Chapter 51

The One With Ghosts

H A Y E S

I adjust myself, leaning on my elbows. The grass is still slightly damp from the rain that fell today and it’s soaked through my clothing but at this point, it’s become only a minor annoyance.

Glancing at my watch, I realize that it’s late and I should probably head home. I’ve been here for hours and nothing’s happened so it’s likely that I’m just wasting my time.

I pick up the binoculars and peer through them, scoping out the house. Most of the curtains have been closed but the ones in the living room have been left partially open. I wondered earlier if it was some sort of trap, but he’s not that smart.

A light flicks on in the master bathroom and the second my peripheral vision catches it, I shuffle on my elbows to get a better glance through the binoculars. I can’t see anything—because the curtains are drawn—but I watch a shadow as it passes and then the light is flicked off.

Back in the living room, I watch Arielle step into the kitchen. Through the small amount of window that I’m able to see through, she stands at the island, having a small glass of water. My grip tightens as Nate approaches from behind her, places his grimy hands on her hips, brushes hair off her shoulder and then presses his mouth to the back of her neck.

She smiles and a lump forms in my throat. I watch her giggle when Nate ‘s hands snake their way up his shirt that she’s wearing—it’s obvious with the way it swallows her in size. She playfully pushes his chest and I lose sight of her for a moment as she crosses the house until she stops at Nate ‘s billiards table.

Arielle gives Nate a sly smile before she seats herself on the felt surface, absentmindedly playing with the white cue ball. She rolls it slowly to the other side of the table and watches it glide into the pocket as Nate steps to her in only his boxer-briefs.

There’s some conversation between them that makes me wish I could read lips but then Nate ‘s palms are flat to the surface on either side of Arielle’s hips and she’s grabbing his neck to pull his lips to hers. I don’t miss the way her lips form into the words I love you when they pull apart.

He smiles, fingers hooking under his shirt to remove it from her body. Their mouths only part for the moment it takes the shirt to be discarded from Arielle’s body. Arielle’s back arches towards him as his mouth trails her neck and he takes one of her nipple piercings between his lips.

Her fingers are deep in his hair, tugging at the roots while his free hand traces her sternum tattoo. He suddenly grabs her hips and lifts her from the pool table, tugging her panties down her legs until they fall to the flooring. She kisses him, yanking down his underwear which causes me to avert my gaze.

I close my eyes, rubbing my temples while taking a few deep breaths. When I peer back through the binoculars, Nate has Arielle bent over the pool table and he’s fucking her like she’s nothing more than something there for his pleasure. He continues fucking her as she straightens the upper portion of her body so that the top of her back is pressed to his bare chest.

When he wraps his hand around her throat, I curse under my breath and squeeze my eyes shut, unable to observe any longer. Bile rises up my esophagus and I sit up in the dark, feeling like my stomach is about to empty its contents. I take a few careful breaths in an attempt to stop it, swallowing the lump in my throat.

I need to leave.

I gather the few things I have with me, taking a final glance at Nate ‘s house before I descend the small hill and scurry to my car. When I get inside, I turn the radio loud to drown out my thoughts and make the drive home trying to ignore what I’m feeling.

However, when I pull into my driveway, I spot a familiar car along with a woman sitting on my porch and I sigh heavily, knowing this isn’t going to be pretty. I park the vehicle, hide the binoculars and my notes under the seat so she’s unable to see them and get out hesitantly, unsure of how to approach this.

“What are you doing here?” I ask her, fidgeting with my keys to find the house one. She stands from the bench and takes a step towards me as I stuff the key into the handle and open the door.

“No hello? How have you been?” I can hear the anger and disappointment in her voice, but there’s another edge to it—worry.

“I’m sorry. Hi, Hannah. What do you want from me?”

My sister follows me into the house but doesn’t bother closing the door behind her. I step around her as I remove my jacket, closing and locking it. She folds her arms to gaze at me angrily while I kick my shoes off and head to the kitchen for a beer.