Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 52976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
I resist a sudden urge to laugh.
Byron notices and frowns. “I’m being serious here. Focus. We don’t have time to goof off.”
“Yeah, says the guy who wanted to ghost-fuck me a second ago.”
His frown deepens. “A second ago, we were in your apartment. Then in the streets. Your childhood suburbs. And now here in this rank gym that smells like rubber and dirty jockstraps.”
“That doesn’t make you hornier?” I ask, then let out a chuckle I can’t suppress anymore.
“Griffin …”
“Seriously, it would be the greatest fuck-you to my asshole high school coaches and the best wedding gift if you’d take me right here on this gymnasium floor. We can be legends. Look at all these depressed faces. We can give them a show.” I cling to Byron’s waist and pull our hips together. Despite his authority a second ago, I see his eyes glisten with desire as our faces draw close. “Do me. Right here. Rip my fucking clothes off.”
For one beautiful instant, I’m pretty sure Byron is about to give in.
Then: “Message received. You’re subtly telling me our marriage will need more spice from here on out.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll give you all the dirty sex you want, Griffin, my love. I’ll be kinkier. You know I like it rough. I’ll do whatever makes you happy—rough, sweet, spicy, and everything in between.”
“So … you do want to fuck me on this gymnasium floor right now …?”
“I’ll drive you here myself and do it in the middle of your high school’s next championship game if you want. But first …” He brings my face really close and whispers the rest. “We have to get your soul back.”
His lips are so distractingly gorgeous. “R-Right.”
“And to do that, we need to find West.”
His eyes, too. I love Byron so much. “Yes.”
“And we need to find him soon. So please, babe … for me, for us … try to think. Think hard. Maybe West can do the same thing you’re doing. He could have gone somewhere himself. Somewhere very important to him. Where would West go? Think.”
“I … I don’t know. To find his parents, maybe? But I don’t know where they live.”
“Good thinking. Your first place you went was your childhood home. You sure he never mentioned where he used to live? Street name? City? Anything?”
Suddenly this gymnasium feels very crowded. My mind floods with the limitless possibilities of where Westley Harmeyer could have gone. “Byron, until now, I thought the bastard was just going to be in the street somewhere. But … But he could be anywhere on Earth. He could be in fucking Honolulu for all we know.”
“Focus.”
“He could be hiding in the changing room of some Victoria’s Secret or up in someone’s asshole. Where the hell is he? West! Westley!” I’ve resorted to calling out for him. “WEST!! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU PUNK!! GIVE ME BACK MY DAMNED SOUL!!”
Byron won’t let go of me. He keeps me close to his body—or else I simply can’t get away from him, like an invisible power keeps us together. “Calm down …”
I drop my eyes to the ground. “I’m gonna die.”
“No, you won’t.”
“I’m gonna die from hypo-spirit-thermia and it’s all my ghost roommate’s fault.”
At once, Byron brings his hands to my face, pulling my eyes to his. “It’s a simple process of elimination. He won’t be just anywhere, Griffin. He will be somewhere meaningful. Significant. It could be a place. It could be a person. It could even be a restaurant he loved to eat at. A venue. Start small. Start simple. Think.”
“Byron, I can’t …”
“Close your eyes.”
I feel helpless, but I close my eyes, succumbing to Byron’s advice despite all of my crushing doubt. I let the silence and the peace behind my eyelids guide me. I try to imagine myself as West. Where would I go? Who would I try to see? What would I try to do?
Then I try to imagine myself as both of us.
Michoseph, the silly name we gave ourselves when he’s inside me that combines our middle names.
My heart gallops—or whatever might represent my heart in this weird place. Where are we hiding, West?
Then my heart stutters, as if in answer.
I feel longing suddenly.
I feel overwhelming happiness and hope.
And I feel frustration.
“Griffin …?”
“I think I …” Something tickles. An urge to laugh again has my chest tightening up. “I think I feel …”
“You feel what?”
At once, it makes sense. “I feel the piece of my soul that’s inside West … the part of me that’s missing.”
“Really?? Cling to it, Griffin. Grab hold of it. Tight. That’s where we need to go. You must be sensing West or something.”
“He’s lonely.” I clench my eyes shut tighter. “He’s also … hopeful. I’m so confused by what he’s feeling.”
“Try to figure out where he is. We need to go there right now, babe. We’re running out of time.”