Love, Like Ghosts: A Bay City Paranormal Investigations Story

had built him up to a huge revelation, only to feed him a deliberate lie, probably to make him the butt of a particularly bad joke.
Adrian thought he detected Harrison’s fingerprints on Greg’s fears. He wondered how often the bastard had abused Greg’s trust in such a cruel way, and if he’d done it as often as he’d abused Greg physically.
That’s something you have in common with Harrison now. You’ve both hurt Greg physically. Just because you didn’t use your fists doesn’t make what you did okay. Never forget that.
The memory tasted bitter, but Adrian wouldn’t allow himself to shy away from it, no matter how sick it made him. Until the day he died, he needed to remember the flat gleam of terror in Greg’s eyes and the tremor in his voice, as a reminder of what could happen when he lost control.
When he reached Country Club Road, Adrian stopped at the crosswalk, torn. His apartment wasn’t far now, only a couple of blocks away. He looked forward to getting out of the cold, but the idea of facing his lonely apartment didn’t appeal to him any more now than it had fifteen minutes ago.
Another picture floated to the front of his mind—the vision of a stubbled jaw, a tense mouth and a straining neck, a drop of sweat rolling into a soiled white collar embroidered with blue flowers. Maybe he could stop by his place long enough to grab his laptop, then head over to Davis Library and try to figure out why the partial face from Lyndon’s memory struck such a familiar chord. He had no idea where to begin, but that hardly mattered. In fact, he considered it a plus at this point. The mental exercise would fill the long hours until morning brought the campus to life and his day began.
His plan in place, Adrian jogged down the sidewalk toward his apartment. With any luck, by the time classes ended today Greg would be willing to listen to what Adrian had to say.
~ * ~
    Unfortunately, Adrian never laid eyes on Greg that day, or the next. He saw Greg at the dining hall Saturday night, looking pale and red-eyed. His phalanx of friends closed ranks around him the instant they spotted Adrian. Sandy shot him a glare that told him beyond a doubt that she, at least, had heard some version of what had happened Wednesday afternoon.
    Sighing, Adrian took a tray and loaded a plate without paying any attention to what he was getting. It didn’t matter, since he’d lost his appetite. He sat within sight of Greg, picked at his food and wondered what Greg had told his friends to make them look at him like he was evil incarnate.
    While Greg shoved his pasta around his plate, his friends gradually finished eating and drifted away until only Sandy and a boy whose name Adrian couldn’t remember remained at the table. When Greg rose to leave, Adrian jumped up and followed. “Greg. Wait.”
    Greg stopped, his back stiff. “I told you to leave me alone.”
Adrian swallowed against the tightness in his throat. “Just…just give me one minute, okay? Just to tell you something. Then I won’t bother you anymore. I promise.” Saying those words hurt, but Adrian had sworn to himself that he’d tell Greg what he needed to then back off. The next step had to be up to Greg, or it meant nothing.
Stepping in front of Greg, the boy—Steve, maybe?—glowered down at him. “He doesn’t want to talk to you. Now fuck off, before I smash your face in.”
“Steven, no.” Greg grabbed Steven’s muscular arm and pulled him away. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” Greg turned his troubled gaze to Adrian. “Okay. Let’s talk.”
Adrian licked his lips. “Can…can we talk alone?”
“No.” Sandy crossed her arms. “We’re not leaving him alone with you, asshole.”
“Sandy, don’t.” Greg darted an annoyed look at his friend, then gave Adrian a short nod. “All right.”
He turned back to the table he and his friends had just left, slid into the booth and sat staring at his clasped hands. Adrian sat across from him, heart aching. He hated that he’d done this to Greg, however inadvertently.
“You’re not talking.” Greg twisted his fingers together so hard his knuckles turned white. “Talk.”
“Oh. Right.” Adrian stuck his hands beneath his thighs to keep himself from reaching across the table to touch Greg. “Well, I just wanted to say that… Well, first of all, you can’t possibly know how horribly sorry I am that I let my temper get away with me like I did the other day. Ever since my abilities first