Falling For a Ghost? How Is That Even Possible?

“Amy?” I lifted my head and looked for the source of the voice. I was still at the park, except now it was much, much later. The sun was almost set.

“Who’s there?” I asked pathetically.

A figure stepped from behind a tree and advanced towards me. “Do you remember me? Ben? I’m…Cale’s friend.”

And it was. He had the same brown hair and blue eyes as before. But why he was here now, I didn’t know. “What do you want?”

He stood a foot away in front of me. “I want to talk about Cale-”

I groaned and put my face in my hands. “No! I don’t want to talk about him! I don’t want to deal with this anymore! I’m sick and tired of you ghosts! Just go away!”

“Amy… Are you just going to let him go that easily?”

I raised my head from my heads and glared at him. Hot tears were streaming down my face. “What does it matter?! He’s getting married! He was here earlier, you know, with Isis. He could have told her no! I’m not the one letting go, Ben! HE IS!”

Ben knelt down on his knees in front of me and took both of my hands in his. He looked caringly into my eyes and spoke softly. “Cale is a ghost, and you are human. He knows that you two shouldn’t be together, he knows that it’s practically impossible, but he was willing to try. He hoped that there could be something between you two, even when he knew there was no way it could work.”

I blinked. What was he talking about? I shook my head. “No, you’re wrong. Cale believed we were soul mates. He was the one saying it was possible while I was the one saying it was impossible. You have it mixed up.”

“No, Amy.” He squeezed my hands. “Cale just told you that to help you believe that you two had a chance. He thought that if he kept saying it, that he’d eventually begin to believe it himself.”

I choked on my tears. “And I did; I believed it.”

“Until a couple days ago, Cale decided that you and him weren’t going to work out. He knew that there was no hope in trying to get you to love him. And I quote, ‘It’d be impossible for someone incredibly perfect like Amy Chambers to fall in love with me.’ He only went along with the engagement because he wanted the best for you. He wants you to be happy, and he believes that you can be happy with Austin.”

I hiccupped. “He said that?”

“Yes,” Ben said, tilting his head to the side. “And he meant every word. He cares for you, Amy.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded. “I know he does. But… He’s getting married, Ben. What do I do?” I reopened my eyes.

“What does your heart tell you?”

I took in a deep breath. My heart. What was it saying? I shook my head. I didn’t know. All I could feel was pain.

“Amy, do you believe you and Cale could happen?”

“I - I don’t know.”

“It’s a yes or no question.”

I stared deeply into his blue eyes and spoke with all the honesty in my heart. “Yes. Without a doubt in my mind.”

Ben smiled lightly. “Then what’s so difficult?”

“I don’t know!” I shouted. God! I felt like my mind, heart, and soul were tearing apart.

“It’s a simple answer.”

I slipped down off the swing and fell to my knees, looking down to the ground. My hands were shaking. “I’ve never felt like this before. Ben, I’m…scared.” I looked up at him, and I knew my eyes were wide with fright.

“Austin is simple, Amy. But Cale, not so much. It’s just a matter of which you desire. Only, with Cale, you don’t have the time you do with Austin. Cale is getting married on Monday evening.”

Monday. Graduation was Monday too.

“Cale is going through with the marriage because he wants you to be happy. And he believes that you won’t be happy with him.”

My head was dizzy and I couldn’t think right. This was too much. Too many emotions for me to handle… I could barely breathe. “Austin loves me,” I managed to choke out. “And Cale doesn’t.”

Ben sighed and let go of my hands. “Austin is the safe path. He is full of trimmed hedges and mowed grass. But Cale, well, he’s a rain forest. He’s full of unknown and mysterious creatures. You never know what you’ll find. Cale’s an adventure.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re wrong, Amy.”

Breathe in…breathe out… “About what?”

Ben ruffled his hair and paced. “Couldn’t you see? Couldn’t you see how he looked at you? What about when he spoke your name? Were you so blind that you couldn’t see how he felt about you?”

I was silent and looked towards the ground. “No, you’re wrong. Cale didn’t feel that way.” I knew Cale had feelings for me, but it wasn’t like they were THAT big.

“He loved you.”

I shook my head. “No. You’re wrong.”

“Amy, Cale loves you.”

“No!” I yelled. “Quit saying that! If he loved me, he wouldn’t be with Isis! He would have said no to the marriage! He would have told me how he felt!” Cale didn’t love me. He didn’t.

“Why would he tell you his feelings when you didn’t feel the same?”

I could hear the challenge in his voice, and I took the bait. “You know nothing about me! You don’t know how I feel!”

“How do you feel?”

I ran a hand through my hair, calming down. “I can’t explain it. I just know that I don’t want it to go away. This feeling makes me the happiest I’ve ever been when I’m with Cale… God, I don’t know!”

“Is there a name for that emotion?” He sounded like a therapist.

I blinked at the ground, realizing what it was. I had just realized what I had failed to accept, failed to show to Cale all through our precious time together. No wonder he didn’t think I was interested in him.

“Amy?” Ben prodded.

I looked up from the ground and stared at him with my mouth hanging open. “Can you get him?” I asked suddenly. I wanted to talk to Cale. I needed to talk to him.

I couldn’t believe how stupid I had been.

“I’m sorry, Amy, but I can’t. No one can. Cale is going through a special ritual… he’s going to be the next ruler of the ghost world.”

“When can I speak to him?”

Ben looked away. “He’s gone until the marriage.”

Anger surged through my body. “Then why the FUCK did you come here?! What was the point if I can’t talk to him and change his mind about the marriage?!”

He sighed. “I had to make sure how you felt about him.” He chuckled to himself. “I’ll see you later, Amy. I’m probably going to break thousands of rules doing this.” He started walking away.

“Wait!” I called. “What are you doing?!”

Ben smirked. “I’m going to go get Cale. I promise that I will do everything in my power to get to him.” His face dropped. “But, Amy… if he’s not here by Monday evening… it will be too late. He’ll be married.”

When Ben left, I was breathing deeply. My mind was racing. Monday….