The Ghost Of You

Chapter Nine

Riley

"Did he sleep in your bed last night?" Harrison asked as we sorted his breakfast the following morning. James had spent the night like his suspicions suggested.. But he did not sleep in my room
"No honey, Sienna slept with me and I used the sofa in her room for James" I explained
"What am I supposed to call him?" Harrison asked making look over at him. There was a little spark to his tone, he was happy to say the least

"What do you want to call him?" I asked 
"I've almost called him Dad like 5 bazillion times but I don't want to say it and scare him so he runs away again" He said pushing his cereal around the bowl
"Hey Harrison, he didn't run away" I said and he nodded
"Are you going to let him go again Mum? I don't want you to. I want you to keep him" He said

"Harrison" I said quietly 
"Why can't we keep him, what's so bad about it? He makes you happy, Sienna loves him and he's my Dad" He explained
"It's complicated" I explained but he shook his head
"So uncomplicate it" He said crossing his arms across his chest 
"Sweetheart" I whispered
"I'm not a baby anymore Mum, I want both you and Dad" Harrison argued this time adding his famous pout that I am convinced he taught Sienna 

"Please Mum" He asked again making me press my lips together in the hope I could somehow get myself out of this 

"Baby, your Dad has an entire life back at his home. He has his family, his friends" I tried to explain
"So? Why can't we go with him? Auntie Tee and Uncle Dan can come and visit" He tried to bargain
"Someone didn't want me in that town Harrison, it's complicated honey but us going there isn't an option" I said

"Okay so I'll go with Dad then" He said making me widen my eyes at his words
"I don't want to lose him again Mum" He said trying to rationalise his thoughts
"I don't want to lose you Harrison" I argued 
"So if you had to choose between going to that town or losing me. What would it be?" Harrison questioned

But little did he know going to that town could mean losing him, not going now due to Harrison's ultimatum would also mean losing him

--

Harrison was at school leaving just James, Sienna and I to fend for ourselves but the conversation with Harrison this morning won't leave my mind at all 
This would be the type of conversation I would have with Emily

I knew that James had spoken to her last night and since then that's all I can think about, then with the added Harrison part, I don't know what to do.. What to think 

"You okay?" James asked as I sat on the sofa. He was on the floor playing with Sienna again.
"I don't know, I'm just kind of wishing I had the opportunity to call people like Emily again. I could use her sisterly advice right about now" I explained 
"So call her Riley" James said but I shook my head
"She thinks I'm dead James.. I can't do that to her, she'll want me to go and see her. She'll want to come here. I can't yet" I said panicking slightly

"Hey hey" He said standing up to come and sit in front of me shortly followed by Sienna following him and plopping onto his lap
"Mine mama" She said making James chuckle before looking up at me

"Let's take this one step at a time okay. I'll call Emily, explain briefly then hand the phone off to you okay?" He offered 
But could I really do that to Emily?

"Hey Em" James said making me widen my eyes realising he hadn't even waited for me to agree
"I have someone here who wants to talk to you but I need you to do me a favour" He said making me watch his every move
"Don't push too much, don't freak out and please just keep an open mind" James finalised before a moment of silence 

Next thing I know, the phone is being handed to me and I looked over at James panicked
"You've got this" He whispered pushing the phone forward slightly, I nodded getting up to walk over to the fire escape again
Just like I do every single time I want to be able to talk to her..

"Emily?" I said quietly into the phone. As soon as my voice awoke I could audibly hear the hitch in Emily's voice 
"Riley?" Emily answered making me smile slightly with my eyes already filling with tears
"Is that really you?" She said sounding like she was just as much of a mess as I was right now
"Yeah, yeah it is Em" I said wiping my tears
"What is going on? I thought you were- We all think you're dead Riley" She explained making me sigh again

"I'm so sorry Emily, I really am.. I really really am" I cried
"It was never meant to be like this" I said, I meant it. I didn't want to leave them all behind. Hell I didn't want to leave anyone behind
I didn't know what lie was being fed to them, I didn't know anything about what was going on with everyone
But I wish I did..

"I can't, Riley. Oh my god" Emily freaked but I could hear the smile on her face
It wasn't long before this phone call soon turned into a FaceTime call where Emily sat there grinning at me like a child on Christmas morning
"It is you" She said softly placing her hand over her mouth
"You got blonder Em" I teased
"And your hair got longer Riles" She smiled
"When are you coming home" Emily asked but the minute the words left her lips my smile dropped which in turn caused hers to drop
"I can't Emily. This place is my home now, I can't come back" I said but Emily glanced over at me frantically

"Riley, your home is with all of us. I don't know what led to this but I can promise you now we would all welcome you back with open arms" She tried to bargain
"I think a lot of people owe James an apology, these last 5 years they all deemed him crazy because he wouldn't let your death go. He was constantly looking into it, trying to figure out why it didn't make sense" She explained making me look over my shoulder to see James walking around with Sienna trailing behind him wobbling foot to foot

"He never gave up on you Riley, I'm not surprised that he found you" She said smiling 

"I really wanted to call you before this, I've wanted to call you so much I swear Emily" I pleaded making her smile again
"I know Riles, but promise you'll call more often now?" She asked and I nodded with a smile

"Can we keep this between us though? I don't want anyone else knowing just yet" I offered
"Riley" She warned me in her same old older sister voice
"Just temporarily please" I said making her sigh

"Fine but if you don't tell everyone soon, I'm not being held responsible for it getting out" She said making me nod

For the first time in years, the idea of normal was creeping up and I wasn't as scared now..