whispered.
Oliver was perplexed when he pulled an all too familiar envelope out of the mailbox. Why did he have this? Had they confused the paperwork and mixed up the address the inquiry was sent from with the address it was meant to go to? He opened the envelope and froze as the words registered . His hand s shook as he re - read the information typed out on the hospital letterhead. Oliver wanted to believe it wasn’t true, but the time for denial as over. He should’ve seen this coming. It all lined up. The ghost was Hannah.
Hannah’s actions made his blood run cold. This was n’t the woman he married. She’d always had a bleeding heart. It’d been her best quality and her worst fault. How had she grown so bitter and angry? Why had she stayed? How the fuck was he going to tell Juni? The letter fluttered to the ground as it slipped from his fingers and he dashed toward the restroom. His knees protested the harsh treatment as he fell onto the hard ground in front of the porcelain toilet . Oliver’s body shook as his lunch made a re-appearance. Was everything he had with Juni a lie? Had Hannah led him to that café and made them drop their inhibitions ? The thought made his head spin and his heart fracture. A resurgence of bile made i t s way up his throat as he pictured Juniper’s face. This would devastate her. The last thing he’d ever wanted to do was hurt her. Yet, this whole thing was his fault.
A selfish part of him wante d to keep the secret to himself. It would be the best of both worlds. The two women he loved in one body. Except, every day he’d noticed a bit l ess of Juniper was present. The fact that he’d entertained the thought for even a second sickened him. H e choked back down the bile that threatened to rise as his stomach protested once more. Oliver closed the lid, pulled d own the silver handle to flush, and rested his heated face against the cool marble of the sink beside him. Shame washed over him as a new comprehension dawned. H is nightmares had nothing to do with his subconscious. Hannah blamed him for her death and wanted him to suffer.
Tears filled his eyes as his heart ached for the love had turned sour , and the sweet woman caught in the crossfire. He couldn’t imagine life without Juniper. Oliver closed his eyes as the salty liquid spilled over and trailed down his heated face. The black hole that Juniper had managed to pull him from threatened to open and swallow him whole. There was no way to recover from this gracefully. Hell, he’d be lucky to come out of this with her not hating his guts. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and stood on shaky feet. He turned on the water, rinsed out his mouth, splashed his face, and sl icked his hair back from his f orehead . God, he looked pale, haggard, and worn as if he’d aged years in a matter of minutes.
Oliver’s body tensed as his breath became visible in a white cloud. Goo se bumps broke out over his flesh , and the mirror fogged.
“I know you’re here , Hannah.”
The lights flickered and objects on the counter of the sink vibrated. He clenched his fists, determined to stand his ground.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
“Did you know for the past two years I’ve walked around feeling like I was on e step away from jumping o f f the bridge our car went over? Do you really hate me that much?”
His eyes widened as he watched writing appear on the mirror. I stayed for you.
The thought of her living in t he shadows, siphoning energy from him like a leech gave him mixed emotions. It had to be a lonely , miserable existence. Just like the one he’d lived until he met Juni. His heart felt like it was being tugged in two different directions. Hannah was his first love, but Juni was his present. How could he turn his back on one for the other when it was clear Hannah needed help ?
“I would never have asked you to do that , Hannah , ” he whispered.
“What good could come from
Oliver was perplexed when he pulled an all too familiar envelope out of the mailbox. Why did he have this? Had they confused the paperwork and mixed up the address the inquiry was sent from with the address it was meant to go to? He opened the envelope and froze as the words registered . His hand s shook as he re - read the information typed out on the hospital letterhead. Oliver wanted to believe it wasn’t true, but the time for denial as over. He should’ve seen this coming. It all lined up. The ghost was Hannah.
Hannah’s actions made his blood run cold. This was n’t the woman he married. She’d always had a bleeding heart. It’d been her best quality and her worst fault. How had she grown so bitter and angry? Why had she stayed? How the fuck was he going to tell Juni? The letter fluttered to the ground as it slipped from his fingers and he dashed toward the restroom. His knees protested the harsh treatment as he fell onto the hard ground in front of the porcelain toilet . Oliver’s body shook as his lunch made a re-appearance. Was everything he had with Juni a lie? Had Hannah led him to that café and made them drop their inhibitions ? The thought made his head spin and his heart fracture. A resurgence of bile made i t s way up his throat as he pictured Juniper’s face. This would devastate her. The last thing he’d ever wanted to do was hurt her. Yet, this whole thing was his fault.
A selfish part of him wante d to keep the secret to himself. It would be the best of both worlds. The two women he loved in one body. Except, every day he’d noticed a bit l ess of Juniper was present. The fact that he’d entertained the thought for even a second sickened him. H e choked back down the bile that threatened to rise as his stomach protested once more. Oliver closed the lid, pulled d own the silver handle to flush, and rested his heated face against the cool marble of the sink beside him. Shame washed over him as a new comprehension dawned. H is nightmares had nothing to do with his subconscious. Hannah blamed him for her death and wanted him to suffer.
Tears filled his eyes as his heart ached for the love had turned sour , and the sweet woman caught in the crossfire. He couldn’t imagine life without Juniper. Oliver closed his eyes as the salty liquid spilled over and trailed down his heated face. The black hole that Juniper had managed to pull him from threatened to open and swallow him whole. There was no way to recover from this gracefully. Hell, he’d be lucky to come out of this with her not hating his guts. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and stood on shaky feet. He turned on the water, rinsed out his mouth, splashed his face, and sl icked his hair back from his f orehead . God, he looked pale, haggard, and worn as if he’d aged years in a matter of minutes.
Oliver’s body tensed as his breath became visible in a white cloud. Goo se bumps broke out over his flesh , and the mirror fogged.
“I know you’re here , Hannah.”
The lights flickered and objects on the counter of the sink vibrated. He clenched his fists, determined to stand his ground.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
“Did you know for the past two years I’ve walked around feeling like I was on e step away from jumping o f f the bridge our car went over? Do you really hate me that much?”
His eyes widened as he watched writing appear on the mirror. I stayed for you.
The thought of her living in t he shadows, siphoning energy from him like a leech gave him mixed emotions. It had to be a lonely , miserable existence. Just like the one he’d lived until he met Juni. His heart felt like it was being tugged in two different directions. Hannah was his first love, but Juni was his present. How could he turn his back on one for the other when it was clear Hannah needed help ?
“I would never have asked you to do that , Hannah , ” he whispered.
“What good could come from
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