Call Me Ghost ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Two

It's been two weeks.

I've hardly left my dorm room for anything that isn't school related. When I am in class it's even harder to focus than normal. The professors talk and talk but by the end of every hour I have a blank notebook in front of me and an empty mind wondering what just happened.

I'm alone.

Like truly, deeply alone.

I don't even have Daisy anymore.

It feels like in just the span of the same week, I lost everything that I held so dearly. I lost my dog, my relationship, and my best, and only, friend.

What do I have?

I have a half-finished novel that turns even more depressing every time I attempt to write it. I have a pile of homework assignments and textbooks that sit looming on my desk. I have an impatient mom who I've been expertly dodging calls from because I'm too afraid to tell her about everything that's gone wrong in my life.

I'm pathetic.

Even now, on a Friday night, I sit on the couch watching reality television in my sweatpants while glancing at my phone every five minutes because I still have some stupid, pathetic hope that Ghost will change his mind. That he might reach out to me and tell me that he misses me. He forgives me. He wants me.

More than likely he's already moved on.

I've thought about calling him so many times. My fingers have itched to press on his contact and reach out to him. To just hear his voice.

But I don't want to be that girl.

I can be on my own.

At the moment, I don't have a choice.

So I try to push the urge away, and tell myself that this is good for me. It's the first time in a long time that I've been alone. Without Brody constantly peering over me, watching my every move and making all my decisions for me.

But when I notice Annie emerge from her room, dressed up nicely with glamorous makeup and her dark hair curled, I can't help but feel even worse by comparison.

I see her eyes take in the scene before her. She probably notices the day-old takeout on the coffee table. The used and nearly emptied tissue box. The open bottle of wine that doesn't even taste good but it is still helping in some ways.

And she pities me. I can see it in her eyes. They soften as she lowers herself into the chair beside the couch and passes me a half smile.

"Still hurting over the break up?"

She thinks this is all about Brody. She thinks I'm sad because he broke up with me.

I haven't cried a single tear over that man. Other than the tears of pain and terror that he caused me.

I breathe out deeply through my nose, glancing away at the mess that surrounds me as I reply, "I guess."

"Well, hey, why don't you come out with me tonight?" She suggests, her tone hopeful.

I frown back at her, confused as I retort, "Why?"

"Uhm, because it will be fun? You need a distraction. You need to drown your sorrows in tequila shots and loud music and make out with randoms at a party." She explains with a coy smile.

I sigh and shake my head. And only because I haven't been feeling my best lately do I reply curtly, "I mean why do you care, Annie? It's not like we're friends."

Her smile falters and she looks a little taken back as she says, "Well, why can't we be?"

My lips purse tightly and I pass her a cold look, while muttering, "Ghost won't be coming around anymore. I won't be bringing him along, if that's what you're after. I know that's the only reason you invited me out that other night."