Misguided Ghosts

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Twenty-Nine – Tay

I never thought I’d say it, but I was thankful for my alarm. Had it not been for the annoying beeping coming from my phone, then I would have woken up a lot later.

Lifting my head out of the curvature of Ed’s neck, I groaned. I reached out blindly and picked up my phone. Then I groaned a little bit more. Ten missed calls, all of which were from my parents. I unlocked my phone and listened to the numerous voicemails they’d left me.

Voicemail #1: Mum: “Hi Tay, just wondering where you are! Thanks so much for the casserole you left in the fridge – it’s delicious! Okay, I’m guessing with Jared and Char. Ring us when you’re on your way back!”

Voicemail #5: Mum: “Hi Tay, me again. You still haven’t called me back and your father is starting to get a little bit worried. Call us soon, okay? Bye!”

Voicemail #7: Dad: “Taylor, this is serious. Call us, please. Before I lose my temper entirely. We don’t know where you are.”

Voicemail #9: Dad: “Taylor, call us. Now. I don’t care if you’re with that stupid boy of yours, you will call us now. If I don’t hear from you in an hour, there will be consequences.”

Voicemail #10: Dad: “That’s it. You are forbidden from seeing Edward until further notice.”

I ran my hands through my hair and sighed heavily. Looking down at Ed’s sleeping face. Even in sleep, he looked worried: his mouth set in a straight line; his eyebrows turned down in a slight frown; his hands gripping the duvet around me. Kissing his temple, I wriggled out from under the covers and left the room.

The hallway was dark, which is probably why I screamed when I collided with a tall figure that could only be Jared. I had no idea he’d stayed the night.

“Argh!” He shouted as he crashed into me.

“What are you doing here?” I shouted. I didn’t even know why I was shouting.

“I slept here!” He shouted back. “What are you doing here?”

“I slept here!” I yelled.

“I’m glad we had this talk!”

“Me too!”

“Cool!”

“Cool!”

With that, he sauntered past me and shut himself in the bathroom. Worried that we’d disturbed Ed with our racket, I poked my head around the bedroom door. He hadn’t moved an inch. Not even his breathing had changed.  A smile twitched my lips and I went to go find some breakfast.

After finishing off Ed’s muesli and feeling slightly guilty afterwards, I went to go retrieve my clothes from wherever I’d left them, having essentially slept in my underwear for all the good  Ed’s shirt gave me, what with is riding up around my thighs during the night. I’d barely slept the night before, and all of the crying had exhausted me, so a wave of sleepiness had gripped me the moment I saw him lying in bed, looking slightly lost without me.

Ed was still asleep. I got dressed as quickly as I could, cursing that I’d obviously taken the spare underwear I left behind home.

There was a soft knock on the door. I turned to find Jared’s head sticking around it. “Psst. Tay. I know you and Ed haven’t done the nasty, but why is there a pair of your pants behind the sofa?”

I shook my head and snatched them from him. “Because unlike you, I’m actually hygienic. I change my underwear. And as for why they were behind the sofa, I think that you’ve forgotten Ed’s nasty little habit of leaver drawers open and the fact that he owns a cat.”