Thanks to AmericanEagleGirl17 for reviewing the previous chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave a review, they encourage me to continue writing.
Here is the chapter. Enjoy!
Melinda's POV
Dinner went really smoothly; when we had first started nobody said anything, not really sure just what to say. But, conversation was soon started when Delia asked about Rick's fish, he informed her that he used a special sauce he had developed, and that he would gladly make her some of the sauce, but refused to give her the actual recipe.
I did have to admit, he was a really good cook and he had made the best fish I had ever tasted.
Later That Night: Around Midnight
Delia had left earlier that night, something about having a lot of work to do for tomorrow. Rick decided to stay around for at least another day and had said he would take the couch, allowing me to take my bed. I found myself wishing that we had a spare bedroom. Jim and I had wanted to fix a room up, but between him at work so much recently and going back to school, and me with helping the spirits we had not had time, and it remained undone.
We sat on the couch in the living room, the TV was still on from earlier, but both of us had quit watching it an hour or two earlier. Rick was talking about some of the papers that his students had written earlier that week. I couldn't tell you how we had originally got on the topic of the papers, but I was glad for it.
15 minutes later he had finished and I announced I was headed to bed. When I arrived in my room I found Jim sitting on the bed. "Hey Melinda." He said when I entered the room. Tears began to well up in my eyes.
"Hey Jim," I replied, "Where have you been?" I asked him.
"Around, I looked in on mom, looked in on some friends, but mainly I watched you. I wanted to make sure you would be OK without me." Jim said sadness in his voice, "I'm ready to cross over. I know you will be OK without me."
"NO!" I screamed, "I don't want you to leave!" I yelled bursting into tears and crumpling the floor. 'He promised! He PROMISED not to leave me!' Was repeating over and over in my head
Rick came running up the stairs, going up them two at a time, when he entered the room Jim, from his spot on the bed, and me, from my spot on the floor, turned to look at him. "Are…you…OK?" He asked breathless.
I nodded, "Yes, I didn't mean to scare you." I said, tears still streaming down my face, I was sorry that I scared him, but I was not sorry that I had screamed and yelled at Jim.
He sat down on the floor beside me and took me in his arms. It felt comforting to be in his arms, but with Jim there it didn't feel right. But in that instant I didn't care, I needed somebody, and the only somebody there that could hold me was Rick. We sat there a few minutes, "What happened?" He asked a few minutes later.
I couldn't answer, I didn't want to answer, like it would make it any realer, confirm it,if I did say it aloud.
He sighed, I could feel it in his chest as he took a deap breath and letting the air out. "You're crossing over, aren't you." He said it as a question, but it was more of a statement. As he said it he turned his head and looked squarely at Jim.
"Yeah, I didn't want to upset her though. I mean I knew it would upset her bad but," He said, stopping to shake his head, "Not this bad. Maybe I should stay."
Rick shook his head, "The longer you wait, the harder it will be to leave. The light will disappear, and when you can see it again you will be attached and not want to go." Rick said.
My world froze, I became oblivious to what was going on around me. It had hit me then, for some reason it hadn't clicked a few minutes earlier, 'Rick can see Jim!' I had seen him turn and look right at Jim, he had never been able to tell right where a ghost was, especially one I wasn't talking to at the moment, but he turned right to him and carried out a conversation with him. And he was doing it calmly.
"Melinda," Jim said a few minutes later, bringing me out of my thoughts, "I'm leaving, I'm going to cross."
"But, I don't want you to leave. What am I suppose to do without you?" I said.
"Melinda, the way you are around Rick, I'm know you will be fine." Jim said, and then smiled, "Just looking at you two right now confirms it." He said, then turned away from us, and started walking toward a corner, where the light was for him.
"Jim." I said, stopping him, "I love you."
"I love you too. I will wait for you on the other side, just…don't come too soon. You have your life ahead of you." Jim said, "Plus, you have to keep Rick in line."
I nodded, understanding, he was giving permission for me and Rick to get together. "I will, I'll live my life for both of us." I said, he nodded, smiling, the last time I would see him smile like that before I died, turned and walked into the light, disappearing.
I missed him already, "Rick?" I said.
He looked down at me, "Yeah?"
"Will it get any better?" I asked, "Missing him I mean." I quickly added.
"Not really, but you will be able to handle it easier." He replied. I nodded, I understood what he meant.
Thanks for reading, leave a comment or thought, please!
