All Chapters of Haunting Romantics : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Ben stood and stared at the walls in his living room. His living room. He felt immensely proud of himself standing in the living room of his first house. He also felt slightly disgusted. Even with his friends helping, moving everything in was hard work. He was sweaty, dirty, and sore all over. It was all worth it. After months of dealing with paperwork, getting approved for a mortgage, and searching for the perfect house in his budget, all of that was over. He found his perfect home. Maybe not perfect for his parents. Or his friends, but it was perfect for him. It was definitely in his price range. His parents politely called it a fixer-upper and impolitely called it the worst investment he could make. Ben liked it, and more importantly, he could afford it. It had been on the market for years and just needed some attention. The inspection revealed a list of mild-to-moderate concerns, but nothing major. It had good bones. It had character. It had peeling wallpaper, creaky floors, and f

If Monday had been bad, Tuesday arrived like it had something to prove.Ben’s body refused to cooperate with consciousness. He lay sprawled across the mattress, arms and legs flung wide, staring at the ceiling and silently cursing every choice that had led him to believe scrubbing floors and hauling boxes were casual, everyday activities and not, apparently, an Olympic event designed to punish hubris.With a low groan, he rolled out of bed, every muscle lighting up in protest. He had worked construction in college. He ran. He hiked. He had always thought of himself as active, durable, someone who could bounce back from a hard day with nothing more than a sore shoulder and a good night’s sleep.At thirty-three, he still thought of himself as young.His knees, however, had filed a formal complaint. He rubbed at the dull ache in his lower back and made a mental note to take it easier. Today would be calm, he decided. Reasonable. Low stress. He would do a few hours of actual work, clean ou

Thursday morning, Ben woke energized. He wasn't sure if his body had gotten used to all the work or if it was past the point of caring. Sunlight poured through the patio doors, lighting the newly painted walls. The pale green looked even better in the daylight. He stretched and smiled despite the ache in his body.This was working. His house was starting to come together.He ate breakfast, checked in on work, then made a quick trip to the hardware store that turned into a much longer and more expensive excursion. He didn’t mind. He was starting to enjoy it.His room would be the focus of the day. When he got back home from shopping, he vacuumed up the dust and debris off his floor. After a good mopping, he laid down his new rug. He spent the afternoon putting together his bed frame. It should have been an easy task. It was the same one from his apartment. He already had experience putting it up and taking it apart. It was not easy.He held the corner pieces together, screws clenc

Ben didn’t sleep.He lay in bed with every light in the house turned on, staring at the ceiling until the shadows felt like they were breathing. Every creak made his pulse jump. Every flicker of light sent his thoughts spiraling back to the bathroom.The handprints.Smaller than his. Clear. Impossible.By morning, exhaustion settled over him like a heavy coat. He showered at the gym instead of risking his bathroom again, then drove straight to a coffee shop and spent the day there working. His thoughts circled the same conclusion again and again, each time skidding away before it could fully land.There had to be an explanation.There always was.By dinner, he needed someone else to hear it. Someone who knew him well enough to call him out if he was losing his grip.Caroline agreed to meet him without hesitation.She watched him over her drink as he fidgeted in his seat, pushing food around his plate like it might rearrange itself into an answer.“What’s wrong with you?” she asked fi