Chapter 10: A Mercurial Day

“You’re late.” My head popped up as I recognized the gravelly voice. Ghost was leaning against the side of the building, looking like a badass GQ model. He wore slim black cotton pants and a greyish-brown button-down shirt that looked tailored and expensive. The shirt was untucked underneath his motorcycle jacket in an attempt to look casual. Most of the girls walking by walked into one another or stumbled on the edge of the sidewalk. The fact that his eyes were steeled on me raised my spirits.

“The professor dismissed us past our scheduled time. What are you doing here?” Clara had stalled beside me, gaping at Ghost.

“Having lunch with you to celebrate your first day.” None of his words made sense to me.

“I promised to have lunch with Clara. Clara, this is Ghost.” I felt weird introducing him using his MC name, but Clara didn’t bat an eye.

“Sorry, E. I’m going to bounce. Looks like you have a better offer.” I frowned, but she had already walked away.

“Shall we?” Ghost took my bag from me and slung it over his shoulder. He gestured for me to lead the way.

“Sure.” His manners were so mercurial. I couldn’t imagine why he was really here. We walked toward one of the smaller campus cafeterias.

“Where’s your bandage?”

“It was a little overprotective. I swapped it for a Band-Aid yesterday. It’s healing great. Thank you for the assist. Sorry, I fell asleep.”

Ghost didn’t reply, making our walk awkward. Nervousness hid under his composure. The sun highlighted a sheen of sweat forming over his skin.

“How were your morning classes?” The question was more of a rushed mumble.

“Okay.”

“What’s wrong?” He stalled, waiting for my answer.

“I just feel like I’m taking classes to give me something to do. I like learning, but I don’t have any goals.” Ghost nodded but then said nothing the rest of the way to the cafeteria. We entered and he followed me to the grill line. His eyebrow raised in question.

“Cheeseburgers. We’re celebrating.” I ordered mine, and Ghost ordered two of his own. We both skipped the fries and opted for potato chips. He grabbed a bottle of water for each of us and handed the cashier the money.

“Thank you. It’s nice to sit with a friendly face.”

“People here aren’t friendly?”

“By junior year, they already have their friend groups, and I’m new.”

“So?” I followed him to an empty table by the window and sat down.

“They have to find out things about me first.”

“Like what?”

“Why did I transfer? Will I steal the head cheerleader’s boyfriend? Do I play an instrument good enough to displace the first string? Did I kill my best friend?”

“Seriously?”

“The list is endless. People are inherently scared of the unknown, and if they feel threatened, my life goes to hell fast. Clara is an anomaly.”

“Can I ask why you transferred here?”

“Uncle Harris didn’t tell you?”

“Of course not.”

I sighed, hating to have to revisit the memory out loud. “I get sick. Often. I have some autoimmune diseases that the doctors can’t identify.”

“What happens to you?”

“Without warning, I get a high fever and hot flashes, and my body is compromised. I get scared and anxious, which probably makes them worse.”

“How long have you been having them?”

“Since I was seventeen. Senior year in high school.”

“Harris doesn’t look like he has the aptitude for nursing.” Ghost wasn’t wrong.

“He has the aptitude for busting heads.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Mom’s a free spirit and doesn’t like to be tied down. The episodes are kinda scary.”

“But you’re her daughter.”

“Yeah, I was a mistake. She had a torrid weekend romance with a Marine on leave. I don’t think she even knew his name. I didn’t get a lot of parenting growing up. My grandma was always around to ensure I had what I needed.”

“What happened?”

“Grams was murdered last year. Mom’s latest boyfriend sexually assaulted me during one of my episodes. She caught him before it went too far, but somehow, it was my fault. I think she was tired of me depending on her.”

“Where’s the guy?” Ghost was grinding his teeth as he spoke. I shrugged my shoulders, not even wanting to speculate that they were still together. “Are you safe?”

“Not really. The guys who killed my grandmother took a shot at me.”

“What the fuck?” His body tensed so much that it startled me.

“Yeah. I was at school. He missed me but wounded several students. His sentence is only a few years. He had a great lawyer. The other guy got away.”

“I’m sorry.” Ghost took my hand in his. The callouses were soothing as he rubbed circles with his fingers. “I hope you feel safe here.” His intimacy shocked me.

“My best friends are part of an MC. I’ve never felt safer.” I tried to lighten the situation, but Ghost’s face went dark.

“Best friends?”

“The category is probably applied liberally, but yeah. Gunner and I have been to the movies. Did you know he’s in my first class? And …”

“I’m going to kill him.” He shoved the rest of his burger in his mouth and downed the water.

“What? Why?” Ghost ignored my question and began scanning the cafeteria.

“Esme, is this your boyfriend?” Clara was hopping from table to table and eventually sat down with us. Her eyes grew wide with lust as she took him in.

“I’m not a boy and don’t want to be a friend.” Ghost stated but was distracted, having spotted Gunner with a group of students under a tree and stormed out. Okay then. I’ll take mixed signals for 100 Alex. She looked at me just as confused.

“Uncle Harris probably paid him to check on me.” Shit. That was the only explanation that fit. Clara looked at me in question, but rejection and sadness had crept in.

I cleaned our trays and waved to Clara before leaving out the back door. Anatomy, the last class of the day, was in a building near the pond. The short walk didn’t lift my sullen mood.

The large classroom had ten rows of long black epoxy tables with tall high-back chairs. I sat at a table in the front row nearest the long floor-to-ceiling windows with a tall, gangly boy dressed in a button-up shirt and cashmere sweater. He also wore dress pants and casual Hey Dude slip-ons, making him stand out, being dressed so well for a lab class.

“I’m Esmerelda,” I said while unloading my backpack.

“Classic.”

“Excuse me?”

“Um, nothing. I’m Adam. Looks like we’re lab partners.” His smile was genuine, but he oddly stared at me.

“Great.” I was getting too tired to make any more small chit-chat. My friendship with Adam was a given. We were the only ones who didn’t already have friends in the class. He gave me his number on a piece of paper, not believing I didn’t have a phone. We walked out together, but Adam left me when someone started talking to me.

“Would you like a ride home?” Ghost was waiting for me just outside the double doors to the science building.

“What are you still doing here?”

“Checking to see if you needed a ride home.” He stood, shifting from one foot to another. His usual self-assurance was derailed when talking to me.

“I’m going to take the bus.”

“I have my motorcycle.” His eyebrows raised at my noticeable cringe.

“I need to learn how to get home on my own. Thank you for the offer.”

“Let me take you home, Esmerelda.” The request was more of an order.

“No, thank you, Ghost.” I walked away, but he quickly caught up, following me to the campus bus stop.

“Listen. You can report back to Uncle Harris that I’m fine.”

“That’s not why I’m here.” My ire was too invoked to be anything but annoyed.

We reached the bus shelter, and I stepped in to read the route listings. The map made it easy since I didn’t know street names. Ghost sat with me in silence until the bus arrived.

I gathered my bag and water bottle while he stayed put, watching me. “Guess I’ll see you around. Thanks again for lunch.” He nodded but didn’t say anything.

The bus pulled away, weaving through the town, making several stops before it turned onto Route 7, which would take me near the bar. Ghost’s motorcycle’s signature purr followed the bus close behind. His behavior was ridiculous.

A half-hour later, I stepped off the bus, and he was already waiting, leaning against his bike. “Can I walk you home?”

It would be silly to say no since I could see the bar in the distance. I shrugged, letting him decide. He pushed his bike while walking the quarter-mile to the bar alongside me. Although awkward, the situation was uncommonly peaceful.

“Would you like to go out to dinner?” Ghost finally spoke as he parked in the back lot.

“I’m going to get started on my assignments. Uncle Harris is expecting me for dinner. Maybe another time.”

“Have a good night, Esmerelda. Sleep well.”

“You too.” I stomped up the steps, already regretting my answer. What did Ghost want?