for being dead. It was a car accident. They wear terrible shorts and have Mastercard. Can you talk to them today?

Andy had a doctor’s appointment this morning and told me to do the special charge rate. She had space in the afternoon. 

Andy told me to charge the ‘special’ rate. Which means I ‘forgot’ to run the credit card.  

The woman burst into tears when I told her Andy and Nate would be here, in person, this afternoon. 

“Thank you,” the man said, his voice thick with emotion. 

He held out his hand. 

“I’m Allen, I didn’t catch your name,” he said. 

“Stella,” I said shaking his hand while stink-eying my phone. “It’s Stella.” 

***

The phones were busy this week, but we hadn’t had a walk-in since the party-pants couple. 

I was working on my last WORDLE attempt. Fucking Andy got it in two tries today, and Jack got it in three. Not that I was speaking to Jack. Ever again. 

The doorbell clanged. I sighed, annoyed that whoever it was had to come inside instead of texting, like a normal person. 

I’d thought ahead after party-pants and left clipboards and sign in sheets and a QR code on a little table at front. Without looking up, I hollered. 

“Scan the code. Fill out the intake form on the table and then see me for scheduling.” 

I opened an internet browser and cheated to finish the WORDLE. It wasn’t really cheating, Jack was a bum and Andy was laying around making a human, while I, Stella, had to work. 

He cleared his throat. 

I’d forgotten there was a client in the lobby. 

Shit. 

At least I finished the puzzle. I looked up, holyfucking shit, and fell in heat. 

This man was fine. This was Ryan-Fine (Reynolds or Gosling. I could find it in myself to live with either.)

I heard myself swallow. 

“Hi! What can I, personally, do for you?” I asked, standing and holding my hand out to his blue-eyed-blond-hair self.  “I’m Stella. And single.” 

“I’m Edward,” he said reaching for my hand, “Edward Stephenson.” 

Our hands touched, and a small crack of gold static crackled between us. We gasped but didn’t let go. 

His eyes met mine, and it clicked right there. 

“Holy fuck, it’s real,” I said. My entire body existed in my hand. 

Andy and Nate had the motherlode of spiritual ties, and we spent a hairy few weeks last year trying to get a douchy ghost to stop trying to kill them through those ties. My friends had soul ties. They were each other’s The One. 

And they said it felt like this. Right away. 

OK. They actually hated each other right away, but eventually they fucked and said it was like this. It’s been like this the entire time since for them. And now they’re spawning. Ick. 

Edward’s brow was an accordion. He was as shit-smacked as I was. 

“You’re The One,” I said. 

His hand was soft in mine, and he looked at me with such a sense of wonder that I forgot to breathe. Edward’s touch was kind. His eyes were kind. The spread of his lickable shoulders even looked kind. 

“Stella.” He said softly. Even his voice was kind. 

And then he changed. 

***

I watched Nate get possessed by Elias, a really bad dude who was Andy’s longtime dead grandpa. I still get the incestual skeeves from that whole thing. 

I watched Elias take over Nate, as if battling him for control of his own mind, and Nate lost every time. 

I watched something take over my man. Edward shivered and his hand ripped from mine to fist at his sides. His blue eyes tightened at the corner, and his mouth turned tight and mean. His shoulders were yummy, but now also arrogant. 

It’s hard to explain arrogant shoulders, but we all know what they look like. 

He looked me up and down in a perverse, sexual way that I usually fall for. But it seemed too fucked up to get wet over. 

“Whoa, are you still Edward?” I asked. 

He laughed. It sounded like Jack. So yeah, I really should have liked it. 

“I’m sorry, you’re mistaken,” he said. 

Not-Edward reached over and touched my wild mane of red curls. Ballsy. And for the third time, I should have liked it. 

“Red in the head is fire in the bed,” he said. 

My hand was still out from the moment with Edward. The man took it. He felt like cold liver. Like his hand was a giant dead cow tongue slapped on my palm. My nose scrunched up like I smelled a fart. 

“Henry Lewis,” he said. “And you are?”

“Stella,” I replied softly. 

Fuck. 

This was an emergency. 

I had the same issue as Andy did last year. 

An evil asshole was possessing my man. 

***

Mr. Henry Lewis left immediately, and just as quickly I screamed at my phone for Andy to pick up!

“Hey Stel,” Andy said. She sounded tired and happy. Aw. How nice. 

“My soul mate has a ghost too!” I yelled. “But I can’t see my bonds, so I have no idea how to get the ick off, and my god he’s the hottest man I’ve ever seen, and I watched the ghost take him!” 

“Whoa, breathe,” Andy said. I heard her thank someone. 

“Tell it to me slow,” she continued. “I’m in a restaurant so take it slow-slow.” 

“I thought pregnant people had to hibernate?” I asked. “The fuck are you doing in a restaurant.” 

“I’m not disabled, I’m just big,” she said. “And I’m hungry. I need nachos and virgin margaritas.” 

“That sounds disgusting. What is that, just sour mix?” 

“Yeah,” she said wistfully. 

I was horrified. That was not just disgusting, it was an affront to margaritas everywhere. 

I told her the entire encounter. 

“It was like two minutes, but I know,” I said. “I mean, I know.” 

I heard Nate say something on the other end. 

“Good idea,” Andy said. “Hey, check the paperwork to see if we have a way to contact the victim. Nate, we don’t check payment first. Hm. Good point. Stella also check his credit card.” 

I pulled the intake form up and scanned everything Edward wrote. 

“Yeah, he checked off ‘unwanted spiritual possession’ as the reason,” I said. “He said he’s a hostage in this body in the notes section.” 

It was silent. 

“Andy?” 

“That phrasing is really weird,” she said. “Pull the driver’s license and credit card.” 

I pulled them up and got little flutters in my kitty when I looked at the photo. Then I realized the photo wasn’t him. It was Henry. 

Because it was Henry’s name on the license and credit card. 

“I do not understand this,” I said narrating my finds. 

“Honey….” Andy said.

I looked at the photo, the intake form, the credit card, the id information and the world tilted like it was $2 tequila shots night. My voice shook as pieces fell around me. I didn’t want to put them in place. 

“Andy, can you possess a ghost with a human body?

***

Kyledan and Katie met me at The Collective space. They’d just flown in for the baby shower. Which I think I was supposed to plan? 

Huh. 

The three of us huddled over the screen while Andy and Nate Zoomed in. 

“We need to talk to the ghost,” Kyledan said. “If there is one. It could be a medical or mental disorder. It’s not always spiritual.” 

“No way, man, this was something different,” I said. “His energy was different. Everything about him was different.” 

Kyledan said that could happen with extreme personality disorders and my gut twisted. Leave it to me to fall for a man with a disorder. Great. Just great. 

But hey, that meant he’d like me half of the time, which was still an improvement from my experience with my ex. 

Without proof of haunting there wasn’t much we could do but wait for the nice guy to emerge and ask me out. 

I called Henry/Edward. 

He picked up. 

Edward picked up. 

I could tell by the “Hello.” 

“Hey! Can you make it here before he takes over?” I asked. Fuck preamble. We all knew what was going on. He’s the one who wrote it on the form. 

“I’m on the way,”  he said. 

***

Fifteen minutes later we had a haunting confirmed. 

Nate confirmed Henry’s credit card had a large enough balance to cover a crossover. 

Kyledan and Andy both agreed that Edward was in a body that wasn’t his. 

Katie confirmed that I had a soul-tie, a soulmate connection, to Edward. 

The man who died two weeks ago. 

*** 

“How long can you stay,” I asked. 

We held hands in the lobby while the mediums did medium things. 

Henry was Edward’s cousin. 

Henry could astral project, and his original scheme was to get into Edward’s dying body to get passwords that were autosaved with face-id security. 

“I’m a broker for some really affluent people,” Edward said. “I mean I was.” 

Something went hinky, because going into other people’s bodies is wrong. And for such a lame-ass reason.

“He’s a dick,” Edward said softly. “He used his gift to essentially spy on everyone so he could have advantages.” 

It worked, until it didn’t. 

“I died, and it was time,” Edward said. Tears rolled down my face. Katie sniffled a little, she was listening. “I saw The Void, the light, and knew there was great peace for me. I knew I left the world better and I was ready. Then something felt like it yoked me around the neck and I was yanked into my cousin’s body.” 

The two didn’t interact in the body, but being pushed down was like a dark slice of hell for Edward. 

“Mostly when he sleeps. Or travels,” Edward said. “You have eyes like an ocean.” 

Edward kissed my forehead and rested his against mine. 

“I love the way the ocean looks at night,” he whispered.

“Me, too,” I said. “It’s wilder at night.” 

He rubbed his nose against my temple, and then I felt ugly lips next to my ear. 

“He has good taste,” Henry said. “Not great, but good.” 

I moved away from him. 

“I do wish I’d stop ending up here,” he said. 

Henry stared at me, hard. 

“How did you know him?” Henry asked. 

“That’s not your concern,” Katie said, coming around the corner. 

Half of Henry’s lip twitched as he checked out Katie. She was definitely more his type. 

“Then again, it just turned out better than expected,” he said. 

“Mr. Lewis,” Katie said, leading him by the hand away from me. “I wanted to talk to you more about your problem. I think we can help each other.” 

***

Henry sucked. He was a liar, a cheat, and an asshole. He was also stingy and possessive and didn’t want his cousin in his body. 

He was willing to go through a ceremony to separate them and send Edward on. He was not willing to pay for it.

“I’m being possessed, why should I pay for it?” he yelled. 

What the hell sort of man yelled at Katie?  

“I mean, you did fuck up his death with your skanky astral projection,” I yelled back. 

I am exactly the sort of woman who will yell at anyone. Except maybe Katie. 

“Stella, please,” Kyledan said. “Give us a moment.” 

“Fine! Have as many as you need!” I said, still yelling. “I’ll be at Grace’s house when you need me.” 

I heard Henry mutter something that sounded shitty and I slammed the door on my way out. 

***

Grace lived within walking distance. I used the spare key under the flowerpot to let myself in. She was Nate’s aunt, which basically made her my aunt. 

My heart raced, my throat felt tight and I wanted to puke and hit things at the same time. 

I dug through her tea stash in the kitchen. Behind the herbal teas was a small brown bottle with a screw-on dropper. It was labeled “Dreamless Sleep Tincture.” 

I stared at it. The ingredients were written in Grace’s perfect handwriting: Valerian, Lemon Balm, Lavender, Chamomile, Honey. 

I uncorked it and gagged. 

“Holy fuck, did someone steep rotten feet in twat juice?”

“It’s not for general use,” Grace said. 

I screamed and splashed a few drops on my arm. I didn’t realize she was home.

“Oh! Ick! No!” I yelled and put the bottle on the counter. “Why do you have a bottle of gunk that smells like ballsacks?”

“It helps with agitation, and spiritual exhaustion. It lets the body rest after the spirit has worked hard,” she said, moving past me for a metal box of tea. 

“But the stink!” 

Grace looked over, “That’s the valerian.” 

I stared hard at the bottle. 

“I know someone who needs to let the body rest,” I said. 

Grace turned on her kettle and stared hard at me. There was no way Andy and Nate hadn’t told her. Grace was an incredible medium. She was an incredible person. 

"Will this knock him out?"

“I wouldn’t condone drugging anyone, Stella,” Grace said. She scooped loose tea in a metal ball and put it in the cup. 

“Ok, but does it work?”

Grace smiled softly. 

“It works.” 

 ***

I pretended like I wanted to fuck Henry. 

He believed it. 

I wasn’t sure my face could pull it off. His hand kept grabbing my thigh and trying to make it to my crotch while we drove to his place. I was sure I had the fart-smelling expression. 

Henry didn’t notice. 

My legs are that hot, I’m not even going to lie. 

We made it inside and I asked him to get me a glass of water and asked if he liked pot as I held up the brown bottle. 

“It’s full THC, you just have to put a dropper in your mouth and then put your mouth on my everything,” I purred, rubbing my body against his. 

I willed myself to look at him like I liked him.

I’d done way worse drunk in the bar. 

He opened his mouth. Grace said a few drops

I squeezed the whole dropper. 

“Oh fuck! Oh gah!” he said, grabbing the water from my hand. “That is fucking foul. Someone sold you some skunky shit.” 

I moved behind him and kissed the side of his neck. 

“That means it’s high-grade shit,” I said. 

“Right.” He said. 

He swayed a little. 

“I think it’s kicking in,” he said. “I want you in the bedroom.” 

Ew. 

I let him kiss my neck as we staggered to the bedroom. 

“No hickeys,” I said. “Seriously, don’t be fucking gross.” 

“I’m going to be fucking gross in your pussy,” he slurred. 

I lowered him to the bed, and he closed his eyes and stretched. 

“Yeah baby,” he murmured. 

Then his face went slack and he let out the tiniest snort. 

Holy fuck! I drugged a man! 

Now to see if it was worth the felony. 

Moments later, Edward opened his eyes and smiled. 

Yeah, it totally was. 

***

We were cuddled next to each other on a deserted lifeguard chair. The moon was waning, just a few days past full, and the silvery light on the dark waves seemed so wild and free. It seemed witchy and pure at the same time to me. 

He kissed me in Henry’s bedroom, and it took everything in him to stop what was coming next. But he did. 

Damn it. 

“I want to see the sea with you, honey,” he said. “I get a second last night on earth, and I get to spend it with the most beautiful woman in creation.” 

He wiped a tear from my cheek. 

“Don’t cry, honey,” he said, kissing my lips lightly. It felt like heaven was superimposed on my face. “I’m lucky.” 

“Yeah, but I’m not,” I said, and the waterworks burst from my face like a monsoon. A big, blotchy, snotty monsoon. 

“You’re duh-dead,” I stuttered. “And I’m going to miss you for-eh-ever.”

The crying fit lasted until the moon hung almost over us. 

And then, against all decency and physics, we fucked in the lifeguard chair. 

We didn’t fuck in the lifeguard chair. 

We made love. 

I hadn’t tried that before. 

I have had a lot of sex – not that many people, but I enjoy quantity -- but I’ve never known the way it feels staring into the eyes of a lover while they entered your body like it was holy. It was slow and it burned my insides like a marshmallow too long over hot coal. 

He whispered love words to me as he coaxed me to move with him, to stay with him, to be here in the moment, right now with him. 

***

There was beach sand in our everywhere, and I couldn’t look at him and not blush after. 

We walked the beach in the clean dark of the post-midnight hours, talking about everything. 

“I always wanted to see the tomato fight in Spain,” he told me as he picked up a perfect seashell. “That seems like a good party.” 

I took the shell and tucked it in my bra to keep it close to me. I rethought that. I’ve lost shit in my boobs. I pulled the shell out and tucked it in my front pocket. 

“What? La Tomatina? That is literally all I know about Spain,” I said. 

I gave a little hop and rubbed my nose against his. 

“The world’s largest food fight where everyone looks like a pair of period pants! OMG, yes, I’m in,” I  said. 

Edward laughed, and I caught the giggles and the happy glow of this romance shit settled in my belly like a warm meal. 

“Wait for me in the next life, honey,” I said, picking up his endearment. “Wait for me, and our first item on the bucket list is tomato fest.” 

We stopped on the shore, water lapping over our feet, he held me with my head tucked under his chin as we watched the horizon lighten and it hit me all over again. Edward was dead. I didn’t even know what he looked like. 

I didn’t care. For the first time ever, I just didn’t care. 

“What else was on your bucket list?” he asked. 

“I wanted to find a medium to channel Prince to see if he had any songs with my name,” I replied. “And I want to see a whale shark. You” 

“I have seen a whale shark!” Edward said. 

“Oh shit, where?!” 

“Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.” 

I grabbed the front of his polo shirt, eyes bugging out of my head. 

“We have to go right now!” I yelled. “A Whale shark?! Let’s go…” 

My thought trailed off as I remembered we didn’t have a whale shark adventure unless I gave his cousin real valium and kept him doped up. 

Which had merit. 

For once the good guy was possessing the asshole and there had to be some way to just keep it going. 

I told him that, and his face tightened. 

“I always wanted go parasailing,” he said avoiding the topic. “It looks like flying on the ocean. It looks like freedom.” 

I guess not crossing over wouldn’t allow him to be a good guy anymore. I’ve seen what happens when souls stay where they shouldn’t and the sad was so big I didn’t want to feel it all at once, so I started walking. He fell into step. 

“I always wanted to go skydiving, but I’m really afraid of planes,” I said. 

“Well you’ll have to get over that so we can go to Spain, honey,” Edward said, his hand linked with mine, fingers laced. 

We talked about growing up, neither of us had siblings. He had Henry. 

“Give him a chance, he’s a good kid,” Edward said. 

“He’s a cunt,” I said.

Edward smiled, “I love that word. I have never understood its utter vilification. After Game of Thrones I just wanted to use it all the time.”

I squealed and laughed so hard I almost peed. We hadn’t peed all night. I was clenching. Not gonna lie. 

“The Hound was so fucking cool!” I laughed. “OooOOoo, honey, say it!” 

“I understand that if any more words come pouring out your cunt mouth I’m gonna have to eat every fucking chicken in this room,” he said in a perfect English accent. 

I kissed him hard on the mouth, laughing against his teeth. 

“That was amazing,” I said. 

Edward picked me up and swung me around like the hero does in every beach movie, ever. I understood cliché, now. It was incredible to be happy, dizzy and in love, and horny while the night ocean tickled our feet. 

We walked and shared until the sky lightened. 

***

I shook quietly, trying not to do an ugly blubber again. I wanted the moment. 

“I’m so thankful we get this sunrise,” I said softly. “I’m so glad we have this moment in time. I have missed you my entire life, honey. Tonight, and this daybreak made all of that aimless shit worthwhile.” 

I pulled back. 

“You are worth it,” I said. 

“I love your quiet depth, honey,” he said, quiet tears mirroring mine on his face.  “I love how you’re this giant beautiful tornado, but underneath you have an ocean in your soul,” he said. 

He wiped the new tears from my cheek with his thumbs and kissed me. 

“I want you again.” I said against his mouth. “One more time to last forever.” 

Edward shook his head and moved his head, so our eyes were level. He swiped his face dry. 

“He could wake up,” Edward said. 

I shivered and wrapped myself in him like an oversized hoodie. How fucked would that be, go to bed loving it up with one man and have another man start grunting at you with the same delicious pecks?

I’m into kinky shit, but that may be too much. 

It might be worth it just to feel his skin on mine. Just once more. 

“We have forever Stella,” he said. “Every time your ocean eyes see the moon on the crisp tips of the wave, I’m there.” 

We watched the sun rise in silence. The sky’s explosion of pastels boldly dispelling the night. The bald head of a pure yellow sun peeking over the dark horizon. 

It was perfect. 

It was too perfect. 

The real world never cooperated this splendidly. Generally a bird shit on you, or gnats got in your eyes, or you twisted an ankle on a dip in the sand. We had a whole night, and the biggest issue was the chafing in my nonnie-nonnie from the beach sand. 

I looked at him and my heart swelled 

“I love you, honey,” he said as the sun lifted. 

“Edward?” I said as his body gave the slightest shiver. And the arms around mine felt slightly alien. I stepped back. 

I fell on the sand and ugly cried until I thought my throat would break. 

He was gone. 

And the proverbial bird took the proverbial shit right then, ruining it all with his stupid cousin taking his stupid body back. 

“Holy shit, I told you that weed was skunk,” Henry said shaking his head. “You gonna be ok?” 

No, fuckass, I thought. I’m never going to be ok again.

Henry sat down next to me. I flinched. He hugged his knees and didn’t make a move toward me. 

“Edward was like a brother to me, he was always nagging me to stop being an asshole,” Henry said quietly. 

I stopped crying and listened. 

“He was three years older, and we lived on the same block, my mom said I followed him around like a puppy,” Henry said. He looked at me, something like human emotion on his face. I was suspicious. “Edward was kind, you know? He was good.” 

Henry stood and brushed off his butt and extended a hand to me. I took it. I was tired as hell. 

 “When he was going through chemo, I never stopped by to see him, never called, never texted,” he said. “I spied through astral, but seeing something that good eaten up was ….” 

I put my hand on his arm. 

“I never said goodbye,” he said. Then he looked at the new day. “He always loved the beach.” 

I heard him sniffle a moment, and my heart went out to him. 

Then he spoke and it ruined it all. 

“How many times did we bang last night? Were you any good? 

“You’re a cunt, take me home,” I said softly giving the ocean a tiny wave, as if it could cross the void for me. 

***

Andy was literally the most pregnant person I’d ever seen. 

Pregnancy looked even more terrifying from this angle. 

Henry sat on a cushion in The Collective space. It was a big, converted garage with circles etched on the ground for ceremonies. Lots of comfy floor seating, cushions, mats, blankies, were sort of strewn in random pattern that looked intentional. 

The walls were dark blue, the mirrors and windows covered. The room smelled of sage from the purification ritual the mediums and witches had done earlier. 

Can’t do ghost stuff with dirty energy. 

It’s like lube. 

Andy sat on like 20 cushions and wiggled like she couldn’t get comfortable. There was an entire Thanksgiving turkey with all the fixings under her shirt, so I had no idea how she’d succeed. Nate moved behind her, and leaned her back, his hands going under her belly like he was holding the baby off her for a minute. 

She sighed and nodded. 

I swallowed hard. I didn’t used to understand what they have. 

But I did now, and I was so fucking happy for Andy, and so sad for me. 

Grace ambushed me with a hug. 

“I have something for the ceremony,” she said. “I pulled this off social media and had it printed at the Walgreens.” 

She handed me a framed photo and sorrow-joy saltwater tears spattered the glass almost instantly as I saw his real face. 

He was handsome. Edward was handsome, and confident. His shoulders had that set that looked like he opened doors for ladies. 

The photo showed him on the beach, barefoot, curly blonde hair tousled by the wind as smile lines crinkled around his blue eyes. 

Andy said something to me, but all I could think was that our kids would have blue eyes and curly hair. We’d have to battle out the color: red or blonde in a genetic battle royale. 

Something deep ripped out of my chest at the thought. Andy wiggled around and tried to stand. 

“Get her Nate,” I heard her say.

Grace grabbed me around the front, and Nate smushed us both from the back in a hug. 

“We understand loss,” Grace said softly. “We’re here for you sweet girl.” 

We stayed locked for a moment, until Henry fucked it up. 

“Hey, can we get this done? I have shit to do,” he said. He was wearing the fart-smell look. 

That was my look. 

I hated that his dick had been in me. 

“Can you stand?” Nate asked. 

I nodded, and they let me go. I sat next to Andy, and she hugged me, and we looked at the photo. 

“He’s wearing a white shirt,” I said, voice hitching. “Like he’s ready for the tomatoes.” 

“Stella-bella, I have no idea what you just said,” Andy said. “It’s time to start. Do you want to stay?” 

I nodded. 

Someone had salted a pentagram in the circle Henry was in. 

Grace had to explain it wasn’t devil worship; pentagrams just gave five focused points of energy. Kyledan, Katie, Grace, Andy and me, and Nate each sat on a cushion on one of the points. 

So the thing about psychic shit to non-psychic people is that it just sort of looks like people closing their eyes and straining to poop; and then opening them – still straining. 

I can’t see ghosts. 

“Leave the tie,” Katie said, breaking the silence. 

“He’s here,” Andy said. “Stella he’s here. I can see your soul tie.” 

Her hormones made her cry and pee a lot. She cried with me as she looked at my man. 

“Your tie is beautiful, Stel,” Andy said. “It’s honestly pure gold, wrapped with blue – ocean eyes he said.” 

She paused. 

“He’s ready. The Veil is there and he’s ready, tell him how you feel,” Andy said softly, her arm going around me. I cuddled to her and felt the little tummy turkey kick. 

“I love you, Edward,” I said quietly. It was the first time I’d ever said that to a man. “Wait for me. I’ll see you in forever, honey.” 

Nate looked alarm because Andy was snotted-up ugly crying now too. 

“He said ‘I’ll wait. Every time your ocean eyes see the moon on the crisp tips of the wave, I’m there. I love you’” Andy sobbed. 

I felt tingling cold-heat against my lips, and I knew it was Edward; I knew it. A visible shockwave of pure light blue energy flashed around us and then it was silent. 

My body sagged. It felt empty without him. 

“What kind of fucking scam is this?” Henry said. “I’m leaving.” 

“We already charged your card, and your ghost is gone,” Nate said standing. 

Nate was much bigger than Henry 

“Listen, you can’t charge me for fake crap,” Henry said. He pointed at me. “Technically you can charge for me the use of your company whore last night, but…” 

Nate’s fist moved so fast I wasn’t actually sure what happened. Andy gasped at the slur, but Nate knocked the dude out. 

I looked at Andy, eyebrows up. 

“Andy, that was hot.” 

She nodded. “That was seriously hot. But don’t make it a habit.” 

Grace and I helped her up and we left. 

They hugged me in the parking lot and made me promise to talk to them about it. 

But I didn’t think I would. 

I traced the photo and kissed his tanned cheek. Edward was something that was just mine

***

It wasn’t quite full dark. The sun set a few hours ago and the moon was just starting to dominate the sun’s former space. 

I fingered the charms on my necklace. The perfect seashell and the tiny locket. 

I’d just gotten the shell back from a crafter Grace knew. It was resin coated so it would last forever. The artist drilled a hole in the top and put gold fittings and a gold chain through it. 

Tonight was the full moon, and I wanted to watch the waves. 

Henry didn’t press charges on Nate. Oddly enough Grace wanted him to be mentored in The Collective. He was a fucking twat, and I never wanted to be in the same space as him, but he was seriously talented at projection. So talented he accidentally caught a spirit. 

It’s always unfortunate when shitty people are good at things. 

The second charm, the little locket kept Edward’s photo on one side. Nate took a picture of me in what we think is the same space and used computer magic to create a picture of Edward and me on the beach together, holding each other around the waist, happy. 

I touched the locket and closed my eyes tracing the inscription, ‘We still have forever.’

It matched the small tattoo of a shell with the same inscription on my hip, where Edwards’ hands held me as I moved slow on top of the lifeguard chair. 

It felt stupid, but Grace said speaking grief helps. 

“I miss you Edward,” I said, clutching my mementos. “I don’t really know how I’m going to live another hundred years with you. I don’t know how anyone could ever be you. I miss you. So. So. Much.” 

The moon was a bold goddess in the sky, and she made the tips of the waves silver knives that cut into my broken heart.

“Wait for me, honey,” I said. 

The horizon flashed soft blue, and my chin trembled. A cold wind mussed my hair and for those soft seconds I felt him. 

The breeze died down and a few drunk people staggered to the beach from a resort bar. I ignored them and stayed in my quiet moment. 

“Ohshit,” a super-drunk man said, tripping and spilling beer down my back. 

I screamed.

Cold, stinky ass beer, down my back and butt crack and it wasn’t even a Spring Break party. 

“You fucking assturds!” I yelled. 

“Sorry,” the guy said. “Didn’t see you.” 

He backward walked a little as I continued to cuss. His buddy grabbed him and pushed him away. 

“Sorry about that, ma’am.” 

I didn’t know which was more insulting, the beer or the ma’am. 

Well. The mood was ruined. 

I wiped off my butt and took a picture of the water. As I snapped it, a message came through. 

Jack. 

U up? 

What the everfucking love? Jack hitting me up for a booty call when I’m still in mourning that nobody knows about but my inner circle? How inconsiderate could that man get? 

I went to my car, fuming. 

Jack was a bag of shit with a mid dick. I didn’t deserve to be jerked around, dumped, booty-called, and tormented like this. 

I have no clue what the rest of my life without Edward was going to look like. I didn’t want to spend it alone, but I sure as hell deserved something better than Jack-level men. 

Edward was good. I deserved someone good. 

I got in the car, put the keys in the ignition and started the car. 

I sent Jack a middle finger emoji and blocked his number. It felt right. 

And instead of heading to social media to crow about it and play the blocked profile game, I opened a browser and checked flights to Spain. 

Damn. They were expensive. 

Fortunately I had credit cards!

I bookmarked the travel site and started thinking about how awesome I’d look in all white with my red hair as tomatoes rained hell around me. 

I put the car in reverse and smiled. 

We still have forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About The Author

Jenny Iroh spent years surviving in community journalism, won a few awards on the way, and then took a detour in government publicity before she sold out. She now teaches by day and writes chaotic paranormal romance by night.

Jenny loves coffee, loves Disco, and loves parallel structure.

She and her hubs live in The Sunshine State with a couple of chickens and a cantankerous cat.

Email: JennyIroh21@gmail.com
Instagram: @JennyIroh
Facebook: Jenny Iroh
Blog: JennyIroh.blogspot.com

 

 

  

Don’t miss Andy and Nate’s origin story in The Unbinding

Some bonds are fate. Some are prisons.

THE UNBINDING

Andrea Mercer’s life went straight to hell after one bad decision and one very strong drink.

Now she can see ghosts. Actual ghosts. Not metaphorical trauma ghosts or “the past is haunting me” ghosts. Dead people.

The first is Elias, a dangerously charming spirit who appears in her bathroom mirror like he pays rent there and somehow knows everything about her.

The second problem is Nate Rourke, a smug fake-medium asshole Andy meets after a tarot reading goes catastrophically off the rails. Unfortunately, fate seems deeply committed to shoving them together.

But fate screwed up.

Andy already belongs to something else. Something old, possessive, and buried deep enough that it should have stayed dead. And the harder she fights for the life and love she actually wants, the more vicious the spirit world becomes.

Because soul bonds are not romantic.

They’re contracts.

And some contracts can’t be broken without blood.

Available now on Amazon.com.