Misguided Ghosts

Chapter Twenty-One

Twenty-One – Tay

Ed and I swapped places after a while, so I was resting my head on his lap. His fingers wound their way lazily through my hair until I surprised him by sitting up.

“You know,” I said, smoothing my hair back into place. “We seem to do this an awful lot – sit around and watch films,”

He frowned slightly. “Well, what would you rather we do?”

A million responses danced through my mind, several of which were grossly inappropriate and were normally Jared’s responses to questions that could be answered with euphemisms. I was almost repulsed by my own mind – when did it get that disgusting? I shook my head. “I don’t know. Something other than this. Something different.”

Ed smiled a mischievous smile and stood up, offering me his hand. “Well, come on then.”

I jumped up from the comfort of the sofa, excitement pumping through my veins, and grabbed Ed’s outstretched hand.

Ed drove and drove until we reached the base of Leckhampton Hill. I gazed up at it and Ed chucked at my open-mouthed expression.

“You wanted to do something different,” He smiled, getting out of the car.

I shook my head and clambered out after him. “I’m willing to consider this a fitness test. If I can climb that hill in skinny jeans, then I can definitely swim tonight.”

“I think a doctor should decide that,”

I groaned inwardly and sighed. At the sight of my slumped shoulders and bowed head, Ed walked over to me and tilted my chin up with his index finger. His cold, pale eyes bored into mine as he leaned in closer. I let him kiss me, relaxing into his touch.

He pulled away, teasing me. “Come on! I’ll kiss you again when we get to the top,”

We climbed and climbed, which mainly involved him dragging me up the hill by my hand, making my arm feel like it was going to fall out of its socket. My fringe began to stick to my forehead with sweat and I began to regret not tying my hair back. My legs burned in a way that swimming never did and my breath stuck in my dry throat.

But when we got to the top, the climb was definitely worth it.

Cheltenham was sprawled out below us like a vast patchwork blanket, surrounded by the rolling fields of Gloucestershire. I could see the houses that lay on the edge of the town; the cathedral spire towering above almost every structure; the square, boxy building of the centre and I was sure that if I squinted hard enough, I would be able to see my house, Ed’s building, Char’s house and Jared’s house.

Ed collapsed on the hill, panting heavily. I stayed standing up, taking deep breaths to regulate my heartbeat. When he started poking the backs of my legs, I lay down next to him, staring at the clouds. Ed also lay down and I shifted my position so my head was resting on his shoulder.

“Look,” He said, pointing at a cloud. “That one looks like a penis,”

I laughed and slapped his chest. “It does not! It looks like… Like a…” The more I stared at it, the more and more Ed’s description came true. “Okay, maybe it does.”

We cloud-gazed for hours, chatting while we did so. The sun occasionally made an appearance, warming my face and sending rays over Ed and I, bathing us in mild warmth.

When my stomach gurgled loudly, Ed laughed. I grimaced inwardly. I hadn’t even had breakfast. That morning at home, with Ed turning up, his promise to try and stop hurting himself and us watching a film seemed so long ago. Time was a funny thing. When things went right for me, then what was only a few hours ago could seem like days ago. But when everything I didn’t want to happen actually happened, then that morning would feel like it was five minutes away. I thought that time was meant to fly when you were having fun, not slither past you as if it was swimming in custard.