Ghost Perfume | ✔

Chapter 12: Stay Closer to Me (Part 1)

Something woke me up. I had been very deeply asleep and I didn't know where I was. Then the vague shapes in the dark resolved into the guest room in Alexander's house - that was now my bedroom - because I was staying here.

The alarm clock I'd brought and plugged in on the floor read 3:59. I watched, not quite awake, as the digits flipped to 4:00.

The shadowed shape of the death notebook lay open beside it, from when I'd helped a ghost that had come before I'd gone to bed. I'd sat cross-legged on the bed as the woman poured out her woes.

I could hear voices downstairs, their tone angry. But when I raised my head off my pillow to hear better, they lowered again.

Was it Michael or Lukas, come back?

Last night, after a long argument, Alexander and Gabriel had left together to 'take care of' Colin and Colin's car. Gabriel had pushed it, but then asked me five or six times if I was willing to be left alone. Then, for reasons I wasn't sure they could point to, they had gone around to all the windows to lock them and draw the blinds.

They locked the door behind them with strict instructions that I make no noise and no contact with Tommy and never lose sight of my phone.

They were so severe I finally had to ask out loud that Colin lived and would continue to live, right? And Alexander's face twitched but Gabriel said gently, of course.

They returned near midnight. Gabriel stayed with us. I thought he slept in Alexander's room.

I knew they weren't in the mood to celebrate the new status quo with me, nutty me, but I hoped soon ...

I got out of bed to open the door. Their words were still too low to make out. A light was on downstairs.

I came down the stairs. "Hey ...'' I called, my voice rough from sleep.

The voices stopped. Michael walked into my sight.

"Rose,'' he murmured.

Gabriel appeared behind him, frowning.

I stepped off the last stair, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Did they tell you ...''

Michael gave a barely-there nod, his gaze running over me.

Lukas was there. He pushed off the wall to come towards me, as if to embrace me, but then he stopped short.

I stepped hesitatingly towards him, wondering if I could initiate a hug. "What are you talking about?''

Silence, while Michael came closer, his hand coming up to skim the line of my neck, moving aside my hair.

"Anywhere else?'' Michael asked.

"I hit the back of my head on the wall,'' I said.

Michael felt my scalp, his touch sending goosebumps down my spine, and checked me again for a concussion. Then he led me to the kitchen table to sit. My eyes closed as he applied the bruise salve around my throat.

Michael said, "What would you like to do next, Rose?''

"Do?'' I asked sleepily.

"One option, if you want it, is that we fix your door again and increase your security while we intervene with Tommy. I'm not sure exactly what you'd prefer. We can find out who he owes money to and pay them off. It might also be better if he lives somewhere else, frankly, and we set you up as master of that house.''

My brain was slow to catch up. "No,'' I said, upset, "no, Alexander agreed I'd live here.'' I turned to find Alexander. He leaned with his arms crossed by the window. "You don't want to?''