Ghost Perfume | ✔

Chapter 4: Help Me (Part 1)

I stared at the wall.

It was not real. None of it was real. It was just noise and fluff to distract me from my true, deeper reality, my job, my duty to the dead, and there was a strange comfort in that thought.

Any ghosts from the car crash - they were coming. I had to stay functional. I had to conserve my strength.

I set my alarm for seven and tried to go to sleep.

I half-dozed to the sound of Tommy vacuuming and cursing downstairs.

When I got up, my face didn't look as bad as it felt; it was only somewhat puffy. I took a shower and got dressed with long sleeves under my T-shirt and baggy pants, and I thought I looked okay.

I crept downstairs. Tommy was nowhere to be seen.

Outside, Alexander was leaning against his car across the street. He waved to me.

Gratefulness for him washed over me.

"Thanks,'' I whispered.

He nodded and opened the passenger's side door.

As I approached, I caught my breath; his face was bruised and cut.

He stilled as he saw me too, his gaze sticking on my face.

I thought I saw something very cold and angry stir in his dark eyes as he analyzed me.

We weighed each other. I was worried for him. I opened my mouth to ask him what happened, but then I closed it. Would it be prying? And I didn't want him to ask me what happened.

But his gaze shifted darkly to the house behind me. Thunderclouds gathered in his face, and his cruel mouth tightened.

I thought I saw a red gleam to his eye.

With the aftermath of violence already stamped on his features, he scared me.

Then he leashed himself. "Hold on, Rose.''

He went back into his house.

When he reemerged, he held out a key.

"It's for this place. If you want to use it.''

The force of how I felt ... I didn't have a name for it ... washed over me, made my heart bang against my ribs, like it couldn't be contained.

He was a good person. This was the third time he'd helped me.

I tried to meet his eyes. "Are you okay? What happened?'' I whispered.

He shrugged. "Do you want to go to a hospital?''

"I don't need to.''

"How do you know that?''

"It's just bruises.''

He examined me.

"I do want to go to the pub,'' I said.

I wanted to see Lukas. I wanted to walk up to him and casually say something like, "Hey, Gabriel says hi.'' Maybe he'd drop his jaw.

Alexander said, "One of my brothers is a doctor. How about you let him see you?''

I balked. "I don't know ...''

"I think you should.''

Was he talking about the man I thought was Michael? I wanted to meet him, but ...

"He can't help make bruises heal faster,'' I reasoned.

"Of course he can. There are salves and stuff.''