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THE GHOSTS OF MY LIFE

Chapter 7: Telling Sam.

When Sam picked me up for our date he admitted he didn't have anything planned so we ventured towards Port Angeles and see what we could make of the trip. I actually liked not having this planed. Everything else in my life was meticulously planned. The freedom of going with the wind was refreshing. Going to Port Angeles gave me the opportunity to check the second-hand store that Angela mentioned once.

I liked talking to Sam, which was good, seeing as I was his forever mate or something of that sort. That made my mind wander and wonder if there have ever been any imprints that didn't get along with the wolves. That would suck, royally. So, talking to Sam was easy, he was a simple man, he enjoyed simple things and an easy life. He admitted he had some money saved and being the owner of a small bistro in the rez made him a bit wealthy. That sparked my curiosity. Not the wealthy part, but the whole owning a business thing. I voiced my curiosity and he even volunteered to take me there sometime this week for dinner.

"Why didn't we go there for the date?" If he owned a bistro we could have gone there.

He smiled at me "Because I didn't want our date to be interrupted by work. I wanted this date to be about us. I have gotten to know you better, but my workplace isn't really a quiet place to talk on a first date. At least for me"

That made sense. I bet some people went there for their first dates but they weren't going to be interrupted mid-sentence by a worried co-worker.

"Speaking of business. Ems gave these magazines for you." He handed the bunch to me. I could see they were from Ikea.

Bit by bit I had bought everything I was going to be needing, sheets, towels, plates, cutleries, furniture. The first thing I bought was my bed and my bedroom furniture. Sam and Seth volunteered to go with me to buy some furniture for my living room. Leah wanted to come as well to rain down her brother and to advise in good taste "just in case" she had said.

I was dreading the trip to Seattle, where the nearest Ikea was. That was the trip, Sam, Seth, and Leah had volunteered to go with me. It was a really long trip by road and I wouldn't be buying everything due to lack of space.

"What am I supposed to do with all these?" I mean, they were from the store, but I didn't have a magic wand to conjure everything I wanted.

"She told me to tell you that she and John went there a few weeks ago, and some guy told them they could review the items on the magazines and buy them through the online page of the store." That was actually really cool. It could save me the expensive gas money.

"Thank you so much!" If I could hug her, I would. "This is really useful. You have no idea how I was dreading this trip."

Sam laughed. "I still volunteer to help you shop."

I looked at him smiling. "You enjoy shopping?"

He shook his head. "Don't put words in my mouth devil woman. I enjoy certain types of shopping. I enjoy food shopping for example. I could bare furniture shopping for you" I pecked him on the cheek and returned to my spot.

"So, how does it feel to be your own boss?"

"It's actually hard. People think that because you own the business you can somehow be relaxed. But it's quite the opposite. You have to have a thousand eyes, a thousand hands, and still be friendly with everyone. You have to deal with employees, with dealers, with investors, with customers. It's exhausting but rewarding. I actually love it, no matter how many headaches it has given me or will give me in the future."

"How did you manage to open a bistro?" It always sparked my curiosity about how people managed to have their own businesses.

"For once I saved all through college. I worked as a bartender, it wasn't the most enriching job, but for a part-time job for a student, the pay was very decent. It wasn't a plan to open a bistro. I actually didn't know what exactly I wanted to do when I graduated. I kind of improvised when my mom suggested a bistro might be a good idea. She helped me financially so I didn't have to ask the bank for any loans. I still had to find investors and contacts, people who wanted to risk having a job in a new place with no certainties at all. It was hard, but I made it. I actually have been here for only a year, so the bistro is still new. It's going well so far. I actually got to contract some of the younger boys from the rez to keep them out of trouble." That was cute.

"I thought the bistro was older." He shook his head. " You work every day, right? When you're not patrolling?"

"I actually do."

"If you're patrolling who do you leave in charge?"

"If Emily is free, then her, if not I leave Seth."I nodded. Seth was done with college too, he studied business administration. I sensed some future partnership between those two. Sam needed someone he could trust to help him make the big decisions and help him run the bistro. Why not Seth?.

"Back to the magazines and your sister. Why did she send them?"

"I told her about your impending trip" He admitted.

"You talk about me?" Why?

"Of course I do. You're my girlfriend. And she is a woman. It's in her nature" I slapped his arm lightly and he laughed.

"Does she know about you being a wolf?" I've been wondering for a few days how many people outside the wolves themselves knew about them.

By this time we were already in Port Angeles.

"Yes, both her and my mom know. And John too." He parked the car on a street and we both got down. "In fact. If the wolf has living parents or any direct relatives such as siblings, I asked the council if we could inform them. I think it's easier. Fewer lies, less danger." I remained silent for a few minutes while we walked through town. I pondered his words.

If telling your direct family meant fewer people would be lied to, or hurt, or be in danger, it made sense to let them in on the secret. It was how I felt regarding my own situation.

"Are you uncomfortable with my sister and I talking about you?"

"Not at all" I reassured him quickly. "I am curious though." He nodded encouraging me to go on "What else do you talk about me?"

He blushed. This had to be good if he was blushing. He was always so controlled of his emotions and his behavior. "She sort of demanded to know when would I take you to meet my mom."

"Oh" it was a shitty answer, but it took me by surprise.

"Would you like to meet her?" Would I? He knew my dad, so it kind of made sense that I knew his mom.

Sam had told me she didn't want to go to the bonfire due to some misunderstandings with the elders. He spoke little to none about his parents.

Being a kindergarten teacher has taught me a few things about kids' behavior, I never meant to seem like I knew everything regarding that subject, but I have learned that kids loved to talk about their families, they trusted everybody, they think that everyone is good. But Chelsea only spoke of mommy, daddy, and uncah Sammy. I was eager to know more about him, whatever he wanted to share.

"Does she want to meet me? " I asked.

"Why do you say that?" He looked at me confused, his eyes weary.

"I don't mean any harm by saying this, and if I'm out of my place please tell me." He nodded and I continued "Neither you nor Chelsea speak about your parents. I didn't want to assume anything and I also didn't want to pressure you into telling me about them. I understand not everyone is as open"

He kissed my forehead. "My dad left my mom when Emily and I were still kids. She doesn't like to talk about it. Apparently, my father had another son and the elders know who he is but don't want to share that information. That's why my mom won't go to any bonfire or meeting that is related to the Council. She despises being humiliated like that. We don't speak too much of her because there's not much to talk about. She was a strong influence while growing up, Em and I owe everything that we are to her. She loves us deeply, but she still can't forgive my dad's leaving. We don't even know if he's still alive or not" I looked at him surprised. It was much more than I expected. It was a huge show of trust that he told me everything, it made me feel a little guilty about my own secrets. But I kept reminding myself that I would be telling him soon if I didn't gather up the courage to tell him today.

"When are you planning on us going?"

"Tomorrow afternoon" I nodded.

We continued talking and walking through town. It wasn't a sunny day, it was actually pretty cold, but I was enjoying our talks and everything to bother too much about the cold. But as much as we were enjoying everything we weren't immune to the cold, so Sam bought a coffee for him and a hot chocolate for me. With that warm fuel on our system, we managed to survive until it was time to eat.

Dinner was actually pretty fun. He really liked to eat as much as he enjoyed shopping for food. He ate a few dishes on the menu and still managed to finish mine. On the bright side, I wouldn't have to eat leftovers if we ever get married.

After dinner, we walked back to the car and made one last stop on the second-hand store. We went in together and kept talking and joking while browsing through the many items.

At some point, I found a stuffed animal of a black and white husky. It was so fluffy and cute. I have always loved stuffed animals; Charlie and mom used to give me one on every major occasion, like graduating from high school, college, finding my first apartment or my first real job. Bears, cows, donkeys, zebras, whatever cute animal that they could think I might like, they got it.

Sam groaned when he saw me.

"What?!"I pout "He's really cute and cuddly. And he reminds me of you"

He rolled his eyes. He had told me once that each wolf had a different color and he was black. I was really curious about seeing him in wolf form. We were officially in a relationship, though we were talking things calmly, not necessarily slowly, just at our own path.

"Are you really getting that thing?"

I smiled innocently and stood closer to him whispering. "Until you let me see you in wolf form, I will keep him as a mental image." He opened his eyes widely and shook his head.

"You're crazy" I was not going to deny him that. I planned on putting the pet back but he grabbed it and paid for it. I was actually glad that I got another stuffed animal, but I didn't want him paying for everything I found cute or pretty, and I told him so. "Believe me, I won't be buying you everything you find pretty. My pockets won't resist it" Good, we were on the same page. I didn't buy anything because nothing caught my attention that much. It was a beautiful store but not what I had in mind.

"Thank you for the dog, tough" I kissed him chastely on the lips.

He remained quiet the way back to the car. We were on the highway when he spoke again "It's not that I don't want to show myself to you. It's just that it can be dangerous. I have the strength to physically hurt you if for an instant I phase too close to you. I don't want to risk it."

I thought about it. "What if you phased far from me and you approach me to a comfortable distance for both of us?"

"I promise to think about it" I was happy with that.

We spent a few minutes in silence until a realization came to me making me laugh. Sam looked at me as if I were crazy. "Do you realize that this conversation is pointless?"

"How so?"

"I already saw you as a wolf" I really couldn't believe I had managed to forget about that. I was so freaked out that day.

"When?" Apparently, he forgot too.

"A few weeks ago. You were with Seth in the woods, I was doing some exploring and suddenly there was this huge black wolf and seconds later Seth was following you naked." The realization came to his face and he managed to smile amusedly at the memories.

"I can't believe I forgot about it. I was planning on talking to you, and then, there you were in the woods. I think I managed to scare you off."

I giggled. "You did! I knew Seth was a wolf but he wouldn't talk about it and I wouldn't ask. Then there he was, naked, and talking to you. But all I could see was the wolf. I was a little scared of it. I have never seen a wolf so close"

He shook his head in disbelief.

"So. Would you show me your wolf again?" I was really curious about seeing him now that I knew everything, now that we were together. I didn't know why it was so important for me to see him like that.

"I promised you I would think about it. I know I can control myself. I can phase from afar and walk to you. I will think about it. You'll know what I decide" He winked and I smiled. One thing I knew for certain about him, was that he took his promises very seriously.

…

…

…

Neither one of us was ready for the night to be over. It was Friday, so we allowed ourselves to forget about the world. I decided this was the perfect moment to tell him about my ghosts. I wouldn't find any other peaceful enough moment. I gathered up all my courage and after taking a few beers from the fridge I sat beside him.

"There's something about me that should know." He took a drink from his beer, no traces of joking in his features. "I need you to keep an open mind. It shouldn't be difficult for you, you are a werewolf, after all, that is also very impossible all in all…"

"Bella" I looked at him interrupting my ramblings. "Whatever you have to say, I promise to keep an open mind. There's nothing you could say that would change my feelings for you." Oh! how I hoped that to be right.

"Remember that." He nodded and took my hands in his. "Since I was a little kid I was different. I could do things that I couldn't understand. Why could I talk to someone, and the other kids couldn't? It was really awful because I didn't have anyone to guide me or to explain to me what was happening. I practically learned by trial and error." My mind wandered to the dark times of being a little girl bullied by her peers for being a weirdo. "I can see ghosts and talk to them." Better cut to the chase instead of rambling some more.

He looked at me silently. Of course, Harry and Alison chose that moment to show up. I had asked them to give us some privacy during our date.

Alison took a look at her grandson and immediately guessed what was going on. "You're telling him about us, aren't you?" I nodded softly.

Sam followed the movement of my head and my gaze, but as we both knew he wouldn't catch anything. "Is there someone here right now?" His tone was strangled as if he was trying to refrain some emotion from showing up on his voice.

"Indeed"

He stood up and began pacing in the kitchen. I allowed him a few minutes of silence so he could process everything. Every so often he would stop in front of me and open his mouth as if to say something, then he would shake his head and continue pacing. I knew, logically, that I shouldn't be mad at him, it was a weird thing to process. But another part of me, the part that said fuck logic, was getting mad because I didn't freak out when he told me everything about the wolves. Granted, I knew about werewolves thanks to Seth, but still, I didn't freak about the other news. I was a little insulted.

"How do you know they're real?" he asked finally standing in front of me.

I understood what he meant. "They are real. They're just not in the same astral space so to speak, as us"

He looked confused. I sighed. "I don't know how to explain it. I have managed to know since I understood why I could see some people and others couldn't." He nodded but still looked contrite. "It's all about paying attention."

"Paying attention?"

"Yes. What they do. How they behave. They have some sort of static around them that the living doesn't have. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish, so if I'm not sure whether they are dead or alive I manage to go someplace where I can be alone and wait for them to follow." This was getting more complicated than I intended. "Sam. It's not a scientific fact. There isn't something I could tell you that would explain the how or the why of these things. It kind of happens. I'm used to it."

He didn't sit back, but at least didn't continue pacing either. "Sorry" he mumbled. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just crazy."

"So. You believe me, don't you?" He looked mad for a second before stomping closer to me and taking my face in his big hands.

"Of course I believe you, Bella." He said looking directly into my eyes. I could see the sincerity in them. "I might be freaked out about it, but I do believe you. I never expected the world to be normal after I first phased." I smiled. "It might take a while for me to get used to it but I do believe you."

Dad was right after all.

"I still can freak him out more." I laughed at Harry's comment.

"What is so funny?"

"You asked if there was someone here with us." He nodded. "I told you that indeed we have company. But, how do feel about knowing who are they?"

He looked disgruntled for a minute. "I may regret this later, but my curiosity is winning right now. Tell me who they are."

I smiled. I may enjoy this after all. " Harry Clearwater, and Alison Uley".

Bella might be a little evil saying the news of Alison like that, but she enjoys teasing him. I don't want all this ghost situation to be so hard or dark or serious for Bella and Sam. She's taking it with grace...Next chapter we'll see how Sam reacts to the news of his gf seeing his dead grandmother.

Any ideas?

Thanks for your kind reviews, for your follows, and for the silent readers!

Paty4Hale

27.09.2018