A/N: Hello again everyone! A new chapter is here! :D

Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Anno1701, Side1ways, Guest, jessv96, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!

I hope you all enjoy!

Someone talked nearby. Two very distinct and familiar voices.

"What is wrong with him?" The first voice asked.

"How the hell am I supposed to know, dude? And don't stand so close."

"Why?"

"Because I'm still creeped out, okay?"

"What's going on?" I asked, cracking open my lids to see James and Dak standing beside my bed. The curtain had been pulled over the window to block out the light, and my head was freezing. An ice pack had been placed on my forehead.

"Kendall!" James rushed forward and took my hand. "How do you feel?"

I was still trying to figure out what the hell was happening. The last thing I remembered was being downstairs and arguing with James, and then my head went batshit crazy on me. The pain had mostly subsided now, aside from tenderness behind my eyes and at the base of my neck.

"Better," I answered, sitting up a bit. That's when it hit me that Dak was here, and I looked between him and James. "What happened?"

"You lost consciousness," James responded, not letting go of my hand. "I panicked, not knowing what was wrong with you."

"So, he called me from your phone," Dak chimed in, glancing at James like he couldn't believe he was real. "Totally freaked me the hell out, too. I just got home from work and thought you were calling. When I answered and heard him instead, well I flipped shit at first."

"He threatened me," James said.

"What? Why?" I asked, fluffing my pillow before sitting up higher.

"I thought he might've hurt you or something." Dak sat on the bed beside my legs. His dark hair poked out from the bottom of his green beanie. "I told him I'd be right over."

"Then he showed up with a cross and a Bible."

I couldn't help but laugh. "He's a ghost, Dak, not a vampire."

"Hey, they work on ghosts and demons, too. Haven't you watched The Exorcist?"

"I believe in God, Mr. Zevon," James said, holding his head higher. "The only harm that can be done with a Bible is perhaps smacking you in the head with it."

"Keep talking like that and I'll exorcise you out of this place, Casper."

"It would be amusing to see you try."

"Stop!" I moved a stare between them. "I'm not in the mood to hear you guys bitching like two old ladies at the supermarket."

"Why would elderly women argue at the market?" James asked.

"Dude, you obviously haven't seen them in the deli on Sunday when there's a good sale. I've seen little old ladies go all Jet Li on each other to get that half-priced turkey."

"Oh. Who's Jet Li?"

"Only an amazing actor, producer, and martial artist. You need to watch his movies."

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and thumb. They were giving me whiplash with the back and forth between arguing and bonding. When I tried to get out of bed, I winced at the sharp pain in my temple.

Seemed the headache was mostly gone but not quite.

"Easy, darling." James grabbed my shoulders and gently pushed me back against the pillow.

"That's the second time you've called me that," I said, finding comfort in his touch but also confusion. "You really are a mystery to me, James Diamond."

"I…" James let go of me. A battle waged in his hazel eyes. "Excuse me."

He left the room.

Dal watched after him before scooting closer to me. He looked freaked out, and rightfully so, but at least he wasn't running out of the manor, screaming as he went.

"He's not what I thought he'd be," Dak said, wringing his hands in his lap. "He seems so...human."

"I know what you mean. I forget he's a ghost most of the time. Well, until his body flickers or he vanishes and reappears somewhere else."

"He cares about you," he said, and with the words came a dark shadow over his face.

"That upsets you?"

Dak shrugged and wrapped his arms around his stomach. "I saw the way you looked at him before he left. You care about him, too. It just makes me wonder if he's the reason you turned me down."

Had I done the same thing to Dak that James was doing to me? If so, I was a damn hypocrite.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," I said, grabbing his hand. "I do like you. A lot. But I meant it when I said we worked better as friends. James is...I can't really explain it, and I know it's hard for you to understand. Hell, I can barely understand it myself."

"So, I'm right?" Dak looked down and traced the length of my thumb. He was warm, unlike James, but it did nothing for me. "You like him?"

No sense in denying it. "Yes."

Dak shot off the bed and began to pace. "You know that's pretty sick, right? Like he's dead, Kendall. Practically a corpse." He stopped and his eyes widened. "Have you fucked him?"

"What the hell, Dak? First of all, who I fuck is none of your business."

"Answer the question."

"No."

"No, you won't answer the question? Or no, you haven't fucked him?"

"Jesus." I sharply exhaled and threw the blanket off me to stand up. I ended up moving too fast and making myself dizzy. I slapped a hand on the wall to keep from toppling over. "We haven't even kissed, Dak. Get that disgusted look off your face."

"But you want to?"

"If you're going to judge me, you can get the hell out. I didn't take you for the jealous type."

Dak's composure slipped and he sat on the edge of the reading chair. "I am jealous, but it's more than that. It's not healthy, Kendall. I say this as a friend. If you keep chasing ghosts, you'll become one. You're dehydrated, stressed, and look like you haven't had a good night's sleep in a week. You're becoming antisocial and locking yourself away in this fucking place."

"I'm fine."

"You're not! Look at what just happened! You fucking passed out, Kendall. When's the last time you had a proper meal? When was the last time you drank water? Slept for more than an hour? He's killing you, whether you see it or not."

A crash sounded from the hall.

I bolted toward the door and saw a tray on the floor, surrounded by water and shattered glass. Within the shards of glass was also a bagel with cream cheese. My heart dropped into my stomach.

"James?" I asked, stepping over the tray and sweeping a gaze around the stairwell.

Dak appeared behind me, his eyes locked on the mess in the hall. I could tell he felt ashamed. As he should.

"I hope you're happy," I said through gritted teeth before going down the stairs to find James.

I knew exactly where to look.

Approaching the entrance to the greenhouse, I took a breath as I reached the closed door and pushed it open. The smell of earth and rain hit me, and the taps on the overhead glasses sounded even louder than they should. It had been sunny earlier. The clouds had come in without warning, much like the ones in my head.

James stood by his flowers, holding a rose to his nose. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks.

"Hi," I said, stopping a few feet away.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. James turned his head away from me and his body faded in and out.

"Dak's wrong," I said, aching to pull him into my arms but knowing he'd push me away if I tried. "I'm sorry you had to hear him say that."

"He thinks I'm killing you." Even his voice was distorted, sounding as if he was speaking through old, faulty speakers. "You were sick because of me."

"No, it was because of me. I don't handle stress well. I'm worried about my career, stressed about my book, and anxious about tomorrow. I think I'm also a bit sleep deprived. I guess it triggered a migraine. I haven't had one in months, but they aren't uncommon for me. None of it is your fault."

"You should listen to him, Kendall." James faced me, and in that moment, he truly did look more ghost than human. "He can give you what I can't."

"Bullshit!" I charged forward. "I'm tired of everyone saying what's good and bad for me. How do you know what I want?"

James laughed. "Do you want this? To be stuck here in my prison with me?"

"What if I do?"

"Then you're a damn fool, Kendall Knight."

A streak of lightning lit up the sky, and when the light dimmed again, James was gone.

Anger boiled in my chest. It was irrational to feel this strongly for him, but James had burrowed his way into my life. Into my heart. And I couldn't stop it.

Yelling, I grabbed one of the empty racks and threw it across the room. Then I knocked over one of the tables. Even when pissed, I didn't touch James' plants. I would never forgive myself for taking away his one speck of joy in life. Tears fell from my eyes as I eyed the roses. Beautiful and delicate. I remembered James resting his head on my shoulder. Remembered his smell as I pressed my face into his hair. Lightning cracked like a whip, the sound ricocheting in my aching head.

I exited the greenhouse and slammed the door once back inside the manor.

Dak stood in the kitchen, hands in his hoodie pocket.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

He flinched. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm fucking hurt already. My emotions are being put through the grinder, and the two people I care about most are making my life more complicated by telling me what I should and shouldn't do like I'm a damn child."

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I understand if you don't want me to come to your signing tomorrow."

The energy drained from me in a single breath, and I sunk down into a chair at the table. "Everything's so fucked up, Dak."

"Well, duh. You're kind of crushing on a ghost." He sat across from me and faintly smiled. "We suck at detective work, Kendall. You're supposed to solve the mystery, not romance the victim. And with me crushing on you and getting upset, it's more like a damn soap opera. So much for us being The Hardy Boys."

I chuckled, even though I was still a little mad at him. It was just so damn hard to stay upset at him when he said shit like that. The faint but adorable smile on his face didn't help matters any.

"Speaking of our detective work, you never told me if you found more about Alex."

"I was dying from embarrassment at the time, remember? After we talked, I took another look at the pile I'd made about Edward...Alex...whatever. All I found were love poems and letters. Nothing about him and James."

Love poems.

"What did the poems say?"

"Hell if I know. I hate poetry. I can bring the box over for you sometime, though, if you want to sort through it."

"I don't know if it even matters anymore." I scrubbed my hands over my face. "James has made it clear he wants nothing to do with me. Prying through his ex-lover's things will only upset him more. I think it's best if we leave the past alone for now."

"Is your head still hurting?"

"A bit."

"You should go back to bed."

I went to argue but found I was too tired to do so. "Okay." I stood up and poured a glass of water to take with me. "I still want you to go with me to the signing, if you aren't too disgusted."

"I might not get it, but...I'm not disgusted with you. It's just weird."

"You said yourself you thought he seemed human."

"He does," Dak said, chewing on the edge of his bottom lip. "But knowing he's a ghost? I can barely be next to him without getting creeped out. I don't see how you're around him so much."

"He doesn't need a pulse to be alive to me."

Dak looked at me then, as if seeing me in a different light.

"Can I expect you to come with me to the signing or do I need to find another non-date?"

"A non-date," he repeated, chuckling. "No need to panic. I'll be there."

Somehow, I knew all along he would be.

Once Dak left, I stood in the foyer, listening for any signs of James. The rumbling thunder and taps of rain against the glass reached my ears, but no James. The loneliness suffocated me. The dark house depressed me. I made my way upstairs and fell into bed, feeling the shadow of my migraine in my temple. Lightning lit up the room, and I turned over to face the wall.

My broken heart hurt way more than my head.

XxX

Jett and Eric didn't know what to make of Dak when he showed up the next day, wearing his usual jeans and hoodie combo and sporting orange snake-eye contacts. Apparently, the contact thing was still happening. They had stopped by to help load everything up for the signing when he came strolling up the driveway.

"Dak Zevon," he said, shaking Eric's hand. He then turned his attention to Jett. "Are you the ex-boyfriend?"

"Oh my God," I muttered under my breath.

Jett shot me a look before shaking Dak's hand. "Um...yeah. That's me."

Dak said nothing. Just stared. With his contacts, he looked pretty freaky. And Jett had a horrid fear of snakes. Wait, had I mentioned that to Dak and he purposefully showed up wearing them? Or was it just a coincidence?

Oh well.

"You ready to head out?" Eric asked me, looking at his phone. "We need to be there early to set up your table. I'm not sure if there'll be any crazy fans, so I hired a few bodyguards that will walk around the party. Don't worry, they'll blend in."

"I don't need bodyguards."

"Too bad."

We loaded three boxes of books into the back of Eric's SUV. The last box would go in my car.

"Just have to go inside for a second," I said, after shutting the car door. "Go ahead and drive over there. I'll follow."

"Okay. Don't be late. This evening is too important."

"Eric, I'm not five. I understand, okay?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just nervous, okay? You haven't done a signing in a while and I want this to go well."

That makes two of us.

I nodded before we said our goodbyes and they got in the SUV and drove off.

Dak scoffed. "I can't believe you were ever with that pretty boy. Those muscles are just for show, right? Dude was panting carrying that little box."

"That little box is holding thirty or so hardback books."

"Big deal." Dak rolled his eyes and looked at the front door. "You going to see James?"

I nodded. "He hasn't talked to me since yesterday, but I don't want to leave without saying goodbye."

"Cool." He shifted his weight between his feet. "I'll stay out here. Don't want to make things more awkward."

I was glad Dak wasn't being a douche anymore. I knew he still didn't understand-maybe he never would-but he was trying, and that meant a lot.

The door creaked as I opened it and stepped inside the manor. James hadn't only ignored me since yesterday, he hadn't shown himself at all. I worried maybe this was it; that he was gone for good.

"James?" My feet echoed on the hardwood floor as I went farther in. "I'm about to leave and wanted to say bye. I…" I ran a hand over my carefully fixed hair, seeing no signs of him. "We really need to talk. I hate us being at odds."

He appeared in front of me, and I yelped.

"Apologies," he said, but he looked pleased with himself. "I don't like it either. You've become the only thing in my pitiful existence that I look forward to."

"Then why are you pushing me away?"

I expected him to say something like, 'It's for your own good,' or something similar. More of the same shit he'd told me for the past week.

He surprised me.

"Because I'm a coward, Kendall. You said it yourself." His form flickered as he strode over to the window. "The last time I loved a man, I was killed for it."

My knees gave out, and I caught myself on the stair railing. He'd just admitted he was killed, and for loving Alex of all reasons. I'd already suspected he had been murdered. Having him confirm the suspicion, though, made me feel sick.

Pull yourself together, Kendall.

"Well, playing off your humor," I said, moving toward him. Humor was easier right now. Better than the grief in my heart, anyway. "You can't be killed for it again. I mean, you're already dead."

James arched a brow. "Did you just joke about me being dead, Kendall? That's both morbid and cruel."

"I learn from the best."

"Indeed." He smiled, though it appeared strained. "How do you feel? I watched over you last night, checking for any signs of fever."

My throat tightened. "I feel better."

With a shaking hand, I reached for him. When he stepped into my embrace and put his arms around me, my stomach fluttered. His lavender scent, the coolness of his skin-I'd missed it. He'd rejected me for so long, fighting against me.

Now he was...no.

I wouldn't get my hopes up.

"You feel so good in my arms," I said.

"I like being here," he whispered, holding me closer. "I still believe you'll grow bored of me, yet I can't deny you anymore. I want this too much. And I shouldn't want it."

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Because it makes me selfish." James pressed his face to my neck, and chills erupted on my skin. "You're giving me everything, but all I can offer you is a half-life."

I remembered him saying something similar about being with Alex. He hadn't run away when Alex begged for them to, because he didn't want Alex to later regret it. He hadn't wanted him to live in the shadows.

"There you go again putting words in my mouth," I said. "I don't feel that way at all."

"You will, but that's a discussion for later." James nuzzled his face to my neck. "I was so worried yesterday, Kendall. When you fell down and I couldn't wake you...it was the worst kind of fear. I've never used a fancy telephone before, but I've seen you use yours so many times. I didn't hesitate before searching Dak's name. He was the only person I knew who could help."

"I'm sorry for scaring you."

He slapped my chest and glared at me. "That will never happen again. Do you hear me? You will drink eight cups of water every day, eat three meals a day, and you will take care of yourself. I will not lose you, Kendall. I can't."

I almost laughed, but the seriousness in his expression stopped me. "I'll do better. Okay?"

He nodded and laid his head back down.

"Can we talk more when I get home?" I asked, resting my cheek on the top of his dark hair.

"I'd like that."

"It's settled then. Tonight, these walls come down. Promise me."

"I promise." He peered up at me through dark lashes. "I'm sad I can't be with you at your signing. If only it was on Halloween…"

Fuck, the sadness in his eyes made my chest hurt. He was allowed to leave on Halloween, though. I'd have to make it a night he'd always remember.

"Feel free to read more books while I'm gone." I brushed his bangs from his brow, finding his hair soft and feathery.

"I will."

Holding onto him-and to have him actually hold me back-was indescribable. Still, I refused to have hope. James had been known to switch moods like the wind. Just because he was giving in now didn't mean he'd feel the same later.

"Hey, Kendall?" Dak called from outside. "Not to, like, interrupt or anything, but we kind need to go. Otherwise, your agent's gonna lose his shit."

"Remember," I said, pulling away from him but holding his hand as I did. "We're talking this out tonight. No more games."

He nodded. "Be careful."

I exited the manor and locked the door. Before leaving, I placed my hand on the wood, wishing James could come with me. I didn't want to admit it to him, but it upset me that he was stuck here. But not for the reasons he thought. I just wanted him to experience the world like he never got to.

Dak popped his gum. "Were you able to talk to him?"

"A little." I walked down the steps, unlocking the car with my key fob. I got into the driver's seat, and Dak slid in beside me. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about it."

"I still think it's freaking weird, dude, but whatever makes you happy."

As I put the car in reverse, I looked at the manor. James stood in the window, but he didn't seem as sad as he sometimes did. He waved before fading into darkness.

"Have you ever been to the house on Redwood?" I asked as I pulled out of the driveway.

"Hell no. Your house was the first haunted place I ever went inside, remember? I can't even think about Redwood without shuddering." He turned to me in the seat. "If I die tonight, will you delete my browser history? I don't want people knowing I watch animated porn."

I barked out a laugh. "You're not going to die. Who knows, maybe the house isn't even haunted."

"Famous last words," Dak muttered with a sigh.

Done! So, Kendall's okay and it looks like things might be looking up for Kames!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!

Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are staying safe out there! Next chapter we visit Redwood! That'll probably be up early next week.

Until then!

-Epically Obsessed