Chapter 4The Ghost of Us: A Late Crematorium

I floated home with Holden. He sat on the couch, staring blankly, as if the sudden reality hadn't registered.

I couldn't blame him; even I felt like I was in a dream.

One second I was perfectly alive, arguing with him about his ex-girlfriend. The next, I was murdered, reduced to a wandering spirit in the mortal realm.

I could never go back.

I was dead. My body had been hacked over twenty times. Every minute leading up to my death was agonizing. My physical form was now just a pile of ashes, and here I was, a pathetic ghost, greedily searching my boyfriend's demeanor for any tiny clue that he might have actually loved me.

What a pitiful, tragic existence.

Maybe before the sun rises tomorrow, I'll fade away completely. I suddenly felt a little scared.

Holden stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought. I gently drifted over and rested my head against his shoulder.

Trying to draw some warmth from his body.

Surprisingly, when the sun rose the next day, I hadn't vanished. I turned to look for Holden.

He was on the phone with Stella Montgomery. They were going on a business trip together to handle a client's case in Boston.

Oh, right. He and Stella were both lawyers.

Last year, Stella jumped ship and joined his top-tier Big Law firm. Holden was a senior partner there.

That was when our frequent, explosive arguments began.

I remember one time I was so furious I lost my filter. I asked, "Holden, do you want to rekindle things with your ex? If you want to break up, just say it."

He stood in the living room, backlit by the window, his handsome face devoid of emotion. He just stared at me coldly and didn't say a word.

Later, I regretted the fight and gave myself a way out. I stood in the kitchen, wiping my tears, and asked, "Holden, do you want beef stew or chicken parm for dinner?"

He said beef stew.

And just like that, we made up, both pretending the fight had never happened.