My Story: The Winchester House [Completed]

14: The Closet

My mind reeled at the thought of Max being in love with me as I was going to be married. I swept one of the bedrooms and let my thoughts entertain me.

He thinks that you are beautiful, a metallic female voice said as a spirit materialised. She was wearing a pale pink dress and she was clearly shot in the stomach.

"He barely knows me," I told her as I swept the dust from the floor.

But he does know you. I dare say he knows more of your habits than Luke does, she told me and I looked at her.

"How would you know that? What makes you say that?" I asked as I held the broom in both hands.

I watch him. You catch his attention and he can't look away, she said. She slowly disappeared as Madalynn walked into the room. She looked around and then gave me a weird look.

"Talking to yourself?" she asked and I shook my head. She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head at me.

"The spirit was here telling me something," I said. She closed the door and walked to me.

"Are you getting cold feet? You get married next week but even Luke said that you barely look at him," she asked me and I shook my head.

"I love Luke," I said.

Why do you lie? Do you want to protect him? the female asked and I swallowed my pride as I thought the unthinkable.

I don't know if what I feel is love for Max, I thought and she was gone like the wind.

"That doesn't explain the avoiding looks," Madalynn said and I looked out of the window.

"It is stressful when a wedding is right around the corner," I lied easily and the spirits whispered to me that I was a good girl for lying to protect people.

"Don't stress out about the wedding. Everything is set," Madalynn said and I nodded with a smile.

*

I walked down the hall. I had to find Max. I had to put everything to rest so I didn't leave Luke at the alter. It was late in the afternoon and I knew Luke went to run errands.

"Samantha, is something the matter?" Max asked as he turned out of the dining room. I grabbed his arm and opened one of the closets and stepped in, pulling him with me. The door closed and I realised how close we were. Our chest were touching and his face was no more than 12 inches from my own.

"I wanted to talk to you privately," I whispered, realising that my body was heating up.

"What can I do for you, Miss Smith?" he asked. I looked away for a moment.

"What did you mean?" I asked and he got a confused look.

"What did I mean?" he repeated. I closed my eyes and I shook my head.

"You said that you won't be opposed to me knocking on your door one night. What did you mean?" I asked and he cupped my cheek.

"I mean that if something happens and you feel alone, I am here for you," he said. I grabbed his hand, relishes the feeling of his hand on my cheek before pushing it off so I would at the very least feel free of his control.

"That is not your job, Max. That is Luke's," I told him and he lifted my chin so our eyes would meet.

"You and I both know how you look at him and you and I both know psychology says you were lost and confused and yet he gave you a challenge," he said and I stared at him.

"Don't psychoanalysis me, Max," I stated and he put his hands on either side of my head.

"If you didn't think I was right, you wouldn't stay in here," he said and I swallowed as he touched my pins holding up my hair. My hair fell over my shoulders as he pulled the pins out.

"Max, this is cheating," I stated through a dry throat and my nerves shot through the roof.

"I just wanted to see your hair down, Sam. Nothing else. I mean no harm," he whispered to me and I stared at him as he wrapped my hair around his finger. "Why does Luke insist on calling you Samantha?" I was taken aback.

"He... because he respects me and my name," I said and he chuckled, lowly where his chest tumbled and effectively shook my chest.

"Luke is my best friend and he doesn't call me by my full name," he said.

"If your full name isn't Max, it's because no one knows it," I stated and closed his eyes.

"Maximum," he whispered and I smiled a little bit.

"That is a beautiful name," I commented as I tried to leave but he put his hand my shoulder, lightly, to stop me from leaving the closet.

"Think about what you are jumping into with Luke. I will protect you and provide for your life," he told me and I shook my head.

"Luke makes me happy, Max. Please stop trying to stop my wedding," I said and stepped out of the closet with Max close behind me.

"Samantha!" Madalynn yelled as she s saw Max and myself. She ran towards us and I caught her arm.

"Madalynn, what happened? What's wrong?" I asked. She was breathing hard and I felt the coldness of the spirits surround me as if giving me a hug.

"It's Luke. There was an accident on his way back and he..." Madalynn trailed off but I didn't need her to finish her statement. I fell to my knees and Max knelt next to me as he pulled me to his chest.

"No, the wedding is next week," I said, biting back the tears. Max put my head on his shoulder and rubbed my back.

"It's going to fine in the end," Max whispered and I held on to him like a child holding onto its mother. He picked me up and I felt the tears on my face that were going to go his shirt. "Sam, I'm not going to leave you anytime soon." Max laid me down and he laid next to me as I cried myself to sleep.