THE GHOSTWRITER

PART 17

"You're worried, Maine."

Maine sighs and nods at the ghost floating in front of her. Jeffrey is in her presence because the ghost is finally ready to hear the finished manuscript.

"I can't help it, Jeffrey," Maine responds. "Sammy's a wreck. He's destroying the house because of guilt and sadness. And... and Richard is... Richard is more affected that how he acts around me. He's trying not to show it to me, but I know. I've learned how to read his actions since and I don't like that look in his eyes. It's so sad and... it's... I just—"

"You truly care about Richard, don't you?" Jeffrey asks, cutting her off. Maine lifts her head from the manuscript.

"He's my... friend. Of... course."

But even to her own ears, her answer doesn't sound convincing.

Maine flinches. Why can't she just admit what she wants to admit for so long? Why is it hard for her to finally give a label to her feelings?

Jeffrey smiles kindly at her. "Maine, tell me. If it's Richard who crossover-ed instead of Pi... what would you have felt? Would you have been this calm?"

Maine sucks in a breath and clutches at her chest without her realizing it. She feels she's running out of air while her heart pumps fast as if her organs are in desperate need of blood to function. She feels paralyzed.

It's a question she sees coming, but it doesn't mean she's ready to answer it. In fact, Maine can't answer it using words. Maine doesn't even want to entertain that thought, but Jeffrey just had to take the words from her mouth and say it.

"Maine?" Jeffrey's voice cuts through her thoughts. Maine has the briefest desire to burn her finished manuscript in front of Jeffrey so that the ghost will not move on and will just remain stuck in purgatory.

Said ghost, oblivious of Maine's unmerciful thoughts, nods approvingly at the tense reaction of the writer.

"Why don't you just admit it? Is it because he's a ghost? Maine, does it matter? You do know he'll crossover sooner or later, right? I mean it's inevitable for us. Just like Peter, we don't know what could trigger our moving on. Will you let him crossover without him knowing you actually lo---"

"Let's proceed now, Jeffrey," Maine says, cutting Jeffrey in mid-rant. She sounds determined and at the same time, cold. Her hands are shaking as she opens the manuscript to the first page. Jeffrey stares at her long before the ghost finally nods and settles on air in front of Maine.

It's one heck of a heavy storytelling atmosphere. Maine is stiff the whole time while Jeffrey seems relaxed yet wary.

---

A loud thud echoes in the house, which surprises both Richard and Sammy, who are in the kitchen. An hour after his talk with his friend, Sammy finds his bearings again and decides to invade the kitchen. Richard accompanies him because Maine is busy with Jeffrey.

"What is that?" Richard asks, tearing away his longing gaze at the batch of donuts Sammy just baked. He still can't quite get it how Sammy manages to do that, but he doesn't complain. His friend bakes the prettiest things. Even though he can't eat them, at least he can look at them.

Sammy just shrugs as he puts a new tray into the oven. "Jeffrey probably pissed Mendoza off. That brat is so good at getting into everyone's nerves."

Richard nods doubtfully, his gaze on the kitchen entrance. "Probably--- hey." He catches someone peeking from the door. "Jeffrey!" he calls. Sammy follows the direction of Richard's gaze. Seconds later, the pale form of Jeffrey floats inside the kitchen and sits beside Richard.