Love In The Wrong Dimension (Romantic Ghost Story) (31 page)

“
Tom, there’s something I’ve got to tell you,” Jemma said nervously, ignoring his Christmas greeting.

“
Ooh, that sounds a bit ominous. Don’t tell me, you’ve fallen in love with Max!” he grinned.

“
I lied to you about going back. After you’ve gone, I was going to stay here on my own.”

Tom’s face grew serious again as he took in what she had just told him. “But why? Why on earth would you stay behind?”

“
Because, you said yourself, when I go back I would lose all my memories of you, it would be as if all this never happened. I’d go back to being the lonely pathetic person I was before I died, no job, no boyfriend and no family. You, Susie and Claire are my family; for the first time since my mum died I feel as if I belong. Even after you and Susie have left, I’ll always have the memory of you to keep me going.”

“
But what about Alice? You said she’s like a sister to you. A sister is family, you know.”

“
Yes, but she’s met Jack now. Even if I went back, they’d still fall in love with each other all over again. I don’t want to be a wallflower.”

“
What about your future though? You weren’t meant to die, you just heard Alice tell you that, you’ll never be able to move on if you stay here. You’d be here forever. You’d never see your mum again, and even when Alice gets old and dies, it’s unlikely she’ll end up here. You’ll always be alone.”

Jemma sighed, he was right. Alice was right. She had no idea why she had just told Tom her plan, she hadn’t intended to, but she was glad that she had unburdened herself. Maybe she was secretly hoping he’d talk her out of it. As if on cue, he asked, “Why are you telling me this now?”

“
I’m not sure to be honest. When Alice told me about Max just now, I realised that I wouldn’t be able to stay here in peace. I’d constantly be looking over my shoulder and that’ll spoil the memories that I have. It’s suddenly made me think a bit more about it. I also hated lying to you. What kind of person would I be if I let you go under such a cloud of lies?”

“
So what are you going to do?” he asked, gently.

“
I’m going to listen to you and Alice. The fact that Alice knew about Max is the final straw. I’ll go back straight after you.”

“
Good. Maybe I should make you go first just to make sure you really do go.”

“
No,” said Jemma, firmly, “because if there’s any chance that you don’t make it, Susie will need me. But you have my word, Tom, I will leave if you and Susie are successful.”

They went back to Jack’s house after that, leaving Alice, Jack and Maggie eagerly discussing Alice’s reunion with Jemma. As soon as they got back, they heard voices from the living room and realised that Claire was visiting Max. Jemma popped her head through the wall to be met with a smile from Claire and a scowl from Max.

“
Happy Christmas,” she said, cheerfully.

“
Piss off!”

T
he season of goodwill clearly hadn’t rubbed off on Max, she thought. “Claire? Is there any chance of a quick word?”

“
Of course, dear,” she smiled, much to Max’s annoyance, judging by the furious glare his threw her.

“
Don’t worry, Max, you’ll have her back in no time,” she grinned, feeling uncharacteristically brave.

“
You shouldn’t wind him up,” said Claire when they were alone. They had gone to a quiet place in the forest where they could talk in private.

“
He’s such a miserable sod, I just couldn’t help it,” said Jemma, already regretting her big mouth
.

“
That may be so, but it really isn’t advisable to aggravate him. Now, what can I do for you, dear?”

“
I wanted to let you know that I’ve changed my mind about going back. I managed to talk to Alice during a séance just now, and she and Tom have convinced me that I shouldn’t stay here. Would you help me find a wormhole after Tom and Susie have gone?”

“
Of course I will, dear. It’s probably a good idea as Max is going to be very cross when he finds out that Tom has got away.”

“
Alice said that an angel told her to warn me about Max. Is he really that dangerous?”

“
Let me tell you something about Max, Jemma. The reason he was on the Titanic was because he was on the run from the police. They were going to charge him with attempted murder because he had tried to kill someone whilst he was in a rage. Make no mistake, Jemma, Max can be very dangerous.”

“
Shit. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so quick to wind him up,” said Jemma, feeling a bit shaken by what Claire had just told her.

“
Hmm, that would be advisable, dear.”

“
Claire? Is it possible for a ghost to actually harm another ghost?”

“
Yes, it is, dear. Let me put it this way, can you feel it when Tom touches you? Have you been intimate with him?”

Jemma felt a cold shiver run through her body as the realisation hit her. If she could feel pleasure through Tom’s touch, then she would also be able to feel pain, and even though Max could never kill her, he would be able to hurt her. She couldn’t let the barrier of energy around her down though, as that would be even more dangerous. It would be a disaster if Max could see into her soul and read her thoughts. Max clearly hadn’t intended to hurt her the day he had thrown her across the room, it had obviously been a warning, and if he had the power to do that to her, then what else would he be capable of?

*****

“
It was amazing,” said Alice, as they arrived back at the house. “Not only could I see and hear her, I could actually
feel
what she was feeling.” Jack and Maggie exchanged a quick smile, Alice hadn’t stopped talking about the séance all the way home, and she showed no sign of letting up now that they were back. “She said that this Tom guy looks like Johnny Depp and that she’s in love with him. Isn’t that so romantic?”

“
You’re very lucky,” said Maggie, shaking her wild red hair out of a ponytail. “Most people never get to the deep meditative state you were in just now. You should learn to develop that, you really do have a special gift.”

“
She said there’s also a girl called Susie who lives here with them, in this house. You were right, Jack, they’ve been here for over twenty years.”

“
Didn’t that woman who came for her son’s ashes, what was her name, Grace. Didn’t she say that her son’s name was Tom, and that he died twenty years ago?” asked Jack.

“
Oh my god, you’re right. It must be the same person. Wow, we met Jemma’s mother-in-law!”

They made their way into the kitchen and Jack pulled a bottle of Champagne out of the fridge. “Well, as it’s officially Christmas Day, I think we should have a Christmas drink. Anyone for a glass of bubbly?”

“
Well, seeing that you’re so insistent, it would be rude to say no,” said Maggie, her warm, slightly raucous, laughter breaking the underlying chill between Alice and Jack. As Jack struggled with the cork, Alice found herself wishing that Maggie was staying for Christmas. Apart from the fact that she enjoyed her company, it also meant that she wouldn’t be alone with Jack. They still hadn’t resolved their argument, and Alice, still on a high from her encounter with Jemma, didn’t want Jack to spoil it by being grumpy again as soon as Maggie left. On impulse she threw Maggie a warm smile, and said, “Maggie! Would you like to stay and spend Christmas with us?”

“
That’s very sweet of you, love, but I wouldn’t want to intrude on your first Christmas together,” said Maggie, diplomatically.

“
Oh, you wouldn’t be, would she, Jack?”

“
No, of course not. You’re more than welcome to stay, Maggie.” Jack’s expression looked genuine and Alice couldn’t tell if he was just being polite or if he, like her, was glad of a distraction from their argument.

“
Well, thank you. I’d love to stay then. So tell me more about this Grace.”

Alice and Jack filled Maggie in on all the details of the old woman who had once lived in their house. Alice relaxed as they drank the Champagne, sitting around the kitchen table and chatting easily, Christmas candles lit and Casper, who adored Maggie, curled up on her lap purring contentedly. After a while, though, her mind started drifting back to her meeting with Jemma. She hoped the warning was enough to make Jemma come back. She wondered what would have happened if Dean hadn’t told her about the possibility that the boy could be an angel. Would she have become more and more frightened every time she saw him, driving him away and never managing to actually talk to him? What would have happened to Jemma if she hadn’t been able to deliver the message? Had it worked? She wished she could talk about it with Jack, to share her thoughts with him, but his doubt in her still niggled away at her, as well as his recent abruptness, and so she remained silent.

“
And what about this Dean?” asked Maggie, breaking into her thoughts. The conversation had moved on from Grace and they were now talking about her encounter with the angel. “How did he know that the boy was an angel?”

“
Well, he didn’t, really. He just said he had heard about them, and suggested that I remained calm next time. He said that if the boy had wanted to harm me, then he would have done so by then, and that made sense. At least Dean believed me,” she added, throwing a dark look at Jack.

“
Oh for god’s sake, Alice,” snapped Jack. “Will you stop making Dean out to be some sort of saint, and making me look like I don’t give a shit.”

“
I’m beginning to wonder if you do. You made it clear that you thought I was imagining it all, and you’ve been really stroppy ever since. You obviously don’t like Dean, and I can only imagine that it’s because you’re jealous.” Alice pushed back her chair, scraping it so loudly against the floor that Casper woke up from his nap, and stormed out of the kitchen. Bloody Jack, she fumed to herself. Why did he have to be so fucking stroppy with her? She was the one who should be pissed off with him for not believing her in the first place, so why was he having a go at her? She stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her, and threw herself down on the bed. A wave of despair washed over her as she lay staring up at the ceiling, she hated arguing with Jack, and she was devastated that he was so pissed off with her. The tears came quickly and quietly, running down her cheeks and falling onto the bed. She knew that she should try and forget his doubt in her, and just let all this blow over, but she couldn’t. Meeting the angel had been the most incredible thing she had ever experienced, her earlier encounter with Jemma coming a close second, and if the most important person in her life didn’t believe her, and wasn’t happy for her, then what was the point?

There was a small knock on the door a few minutes later and she heard Maggie’s voice asking if she could come in. Poor Maggie, she thought, some Christmas this was turning out to be.

“
Oh, look at you,” said Maggie, when Alice opened the door for her. Maggie put her arms around her and gave her a hug. When she pulled away, she gently wiped one of Alice’s tears away from her cheek and walked her over to the bed.

“
Sit down,” she said, firmly. “You two need your heads banging together. I’ve never met a couple more destined to be together, so what on earth is going on?”

“
Oh Maggie,” cried Alice, glad of a chance to talk about it. “Jack doubted me when I kept seeing the boy and then after I found out he was an angel, he’s been even more weird with me. He doesn’t believe me, I know he doesn’t, and then he got the hump because I swapped my day off, and now it seems he hates Dean.” As it all came pouring out, Alice felt a bit like a wronged child telling the grown up all about it.

“
He did believe you, you know,” said Maggie, gently.

“
Well, you would say that.”

“
No, seriously, he did. Why do you think I’m here now? Do you really think that I would turn up out of the blue on Christmas Eve if there wasn’t a reason?” Alice blinked; yes she did, actually. “I came because Jack asked me to,” continued Maggie. “He’d left about a dozen messages on my voicemail, along with all yours, but I’d left my phone at home, which is why I never got any of them. Eventually he got hold of me through a mutual friend who was at the same retreat as me. Apparently it took several long phone calls to track this guy down, and he was the one who told me that Jack needed to talk to me.”

“
Why was Jack trying to get hold of you?”

“
Duh! Because he knew that you were desperate to pass on the angel’s message to Jemma, and that you needed my help to do it. Jack is very gifted, but he’s never performed a séance before, he wanted to make sure it was done properly. That doesn’t sound like someone who didn’t believe you, does it?”

“
Well, no, but why didn’t he tell me this?”

“
You didn’t exactly give him a chance, did you? I don’t know what else is going on with you two, but you needed to know that. Now, go down and sort it out with him.”

“
But what about you?” asked Alice, feeling numb from Maggie’s revelation.

“
I’m going to go into the spare bedroom and go to bed, so don’t you worry about me. Now,
scoot
!” she said, practically shoving Alice out of the door.

She made her way slowly downstairs, listening out for any movement to give away Jack’s whereabouts, but the house was still and silent, except for the occasional ghostly bump, which she was used to by now. The kitchen was empty, so she poked her head through the door to the living room and saw Jack sitting on the sofa, a glass of whiskey in his hand and staring silently at the Christmas tree. The tiny white lights on the tree were the only lights in the room and it looked beautiful. She walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Sorry,” she said, quietly.