I found myself inside an ice cream shop with coffee flavored ice cream being handed to me. I smiled at the cashier and paid, moving to sit on one of the many empty booths in the store. I looked out the window at my reflection, noticing how pale and dead I looked.
Honestly, I’d seen better looking ghosts.
I bit into my ice cream and shivered as the cold treat slid down my throat. It was too sweet for my mood, too cheery for someone like me who’d just been told by the devil that she couldn’t save her parents.
I didn’t believe him— I would find a solution or die trying if I had to.
Who are you really doing this for?
His words echoed through my mind and my throat closed up.
Was Lucifer right? Was I really trying to save my parents for selfish reasons? I mean, until the words came out of my mouth, I really hadn’t thought about what I would do regarding their situation. But back there I’d offered my life like it was nothing.
Wanting to save them, willing to give up my life so they wouldn’t die… That only came out of the fear of being left alone. If I had truly wanted us together I never would have offered up my own life— I wouldn’t have budged in my original plan to negotiate.
I took a bite out of my ice cream, closing my eyes when the cold hit my teeth.
Yes, maybe he was right.
Regardless of my intentions, though, wasn’t it still a good thing to want to save them? Did the reason behind my actions matter at all if in the end my parents would still live?
My head felt like it was pulsing in time with my heartbeat.
If two lives were all that was needed, then maybe—
“May I sit here?”
I jumped and my eyes focused on the reflection in the mirror.
Barista guy?
“Uh, sure?” I said, although it came out like a question. I turned to look at him as he sat in front of me. Cookies and cream ice cream in his hand.
What was he doing there?
“You work in the cafe across from NY Sights,” I said, trying to make conversation after a few seconds of silence.
“Yeah, I do. I’m Nathan.” He offered me his hand. “You’re the girl from the boutique.”
I placed mine in his. “Venus. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he said, pulling back. He licked his ice cream and the ghost finally appeared beside him. As if he could sense him, Nathan straightened up and fixed his glasses.
I could feel the ghost staring at me. The ice cream in my hand suddenly became much more interesting.
“So… Are you okay?” Nathan asked after a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence.
I looked up. “What?”
“Well,” he shrugged, the glare of the light hiding his eyes behind his glasses. “You looked a bit down…”
I took another bite out of my ice cream as I tried to gather my thoughts. From my reflection I would’ve guessed sick, but down? Either I was horrible at concealing my emotions or this guy was good at reading people.
“I didn’t know it was that obvious.”
“It’s not!” he replied quickly. “I’m just really good at reading people.”
Oh.
I nodded. “To be honest, today hasn’t exactly been a good day for me. It’s whatever, though.”
Nathan tilted his head. “You know— and not to seem nosy or anything— but sometimes it helps talking with a complete stranger.”
The young ghost leaned back in the booth and the top half of his body disappeared to the other side. I huffed in amusement.
“You’re not that much of a stranger. I know your name and where you work— as creepy as that sounds for just officially meeting today.”
“Been stalking me, have you?” he grinned. “I suppose I don’t mind if it's from a pretty girl like you.”
I felt my face heat up and shoved more ice cream into my mouth, hoping that would help cool me down.
The ghost sat up again and looked at me. He jerked when my eyes met his and bumped into Nathan. Without thinking, I reached out with my hand and caught a bit of ice cream that fell from Nathan’s cone upon impact from the ghost boy.
The expression on Nathan’s face was a mix between mortified and completely done with everything.
I couldn’t help it— I laughed.
“You know, if there’s anything bothering you… Someone once told me it helps to talk with a complete stranger.”
“Oh, hilarious,” Nathan glared, but I could see the smile he was trying to hide. I put the ice cream bit into my mouth and cleaned my hand on a napkin.
“It’s okay, we’re all clumsy every once in a while,” I said with a smile.
“I’m usually not the clumsy type, but lately, I feel like there’s a clumsy spirit following me everywhere, making sure I trip at the most unfortunate moments.”
His shoulders tensed and I could tell this was difficult for him, despite his light tone.
“Weird, isn’t it?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Maybe someone you knew came back to haunt you and pull pranks on your poor soul.”
He chuckled and bit into his cone.
“Actually, I like to think it’s my cousin Henry.”
“Who’s Henry?” I asked.
“He was my cousin,” he repeated. “He died three years ago, at age fourteen. An overdose.”
The ghost, Henry, looked down at the table. His expression was much more serious than any other fourteen-year-old I’d encountered.
“I’m so sorry.”
Nathan’s eyes focused on me and he smiled.
“He was the clumsiest person I knew. To this date, I still haven’t found anyone who could trip over air like he did.”
I grinned.
“You’ve got a beautiful smile, you know?”
In an instant, my face felt like fire. How could he go from talking about his dead cousin to dishing out compliments so smoothly?
“Thank you,” I managed to say.
He pulled up his sleeve to look at his watch.
“I’ve got to go,” he frowned. He glanced at me. “Can I offer you a ride home or something? It’s late.”
I straightened up. “Oh, no, I’m okay, thank you. I’m going to hang here for a little bit more, see how long it takes before the staff kicks me out. Thank you for the offer, though.”
“I’d like to see you again, if you’ll allow me?” he said with a surprisingly shy smile.
When would my face stop burning?
“All you have to do is look across the street from where you work.”
Nathan rolled his eyes at me and reached out.
“May I see your hand, please?”
Automatically, I clenched my left hand that I’d used for the blood offering. I hesitantly gave him my right one, the one holding my ice cream cone.
Smoother than I’d thought possible, he pulled out a marker from his sweater and wrote down his number across my wrist.
“Do this often?” I teased because I couldn’t let him know how my insides were all fluttering at his actions.
“Accidentally steal markers from the cafe? All the time. Never thought that would come in handy someday,” he said. “I’ll see you around, Venus.”
With a wink, he was out the door— his cousin grinning like crazy as he followed him out.
I was left a blushing mess with ice cream running down my fingers.
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