Love, Like Ghosts: A Bay City Paranormal Investigations Story

“What makes you say that?”
“Other than the fact that it’s true? Because if Greg already knew about it, you would’ve asked this question last night, when we were talking about Bay City Paranormal and Greg was asking a million questions.”
Adrian let out a humorless laugh. “He doesn’t believe in ghosts. In fact, he’s pretty disapproving of the whole ghost-hunting business. I still can’t believe he was asking all those questions.”
“He didn’t seem very disapproving. In fact, he seemed pretty interested.”
“Yeah, well, he’s never been very interested when it was me talking about it.” Adrian couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. Sam chuckled, and Adrian shot him a glare. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”
Sam smiled. “Did you ever consider that maybe he’s jealous of your time? That maybe he sees how much interest you show in this subject, and he’s afraid it’s something that might take you away from him?”
Adrian blinked. He’d never considered that before. Not that it made any difference, when the result of telling Greg his secret would be the same, but still. It certainly put Greg’s attitudes at school versus last night in perspective.
“Yeah,” Adrian said, sounding as surprised as he felt. “I can see that.”
“Good.” Sam regarded him with a solemn expression. “I know why you don’t want to tell him, Adrian. You’re afraid he’s going to be angry. And you’re probably right. But you need to do it, soon, before he finds out some other way and the fact that you kept it from him causes trouble you can’t fix.”
Something in Sam’s eyes spoke of hard experience, and Adrian knew with gut-wrenching certainty that Sam was right.
The question was, could he do it? Could he look Greg in the eye and tell him the truth, knowing it might mean the end?
“I can’t.” The words came out in a barely audible whisper. Adrian stared into Sam’s eyes, pleading with him to understand. “Not yet.”
Sam nodded, but his expression was sad. Rising to his feet, he clapped Adrian on the shoulder. “Think it over, okay?”
Adrian nodded as Sam gathered the coffee mugs and carried them to the sink, but he knew he wasn’t going to think about it. He wouldn’t tell Greg.
Oh, my God. I just lied to Sam . Even though he hadn’t spoken, even though he wasn’t even sure Sam had seen him nod, even though Sam was probably well aware of what Adrian was and was not going to do with regard to telling Greg the truth about Lyndon. It didn’t matter. Ever since that night at his mother’s house when he was eleven, he’d never told a direct, deliberate lie.
Until now.
Pushing back his chair, Adrian hurried from the room as fast as he could and stumbled out onto the front porch. He leaned against the railing and gulped the icy winter air until he no longer felt the urge to vomit.
~ * ~
    At least a dozen times over the next twenty-five days, Adrian almost talked himself into telling Greg. But he never did. Greg would push him against the wall and kiss him breathless, or laugh at one of Sean’s corny jokes, or simply flash the smile that always made Adrian’s knees weak, and somehow he just never got past the “thinking about it” stage.
    Adrian snorted. Yeah, sure. “Somehow.” Don’t bullshit yourself, Adrian. You were right before. You told Sam you’d think about telling Greg, but you knew damn well you wouldn’t.
“Did you say something, son?”
Adrian turned and smiled at his father, who’d just entered the dining room through the adjoining kitchen door. “No. Just laughing at myself.”
“Oh. Okay.” Setting the pile of napkins he carried in the middle of the table, Adrian’s dad planted both hands on his hips and studied the room with a critical eye. “Well, I guess there’s nothing else we can do here until Sam gets home with dinner. When’s Greg getting back from shopping?”
“He said Maia would be dropping him off around six.” Adrian glanced at his watch. “It’s almost five forty-five now, so he should be here soon.”
“All right.” Dad wandered into the living room, with Adrian trailing after him. “I’m really glad the two of them hit it off so well.”
“Me too.” Adrian plopped into his favorite chair, kicked his sneakers off and curled his legs beneath him. “He hit it off with all of you, right from the start. I can’t tell you what a relief that was.”
One dark brow lifted. “For you or for him?”
Adrian grinned. “For both