Tears on My Gravestone

Jayden Stone was busy celebrating Vivian Sommer's birthday while someone was sealing my corpse into the wall. With a doting smile, he wiped the frosting she'd smeared on his cheek, then gave her forehead a light tap. "You're such a troublemaker."

I remembered Jayden was a germaphobe. Back then, if I cooked for him, I had to wipe myself down with alcohol before he'd even let me touch him. He said the smell of cooking oil on my skin made him sick.

One time, I bought myself a birthday cake to celebrate with him. But he threw it straight in the trash just because I'd set it on the floor for a second while unlocking the door.

"Trash is where filth belongs, and that's where you belong, too."

Then, why did all his rules go out the window when it came to Vivian?

My eyes stung. I tilted my head back, blinking hard at the sky to hold back the tears. But then it hit me—the dead couldn't cry. I was a spirit trapped between worlds, maybe because my attachment ran too deep to let me move on.

The phone's ringtone shattered the warm, fuzzy moment.

Jayden checked the caller ID, his brow furrowing at what he saw. I peeked over to find my name flashing on the screen. Without a word, he declined the call.

"Is that Kat calling, Jay?"

"Don't mind her. She's probably being dramatic again because I didn't come home."

The moment Jayden stopped talking, the phone rang again. He hung up again. After five or six times of this, he got fed up and finally answered.

"Katherine, what is your problem now? Listen—it's Vivi's birthday today. Call back trying to make trouble, and I swear, I'll end you!"

The line went dead. Of course, the person on the other end stayed silent. I was already dead, and whoever was calling Jayden from my phone definitely wasn't me. One word would've given it all away.

Jayden's expression darkened. He clearly hadn't expected me to hang up on him.

Vivian grabbed his arm, her face tense with worry. "Jay, did something happen to Kat?"

Jayden's face softened as he looked at her. But the moment he brought me up, his voice turned icy, dripping with venom.

"What could possibly happen to a ruthless person like her? Things might happen to anyone else, but never her."

"Jay, come on. She's still my sister." Vivian bit her lip. "Things are really tense in the gang right now, and with the cops keeping such a close eye on Kat, I'm worried about her."

Jayden's eyes darkened. He felt helpless, and he ruffled Vivian's hair.

"You're always putting everyone else first, Vivi. I'll never get how someone as cold as Katherine ended up with a little sister as kind as you."