Maine has always known it will not last long.
Someone like her doesn't deserve peace. She is not worthy of silence and comfort.
It is a huge decision that she makes in haste because she doesn't want to back out. It's the only solution her coward self knows. The truth is now clear to her, and handling it is devouring her slowly until she can no longer breathe.
So Maine has to do this. It's a sacrifice worth taking if it means avoiding a bigger pain.
Maine starts avoiding Richard.
--
It pains her to see the hurt in the ghost's eyes every time she makes an excuse not to be alone with him. She's breaking her promise to Sammy, but she feels like she's doing both her and Richard a favor.
Maine's leaving. In three days. And that is something that will destroy both of them if she is not careful.
So she will be extra careful.
She's more determined to stay away from Richard. And the other ghosts notice it immediately.
For one, Maine leaves the room when the other ghosts not-so-obviously try to give her and Richard an alone time. She even goes so far as to tell everyone to leave her alone so she can finish her work peacefully. Richard will never barge in her room when she specifically asks him not to.
Maine also reminds everyone, at every opportunity, that they can stay once she leaves. There is a hidden message in her statement, and Richard stays quiet every time while the other ghosts whine and complain. Maine thinks he is probably aware of why she's doing this, but she really doesn't want to think hard about that right now.
It's obvious Richard is slowly breaking and Maine's the one doing it. But one thing that Richard doesn't know is that Maine herself is also starting to break inside.
Feelings. She has never had them before. And now that she's finally acknowledging them, there's a sudden threat to their existence.
And Maine doesn't know how to handle that kind of intrusion.
The ghosts inside the manor can feel the tension between them. But not even the playful Kiko has the heart to tease them. They can recognize pain when they see one.
Maine and Richard are the epitome of the pain called breaking hearts.
But Maine continues to ignore both hers and Richard's pain. And Richard-- he stops showing himself to her.
For the next two days, they watch as the ghost and the ghostwriter destroy each other's hearts.
And probably, their souls as well.
The ghosts can only look. But they know that they don't have the right to touch this.
Whatever this is.
---
Saying goodbye will never be easy.
All of her bags are packed and are loaded to her car, leaving only a set of clothes for the morning. She finally finished her outline and sent it to Tommy last night, earning her a grateful response from her Editor. She also finished saying goodbye to her ghosts during dinner. It wasn't a teary farewell, but it was sad nevertheless. She had asked them to take care of the manor while she's away.
She should be ready to go, but she knows she will never be.
A week before Maine started avoiding Richard, they had had a talk.
Maine had lowered her pride and almost begged Richard to come with her. But Richard had politely refused. His words had struck home and it had rubbed Maine the wrong way.
"I can't go with you, Maine. I don't have a place in your world anymore. I can come with you to the ends of the world, but it will not change the truth that you and I will never truly meet even if we try to travel the same direction."
It hurt her so badly. It had made her so angry. And irrationally so.
She avoided Richard. And he didn't even try to seek her out.
Damn you, she whispers as she clutches at her chest.
Maine turns on her side and tries to sleep. At least with sleep, she can temporarily forget about everything. Then when she wakes up tomorrow, it will become easier.
She can just leave without saying goodbye to... him. Then she'll move on with her luxurious and boring life while... he will probably... crossover and attain that peace very human soul searches for in the afterlife.
Maine closes her eyes. After struggling for an hour, she finally succumbs to slumber.
She doesn't notice she is clutching her chest even in sleep.
Heartache, after all, is never just a physical pain.
---
Richard silently floats towards the sleeping figure on the bed.
He looks around the almost-empty room until his eyes finally land on the last set of clothes on the table.
He smiles sadly.
"You're finally leaving me," he whispers as he sits cross-legged on air, a foot away from Maine's back. "You know, Maine, can I call you that? Never mind. You can't do anything right now anyway. I can call you Love and you will never be able to complain."
He laughs. Bitterly.
"I've been... sad these past few days, Maine, but I understand. You didn't want me to get too attached to you before you go. Well... it's too late. I am attached to you. But don't worry, okay? I won't stalk you or anything. Like I told you...." he hesitates a bit before continuing. "... I have no place in your world anymore.
"I just... I just want to say goodbye, Maine. Even though you can't hear me, I just want to say goodbye. This is for me, actually. I can't show myself to you because I respect your decision, but I still want to see you for the last time. It's selfishness and cowardice, I know, but you gave me no choice."
He floats closer, but doesn't even try to move in front of Maine to see her face.
"My friends asked me once, yes, including Leah, how I felt about you. They asked if it's love. I told them I didn't know. Or maybe I did know, but I wasn't sure. But now, Maine, it's more than clear," he chuckles. "I truly am in love with you. It's probably the reason why I'm still here. I can't leave because you're holding my heart as well as my soul in capture.
"You are quite... unfair, don't you think? You won't even leave a piece of you with me, but here I am, giving my last broken pieces of me just for you."
Richard takes an unneeded deep breath.
"Even... even when you leave, I think I'll still stay. I don't think I can snatch my heart away from you. I'll wait until I can have it back." Richard chuckles again. "Even if it's a futile effort."
"I know you don't want it... at least not that way. But you've been a good friend to me. To us. So I know you'll take care of my heart even if... I'm not there to monitor it," the ghost continues quietly. Then he bravely leans in towards Maine's ears.
"Technically, I have a dead heart, but—" he whispers tenderly,"—it's alive when I think about you. It beats so hard for you. It resurrected for you. Maine... I love you. I really do."
Without another second though, Richard leans further to catch the sides of Maine's lips with his own.
The writer shivers in hrt sleep, but doesn't wake up.
Richard slowly floats away and out into the window.
"Goodbye, Maine. Goodbye, my Love."
TBC.
