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 guess there’s still a lot we don’t know,” I realize. “I figured we’d know everything by now, after what you and I have been through.”
“Tell me about it.” West glances past me suddenly, and his eyes go wide. “Uh …”
I turn around, following his line of sight. Standing at the door is Byron once again.
And Byron is, to say the very least, stunned silent.
His eyes don’t blink. His mouth doesn’t close. He just stands there at the door like a statue, even his breath frozen to his hanging lips.
West gives him a tiny chin-lift. “Hey there, hubby.”
Byron’s trance is broken. “H-H-Hi …?”
I beckon Byron over. “Come here, babe. This is … someone I’ve been dying for you to meet.”
“Poor choice of words,” mumbles West.
“Shut it,” I snap. Seeing that Byron is incapable of moving away from the door, I come over to him instead and usher him in. “Come in, babe. Everything’s okay.”
“What’s his deal?” asks West. “The guy looks like he’s seen a ghost.”
Ignoring West’s taunts, I bring Byron over to him. “Sweetheart, this is—”
“Westley Harmeyer,” says Byron for me. “I never thought I’d … I’d see an actual ghost. My whole life of hearing about them. You look so—” He squints at West for a moment, picking a word. “You look so normal.”
West shrugs. “Yeah, I know. Super underwhelming as fuck, right?”
“It’s actually …” Byron’s face relaxes. “… sort of perfectly what I was expecting, to be honest. I’m just a bit surprised you’re actually here.”
Finally, West smiles. “Glad we can meet like this.”
“Me too,” admits Byron with a laugh. “You’re … actually a lot more handsome than I thought you were.”
West quirks an eyebrow. “Really?”
“I mean, I’ve seen a picture or two. Obituary and in the news and stuff. Just … your face moves differently than I expected. You’re cuter.”
West snorts. “‘Cuter’?” He eyes me. “Griff, dude, your husband is hitting on me, and I kinda like it.” West and I share a laugh while Byron continues to stare at him with curiosity. “Hey, if this is your way of saying you want to have another ghost threesome …”
That snaps Byron out of it. “I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re thinking it, right?”
Byron squirms, gives me a funny look, then finally shrugs. “I mean, I guess I wouldn’t be opposed to it …”
That makes all three of us burst into laughter. And for probably the first time in history, apartment 313 is filled with overflowing joy and happiness, and the ghost that once haunted its walls is the reason for it all. The three of us decide to sit on the floor and chat about all of our crazy times over the years. I swear it feels like all of us have been friends all along with no time wasted, the three of us sharing laughter and stories that will last us a lifetime. I am already convinced this strange night has truly become one I’ll never forget.
But like good dreams and life itself, all things end.
Nina is waiting for Westley.
It’s time for him to go.
“I can’t make any promises,” says West, “but if the natural laws of life and death don’t hold me back, this won’t be the last time I see you guys. I plan to visit each and every time I can. I’ll visit every holiday. And if that isn’t possible, then I’ll visit every Halloween. And if the gateway between our world and yours gets shut at some point, well, damn it, just order a pizza whenever you think of me and eat it in my honor. I’ll know.”
I take hold of West’s shoulder and give it a loving squeeze, staring deeply into my best friend’s eyes.
I feel like he’s saying goodbye.
He knows it. I know it.
“I look forward to every cheesy, gooey bite,” I tell him with a smile. I hope he doesn’t see the tear in the corner of my eye.
West nods. “You bet your ass you w—” He chokes up. Fuck, he’s trying not to cry, too. “You bet your ass you will, Griff. You better take care of him, Byron. And if you guys do something gross and have kids or some kind of happy-family shit like that, you better name one of them rascals after me. The worst one. Even if it’s a girl. West can be a bad ass girl’s name, right?”
I slam myself against West at once, hugging him with every damned thing I’ve got. Every trace of humor is gone. I cannot bear the thought that this could be the last time I see Westley Harmeyer.
When I pull away, there are tears in my eyes. He notices, but is smart to say nothing.
“West,” I ask, “can you do me a favor?”
His voice is tightened when he says, “Sure, bud. I can do fucking anything for you.”