Betwinx (Paranormal Erotic Romance Novella) (12 page)

“I think he’s serious,” Midge said in a loud whisper that Phil
ip
could hear.

“Ummm humm
, I think I am
,
too.” He leaned in and kissed Valerie
again
.

“You guys can get a room tonight after we’re finished.” Midge pushed them apart. “
Right now, we need to make
plans.”

“
What costumes are you two wearing to the party
?” Philip
wiggled
his toes in the sand
and kicked some at
Midge.

“Cut it out, Phil!” Midge stepped away. “How about Ninjas? Then we can wear all black
to the party
and not be seen later.”

“I thought I was going to be a knight.”

“
I know you’re my
gallant
knight, you don’t really have to dress up like one. Ninjas are perfect.
W
e should leave at
eleven thirty
.
” Valerie said. “That’ll give us a half hour to walk over to the Hutchinson
p
lace.”

“We can get there in ten minutes. What are we going to do for
the other twenty
?” Philip
said
,
turning
so the wind blew the hair from his eyes
.

“We wait.” Midge grabbed Valerie’s hand and pulled her along
the sand toward the boardwalk. “See you later, bro!”

“Girls.”
Philip
rolled his eyes,
gr
abbed his boogie board
and ran to the ocean.

* * * * *

“
Lorna
, wake up.”
Travis
jostled her shoulder. “It’s late. We need to get ready.”

She stretched
and opened her eyes. He was resting on one elbow, gazing down at her. “Were you watching me sleep?”

“You snore.”
A grin spread across his face.

“I do not!”
She
stretched and wrapped her arms around his neck
.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. We wasted time together because we were snoozing.”

“Don’t you know one of my favorite things is to sleep with you snuggled next to me?”
He stood and pulled her up from the pallet.
“
We should get back to the house.”

“We don’t have our costumes.”

“This year we don’
t need them,
”
Travis
said.
“Let’s get dressed
and wait for Valerie.”

* * * * *

“This is
a really
bad idea.” Philip
pointed
the flashlight toward the old house. “Let’s go back.”

“Shh, quit being such a chicken!” Midge walked out in front
of the small group
.

Valerie followed close on her heels, shining
the beam of
her flashlight
alongside
Midge’s to create a larger
area
of light.

“Peop
le do weird things on Halloween,” Philip said.
“
We should go back to the party.”

Valerie turned to face
him
. “Well, this year, we’re the ones doing weird things. Come on.”

“I want to know
why
you
had to come here.
This place gives me the creeps during the day. I’d much rather be back at the party having fun with our friends.
What did Ms. Delores say to you?”

Ignoring Phil
ip
,
Valerie followed Mi
dge up the creaky old steps into the burned out building.
With
Midge by her side and Philip taking up the rear,
she
went through the front door that was nearly rotted off its hinges.
The place really was an eyesore.
Next year a new shopping complex
would be
built
here
.

That had to be why
Travis
had appeared today
.
T
he property would change before next Halloween
and they’d have no where to go.

Valerie
walked to the center of the house and peered out into the darkness.
Three flashlight beams scurried around the area revealing
partially standing
side walls
and a missing back wall.
She
pointed
the flashlight
at
her watch, noticing that
h
er hands
were shaking
.
“It’s almost midnight.”

“Do you see anything?” Midge whispered.

“Not yet,” she whispered back.

“What are we looking for?” Philip said in his normal voice.

“Sh
h!” both girls turned to him with their fingers in front of their
lips
.

Philip rolled his eyes. They looked back into the darkness and he followed their gaze.

The minutes ticked by, slower than molasses on a cold day.
They stood in complete silence. From the
rear
of the house
Valerie saw a glow slowly emanating from
where the back wall once stood.

“What in the hell is that?” Philip whispered.

“Just watch.” Valerie answered. “Then tell me what you see.”

The glo
w grew wider and more brilliant until
Travis
stood in the center of the burned out room where he’d died.

“Who is she
?”
Philip asked.

“Delores was right.
”
Valerie smiled at Midge.

“So, I get to pick the bridesmaid’s gowns?” Midge
giggled
.

“Shh.” Valerie elbowed Midge. “You see a woman, Phil?”

“Yeah, don’t you?”

“No,
I see
a man
.”

“
Who
?”

“Remember when you didn’t see the man I described to you
at the beach today
?”

“Yeah, but what’s that got to do with this?”

“It’s the same guy.”

“You have to talk to
the woman you see
, Phil
ip
,” Midge said.

“Are you out of your mind? Didn’t
you see
that
?” Philip said. “She
appeared out of nowhere.
”

“No, I can’t see
either of
them.” Midge faced her brother. “Only you and
Valerie can. Ms. Delores said that if you saw the woman you had to release her
.”

“Aw, hell.” Philip grabbed Valerie’s
hand.
“
Now I know why we’re here.
Why didn’t you tell me
we were
looking for
Travis
and
Lorna
?”

“Would you have come with me if I’d told you we needed to help ghosts into the light?”

“Probably not.”
Philip sighed.
“
I’m only doing this for you, you know.”

“I know
and I love you for it.” Valerie rubbed the top of his hand.
God, she hadn’t meant to blurt that out.
She’d never said those three words to him before.
It was so easy to say in the dark where she couldn’t really see his reaction. Maybe he’d forget or thin
k she
’d
mean
t
it as only a friend since they’d been friends before they started dating.

“
I’ll get his attention
.
Travis
!” Valerie called out into the night.

He turned, saw
her and walked toward where they stood. “Valerie. Thank you for coming.
Is Midge ready to
marry us?”

“
Are you ready, Midge?
”
Valerie asked.

“
Absolutely.
Hi,
Travis
and
Lorna
,” Midge said.

“
You can start anytime you’re ready
,”
Travis
said.

“
Can you hear her?
She can’t see either of you.
”

“I
don’t
see
anything but a black field
.” Midge shifted her weight
to one foot
. “It sucks too because I’m the one who
is big into
the paranormal.
I don’t have true love on my side.”

“I
can hear her
.”
Travis
gazed at Valerie but
drew his arms around
Lorna
.
“What does she mean about true love?”

“Ms. Delores said that only true love
would
you set you free. Philip is my boyfriend. I brought him along because Ms. Delores said I should.”

Travis
faced
Lorna
, excitement
shining
in his eyes
. “Ask
him i
f he can see you
now
.
Maybe h
e did notice you earlier but has
n’t told Valerie.
This is what we hoped for.
”

“If he doesn’t answer it will break my heart because I won’t be able to go with you.”
Lorna
glanced at Philip.

“Have faith, remember
?
”
He caressed her face. “
Just a
sk him.”

“I’m afraid. Let’s get married first
. If that works then it isn’t going to matter if he sees me or not
.”

“Can your friend marry us now?”
Travis
faced Valerie again.
“
A short sweet ceremony will work just fine.”

“Midge, it’s your turn.
Travis
wants a short ceremony.”

“Okay, you’ll have to translate.”

“
Travis
and
Lorna
, do you agree to be each other’
s lawfully wedded spouse until death do you part
?”

“You’re kidding, right?”
Valerie shone her light in Midge’s face.
“
Reword it, they’re already dead
.”

“
Sorry.
Do you agree to be each other’s
universally
wedded spouses
in the afterlife
?”

“We do,”
Travis
said.

“
They do,
”
Valerie repeated.

“By the power vested in me by the Minister of Metaphysics licensing board, I now pronounce you husband and wife
through death and on the other side from now until the end of eternity. You may kiss the bride.”

“Now you’re going overboard,” Philip whispered.

“I love you,
Lorna
.”
Travis
gave
Lorna
a long, lingering kiss.

“
Travis
! You’re
glowing
.”
Lorna
clung to him.
He was going into the light. Fear gripped at her heart. She didn’t want to exist without him, not even as a ghost.
“Don’t leave me!”
The words ripped from her on distraught sobs.

“
No,
I don’t want to go.
” Panic surged in his voice.
“
Ask the boy if he can see you
,
Lorna
. Hurry!”

“Do you see me?”
Lorna
ran
over
to Philip.
“
Please tell me that you see me.”

“Yeah
, I can see you.”
Philip stepped back.
“Chill out a little.”

Tears rolled down
Lorna
’s face as she
cried freely
.
She grabbed Philip around the neck and squeezed. “Thank you! Thank you so much.”