Call Me Ghost ✔️

Chapter Seventeen

"You know, I've been waiting here for over an hour wondering where the hell you were, a million questions flying through my mind. But for some reason, right now, the only question at the forefront of my mind is, why the hell do you have a bunch of pink band-aids on your wall?"

Brody gestures to the wall above my bed. I glance over from where I stand beside the closed door. My brows furrow together as I regard the band-aids. Right now that seems like such a pointless conversation. I don't want to waste my energy on it.

"It's decorative." I state vaguely.

His brow cocks at me questioningly, but he leaves it at that. He shifts so that his ankle is crossed over his leg and leans back in the chair possessively, nodding to the bed, "I said take a seat."

I'm too drained to refute, so I silently trudge across the floor and sit delicately at the edge of the mattress. He looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to start explaining. But I don't. Which frustrates him.

"Well?" He urges, his eyes narrowing at me, "Are you going to tell me where you've been? Because your roommate seemed to have zero knowledge of the subject. Which is funny because you sure made it seem over the phone that you came home with her last night."

"I never said that." I mutter.

"It was implied, Em." He seethes, grinding his teeth as he grows increasingly annoyed with my evasion. "If you weren't with her then who the hell were you with? Did you meet some guy while you were out getting crazy? Did you go home with him? Did you cheat on me?"

I roll my eyes to the ceiling. He always jumps to cheating. He doesn't trust me in the slightest. Granted, I have been lying about Ghost, but that's purely just friendship. I would never cheat.

"No, I didn't meet anyone. And I didn't cheat on you." I remark flatly. My eyes flutter to my pillows, my brain begging for a break and to just throw myself down and sleep. But I can't. I have to deal with this mess.

"Well, Jesus, Em! Tell me what happened. At least attempt to explain yourself!" He snaps sharply, uncrossing his legs to lean forward menacingly.

I don't even have the strength to flinch away. It's the anger in his voice, and the volume behind it that finally pulls the trigger. My eyes well with tears for the millionth time today and I quickly look away as my face crumples.

Brody freezes, confused about what just happened. He moves back and looks me up and down like I'm an alien as he questions with slight concern, "Why are you crying? What happened?"

I grip the collar tightly in my hand. The collar Brody hasn't even noticed me holding. My finger runs over Daisy's name etched in the tag and a gentle sob breaks through me.
Somehow I'm able to utter, "Daisy. She's gone."

Brody seems even more confused. He moves closer and squats down in front of me to my eye level and asks, "What do you mean gone? Like she ran away?"

"No, Brody. Gone like she's dead." I mutter, shaking my head with frustration, "She suffered a cardiac arrest and I had to put her down."

My shoulders shake as I cry silent tears. All the while Brody watches me with a torn expression. He doesn't know whether to comfort me or continue to be mad at me. I guess he chooses the former as he gently reaches his hand out to squeeze my arm reassuringly. It doesn't comfort me, not in the way Ghost's touch does, but at least he's trying.

"I'm sorry." He murmurs, watching my face carefully, "I know how much she meant to you."

I nod my head. Brody knows all about my dad and why I held such an attachment to Daisy. He's been with me through the rough days, where my dad's absence in my life really weighed me down. He's watched my concern as Daisy's health continually got worse and worse.