Inseparable Strangers (17 page)

Reluctantly,
we extricated ourselves from one another. “I’ll walk you to the car then meet
you at your house. I want to stay behind and check things out around here. I
need to make sure that guy doesn’t have any other friends lingering around.” He
wrapped his fingers behind my neck and kissed me easily on the forehead. “Be
careful. I l—. Just be careful. See you soon.”

Before
I could process what was about to fall out of his mouth, he disappeared from
thin air. It was magical. And, it was a cop-out.

I
stood in place, dazed and confused.

He
was about to say the L word.

Love.

Love.

Love.

Love
.

I
couldn’t stop saying it. The way it rolled off my tongue felt foreign. Sure,
I’d had many guys in the past to tell me they loved me, but it was never real.
It was just their way of hoping I’d turn to putty in their hands so they could
take advantage of me.

The
way he didn’t say it told me he meant it.

It
was strange watching mom fade in and out in the passenger seat. It reminded me
of Mike TV from
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
when he scattered
into a million pieces before being put back together to fit inside the TV
screen.

“Mom?”
It was odd to say her name out loud and for her to actually be here to hear me.
“Are you okay?”

She
nodded. “Yes, sweetie, it’s just I haven’t had very much practice with
interacting amongst the living and scaring the bejeezus out of them.”

Her
fading was getting a little better. “Until Aaron found me, I never had a reason
to show myself, so I didn’t know how the others did it,” she said with a shrug.
“We probably spent a couple hours of him teaching me how to focus so I could
not only appear in front of you, but also, so I could hug you when I finally
got to see you.” A smile beamed upon her face. It was the exact smile I saw
every day in the mirror.

Nothing
in my life seemed real anymore. It all felt like a dream, and if it was, I
never wanted to wake up. If I were to die right now in a car accident or some
other tragic mishap, I would go forward into the other world living…or dying a
happy woman.

What
more could a girl ask for? A wonderful man, who had shaped and formed me into a
woman I’d been learning to love and accept, and who also loved me although he
hadn’t exactly came out and said it. Then we had my mother, who was here with
me now. My life was complete.

“You
know, Mom, I never thought this day would happen. I never thought I’d see you
again until I died.” Happy tears prickled my eyes.

She
reached over to play with my hair but her fingers fell right through it. “This
is so much easier when I’m not distracted. Wait, that didn’t come out right.
I’m not distracted by you, I’m distracted by the emotions going through me
while I’m with you. There’s so much joy, it almost makes me feel alive.”

If
my tears hadn’t fallen before, they were now.

She
closed her eyes, reached over to me once again, and this time she didn’t try
for my hair. She swept up one of the falling tears racing down my cheek. “If
these were tears of sorrow, I’d scold you, but I know they’re tears of
happiness because I feel it too.” I nodded. I was too choked on words to agree.

For
the rest of the ride, she continued to caress me in her motherly way until we
pulled into the garage. I’d partly considered to drive around town all night
just to feel her touch. I wanted it to drag it out as long as possible because
I didn’t know how long I would have her. Those details weren’t something Aaron
and I had ever discussed. It wasn’t a subject I knew to discuss.

“Here
we are. Home sweet home.”

“You
have a lovely home, Lennox. I’m very proud of you.”

That
odd feeling of guilt over rode me again. There was nothing for her to be proud
of. None of this was from any accomplishments I’d made. I’d taken my father on
a free ride, and never once had I felt ashamed about it. Not until now. My
pride got in the way, and I decided to let her believe it was mine. At least
for a while. I’d tell her. Eventually. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her,
right?

I
smiled, hoping she didn’t see through my guilt. “Thanks, Mom.”

She
twitched her head as if she heard something. “Oh, Aaron is already here.”

I
looked at her oddly.

“Don’t
look for me to explain. It’s just one of those
magical
gifts we obtain
after we die.” She rolled her eyes as she said the word magical as if she
thought it was ridiculously stupid.

We
both climb out of my car. Well, Mom sort of disappeared then reappeared in
front of me right as I opened the door. “This is going to take a lot of getting
used to,” I muttered under my breath.

She
smiled and slightly shook her head. “I’ve lived among the dead for so long; I
don’t know how to interact with the living. I keep forgetting I need to
concentrate so I don’t freak you out.”

“You’re
not freaking me out. It’s just different from what I’m used to,” I said to
reassure her.

As
soon as Aaron saw me, he crushed into me and held me tight. “I’m so sorry I
left you alone for so long. I should’ve contacted you instead of leaving you to
worry about where I was and what was going on. I promise to never do that
again.” Being in his arms made everything right in the world. “It turns out she
was nowhere near the Convention Center; she was wandering around Beckford
River” I looked up at him confused. “Usually when a person dies, their body
lurks within the vicinity where their body lies.”

“You
mean, she’s not in her grave?”

A
loud crash of glass breaking against hardwood flooring startled us both. We, or
I, took off running into the living room to find my crystal picture frame which
held a picture of my mother, my father, and myself when I was an infant
scattered everywhere. Mom was buzzing back and forth. One second I would catch
a glimpse of her then the next; she stood still staring at the picture on the
floor with her hand held over her mouth.

Running
to her side, I wanted to hug her, but I couldn’t. “Mom, what’s wrong? What
happened?” I asked frantically.

“I
remember,” she whispered. Her hands still covered her mouth, and they were shaking.
“I’d forgotten but it’s all starting to come back.”

Then
she disappeared.

“Mom!”
I yelled. “Come back, please? What do you remember?” My heart stammered with
panic. She couldn’t leave me again. Could this have something to do with her
body lying at the bottom of Beckford River? What happened to her?

“Aaron,
where’d she go? Please find her,” I begged. Fallen tears landed on the bottom
of my cheeks. They weren’t the wonderfully happy tears I’d experienced just
moments earlier.

He
came up behind me and wrapped his arms tightly around my chest. “She’s not
gone, I promise,” he reassured me. “She’s having a flashback. I can see bits
and pieces of what she sees, but I can’t make it out enough to pinpoint
specifics.”

Frantically,
my eyes scanned the perimeter of the living room. “Then why can’t I see her?”

“Because
she’s not focused.”

He
kissed the top of my head. “She’s reliving something from her past,” he said
with a gentle voice. It was the way he said it that made me feel alarmed. It
was almost as if he was forewarning me for what was to come.

We
stood still, waiting for my mother to get past whatever was haunting her.
Reaching up, I wrapped my hands over Aaron’s strong forearms he still had
enveloped around me. He never once seemed fazed by my rush of tears falling
onto his arms. Once again, I was utterly thankful for him being with me. It was
as if he was my guardian angel. Someone God had sent down to protect me when my
life was directed down a shitty path.

After
what felt like hours, my legs grew tired and I rested all my weight against
Aaron. “Are you sure she’s still here?”

“Yes.
I know you can’t see her but I can.” Knowing he wouldn’t lie to me was the only
thing still giving me hope that she hadn’t left forever.

Twisting
around in his arms, I looked up at him and I saw terror in his eyes. The pained
expression on his face frightened me. “What is it? Tell me.”

My
pulse sped up. I could feel my heart pumping blood profusely through my veins.
“Aaron, you’re scaring me. Please tell me what’s going on. What do you see?”

He
released me, grabbed my shoulders with both hands and bent down so he was eye
level with me. “Lennox, I need to help your mom, but I’ll be right back. I
promise.”

Before
I could stop him, he was gone.

Disappeared.

Vanished
from thin air.

Almost
like a figment of my imagination.

Sometimes
I wondered if he was. The last few weeks could’ve been a dream. A crazy story I
concocted up in my mind. Who else hangs out and socializes with dead people?
Not normal people that was for damn sure.  

Slowly,
I walked around the room. Taking baby steps, zigzagging the entire length to
make sure I didn’t miss an empty spot. I wanted to feel something. A zap of
supernatural powers. But, I came up empty handed. Closing my eyes, I tried to
connect to any type of kinetic energy surrounding the room, but again, I got
nothing.

After
spending the day searching the town for Aaron, dealing with the dead guy, and
then finally seeing my mom, my adrenaline was running on fumes. My body grew
tired, and my emotional state was wearing me down even further. I tried
fighting the fatigue but to no avail. I gave in. Laying down on the couch, I
waited until Aaron and my mom came back to me.

“Lennox.”

“Lennox,
wake up.”

My
eyes sprang open, and I jumped to my feet. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting,
but looking at Aaron and my mother stand before me in one piece and unharmed
relieved me from all the apprehension I’d suffered from earlier.

I
lunged toward both of them and sandwiched myself in a trio hug. “I’m so happy I
have both of you back.” Somehow, my tear ducts produced more of the wet stuff.
It was unreal how much and how easily I was able to cry. I hadn’t shed a tear
in years, and now it was to the point where I couldn’t stop.

It
must be true how they say love makes you do crazy things. Am I saying I love
Aaron? The love for my mother was unquestionable, but I cried for Aaron too. I
cried for his absence. I cried for his safety. And I cried now because for the
first time in my life, I had the comfort of knowing I was loved.

Aaron
pulled me toward him and held me tight in his arms. “Shh…it’s okay, baby. We’re
all here now and nobody is going anywhere. We’re not leaving,” he murmured
against my hair. “But, we do need to sit down and talk about a few things.”

I
looked up at him, my eyes blurred from being wet. Mom stood off to the side.
Something was off. She was distant.

“What’s
wrong? What’s going on?” Panic filtered through my insides.

“I
can’t do this yet, Aaron.” And again, she disappeared into thin air.

“What
can’t she do?” I pleaded, looking for answers.

He
shook his head. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Sharon needs time alone tonight,
she’s fine. We’ll talk about everything tomorrow,” he said reassuringly as he
caressed my face.

Aaron
carefully picked me up, carried me upstairs to my bedroom, and laid me down on
my bed. My comforter smelled of fresh linen, and I found the scent soothing. My
chest constricted tightly with each breath, and my abs became sore from crying.

My
mattress gave away from his weight as he laid down beside of me. “I’m so proud
of you, Lennox,” he said as he rubbed the muscles in my back with a gentle
hand.

My
mind was too busy running in circles to reply, so I kept quiet. I only nodded
in response.

“You’ve
had so many things dropped in your lap today, and instead of fighting it like
you’ve done before, you embraced it. You took it by the horns and owned it.
You’ve been so strong.”

His
words caught me by surprise. The last word used to describe me was strong. I’d
turned into a crying little bitch recently. Weak: That was the word one would
use to describe me.

“You’re
not weak. And by crying, it shows your true character. It shows the woman I’ve
known you to be all along. You were just too stubborn to realize it.” He positioned
his arm so he could prop his head on his hand.  “Sorry, I’m reading your mind.
I’m just worried about you and I figured the only way I can make sure you’re
okay is by peeking in that beautiful little head of yours.” He smiled then
leaned over and kissed the corner of my mouth.

That
was all it took. Those tiny little gestures of affection were all it took to
cause my heart to swell like it did with him. Nobody on earth had ever made me
feel the way he did. 

One
corner of my mouth twitched in an attempt to smile back at him. And even though
my heart swelled with love for this wonderful, loving ghost, it was also heavy
with grief.

His
earthy green eyes gazed at me as if he was looking inside my soul.
When I
first met you, I thought you were as worthless as some year-old gum I picked
off the bottom of my shoe.
How is it I think you are the most wonderful
thing that could have ever walked into my life?

Aaron
chuckled then brushed his knuckles with a feather-like touch across my cheek.
“Believe me, I knew exactly what you thought and how you felt about me that day
I fixed your tire.” He leaned over and gave me a quick peck on my lips. “I
thought you were the most stunning woman I’d seen in all my dead years, but
what drew me to you was your feisty attitude. I knew from the moment you’d sped
off that your interior was just as beautiful as your exterior. There was no
fooling me. But I didn’t put too much more thought into it because I’d never
expected to see you again.” His thumb slid down my cheek and rubbed softly over
my bottom lip. “Then that tragic day came, and you saved me. When your pretty
face came into focus, I knew it was meant to be. Fate brought you to me. It
couldn’t have been for any other reason. Our paths crossed for a reason,
Lennox. I couldn’t ignore another encounter with you.”

He
came at me hard. His lips attacked mine in an urgent manner. The kiss was deep.
He was hungry…for me. I gave back just as much as he was giving. My nipples
hardened as our chemistry intensified. The delicate area between my thighs
heated with need. It had been so long since a man had touched me, and all I
could think about was Aaron’s hands, mouth, and other extremities on me, over
me, and in me. “I want you, Aaron. I need to feel you through every part of my
body,” I said with a heavy breath in between kisses.

“Oh,
God. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to say that.” He
kissed me roughly and passionately, his need matching mine.

“But…I
can’t,” he whispered. He shifted away from me and dropped his head, resting his
forehead on the bed.

I
was stunned. A little hurt. Being rejected, especially in the heat of the
moment wasn’t something I had ever faced before.

He
popped his head up and looked at me. “It’s not you. Please, don’t think that.
It’s anything but that. It’s because of our situation. You’re human…alive, and
I’m not.” His voice dripped with disappointment. 

“And…what
difference would that make? We touch, we kiss…why would we not be able to do
more?”

“I
wouldn’t be able to concentrate enough to…,” he rubbed his hand over his face.

“To
be able to what?”

“To
finish. Okay?”

“Oh,”
I said, my lips still formed in an O shape as I took in what he was trying to
say without saying it.

“So,
are you even able to
perform
?” I squeezed my eyes shut, regretting the
words that just fell out of my mouth. “Wait. That came out wrong.”

“No,
I know what you’re trying to say. I can perform perfectly fine,” he said with a
confident smile, only pausing for a second to laugh. “The problem is, I know I
would be so lost in you, I wouldn’t be able to focus on staying in human form.”
He leaned over, gripped the back of my neck, nudged me closer to him, then he
kissed me with the most tender kiss I’d ever felt.

Against
my will, he broke the kiss leaving me breathless. “There is one way we can
continue this, but I don’t know how you’ll feel about it.”

“Are
you serious? How?” If he didn’t have my full attention before, he definitely
had it now. “And I know exactly how I’ll feel about it. Good. Perfect.
Wonderful. Awesome. Should I continue?” I asked, giving him a crooked smile.

A
hearty laugh erupted throughout the room. “You can be a funny little thing
sometimes,” he said, continuing to chuckle. “And a horny little vixen too.”

“If
you’d gone without as long as I have, you’d feel the same way too,” I muttered
under my breath.

“Are
you serious right now? Um, did you forget how long I’ve been dead? And that
doesn’t count how long it had been since I had sex before I died.”

“Dammit!
I forgot you can hear every damn thing I say whether it’s out loud or in my
mind.” I took a pillow and swung it at him. The pillow swished right through
him. He’d turned into a hologram. “Cheater.”

We
both laughed, and it felt good to forget about the craziness that had taken
over my life in the last several hours. It felt great letting my guard down in
front of someone for the first time in my life. Most of all, it felt great
sharing my time with someone who saw me for who I really was and still fell in
love with me.

Our
laughter quietened down, and Aaron slightly pulled away from me. Not literally
but mentally. His brows bunched together, and his lips drew in a flat line.
Something was obviously on his mind, and it made me feel uneasy.

“Is
something wrong?” I rubbed my fingers lightly over his arm, allowing the hairs
to tickle my fingertips.

He
released a deep breath through his nose. “There is a way we can be together
sexually.” My ears perked up and my eyes widened. He had my full-on attention.
How?

“Dreams.”

“Dreams?”
My eyebrows drew together. This sounded a little on the creepy side. I hadn’t
had the best experience the last time I remembered my dream.

“Yes.
I can enter your mind while you dream. We can carry on a full conversation. We
can touch, play, kiss…fuck.” The way he said fuck and the smirk he gave after
had me melting in my panties. He rolled over onto his back and laughed like a
lunatic.

“Stop
reading my damn mind!” I couldn’t help to laugh along with him. His laughter
was so contagious. Besides, it felt good to my soul. Laughing this much wasn’t
something I was used to doing.

“I’m
sorry. I’m sorry. It’s just I love the way your mind works. The things you say
in that precious cranium of yours makes me smile.” He rolled back over onto his
stomach. His laughter disappeared, and he stared at me with heated eyes.
“Everything you do makes me smile.” He leaned over to me and placed a sweet
kiss on my lips. “It also makes me horny.”

“Then
I say it’s time for a nap. What do you think?”

“I
don’t really sleep, but I’m all for you taking one.” He bit his bottom lip and
held it between his teeth. Damn, he had no idea just how aroused he had me.
Never mind, he knew exactly how crazy he was making me. Sneaky bastard.

“You
know it’s going to be hard for me to go to sleep. The anticipation has me wired
up.”

He
laughed. “You? How do you think I feel? I’m ready to slip you a drug to put you
to sleep. Listening to you think about how wet I’m making you is about to send
me over the edge.”

“Okay,
I have an idea. How about you go to your room, or downstairs, or somewhere
besides in my room and in my bed. Because as long as you’re in my face, I’ll
never be able to relax long enough to sleep.”

“Alright,
but if you’re not out within an hour, I’m coming up here to take matters in my
own hands.” He got up on all fours, leaned over to kiss my forehead, and then
came in quick to suck the bottom of my lip. “See you soon, Sugar Lips,” he said
with a sultry voice.

Leaving
me in a heaping pool of melted goo, he walked out of my room, shutting the door
behind him.
Damn tease.

Inhaling
deeply, I climbed up to my pillows, pulled the comforter down, and slid into my
bed. My mind was too busy to fall asleep so easily, and I didn’t want to start
thinking about the day’s earlier events because it brought on too much pain.

After
lying still for about a minute, my door crashed open, banging into the wall and
Aaron came trudging toward me with lustful eyes. “Fuck the dreams,” he growled.
He climbed over top of me and ripped the covers from my body. “I need you,
Lennox. I need your gorgeous body naked,” he said with a heavy breath as he
quickly jerked my panties down my legs, and tossed them to the floor. He was
like a wild animal. His moves were primal. Starting at my ankles, he hungrily
kissed his way up to my thighs, paying special attention to my warm, wet slit
with his fingers. “This is so much better than a dream,” he murmured over my
skin as he left a trail of kisses to my breasts.

“Yes,”
I said with a gasp. His mouth worked in sync with his fingers and the sensation
caused my toes to curl. A tight sensation grew in my belly and traveled
straight to my clit. I was on the verge of having an orgasm.

“Mmm…you
taste better than I was expecting. I can’t wait to get a taste of your juices
below,” Aaron said, looking up at me with a heated desire. When his mouth
abandoned the small bud, the cool air caused it to pucker. “Hmpf, this won’t
do,” he said as he closed his mouth back over it, causing a little moan to
escape me.

His
smoldering eyes watched me as I watched him devour my breasts. He took turns
from licking, suckling, and biting each breasts as his hands explored my ass
and thighs. The sight of him enjoying me was a turn-on in itself. I could watch
him relish my body for hours.

My
moans grew louder as he pressed his cock against me. I was usually one for
foreplay but my wants was outweighing my patience, and I needed him in me
before I combusted.

Somewhere
in between losing myself on the brink of an orgasm, my shirt and bra had miraculously
disappeared, and I was glad for it. Taking charge, I sat up on my knees, pushed
him down on his back and straddled his waist. His hands gripped my hips and he
positioned me so his hardness would rub against my sweet spot. The sensation
was mind-blowing, and I threw my head back with a loud groan as he quickly
brought me to my first orgasm of the night.

As
soon as I came down from my little slice of ecstasy, he sat me down on top of
his hardened length with one simple thrust. “Oh god,” I groaned as my eyes
rolled back in my head.

“Damn,
you’re so tight…so perfect,” he said with a strained voice. He held my waist
and tried to set me at the pace he wanted, but I was in charge of this
pleasurable ride, so I pushed his hands away and shook my head. With my palms
resting on his chest, I positioned myself so we both would be brought pleasure,
and I rode him with an intoxicating rhythm.

His
wild greens gazed at me with lust until he slowly closed his eyes. His eyebrows
drew together as if he was in pleasurable pain, his lips slightly parted with
heavy breaths. He lifted his hips to meet me as I came down on him, filling me
with every thick inch of him.

Right
as I was about to experience my second orgasm of the night, he picked me up,
flipped me around so my back was on the bed, and slipped into me slow and
teasingly. “It’s a turn on for you to take charge, but I’m the boss now,” he
said, moving in and out of me a little too slow for my liking. I fixed my feet
on the bed and pushed my hips up to him to try and speed up the process. When
he noticed what I was doing, he grabbed both my ankles and held them in place up
by his shoulders. He thought he had the upper hand, and I wasn’t one to
complain. The position drove him in deeper, bringing me on the edge of my
second orgasm.

Our
bodies joined together as one and it was in that moment I realized I truly
loved him. No matter how difficult our situation was, I couldn’t fathom a
minute of my life without him in it. The chemistry was there. The sexual pull
was there. The heart-warming love was there, although I hadn’t admitted it to
him or myself. He was right. Fate had to have been playing a hand in all of
this. How else would I stumble upon him after a strange encounter, to rescuing
him and mending his wounds, to him finding my mother for me? We were meant to
be together. My only question was, why? Why would we fall for one another when
we were from two different worlds? All of this shouldn’t be happening, but I
couldn’t come up with any other explanation.