He returned, bloody and bruised.
"You promised." she whispered.
"I lied."
"He's much bigger than you." she said, eyeing the particularly nasty gash above his eye.
"He's much bigger than you." he countered back; that fact seemed to make him even more incensed.
Myrtle was silent as she reached out slowly to run her grey, transparent fingers down his bruised cheek.
When her fingers hit his skin, they went right through. He shivered at the icy feeling that overtook him.
He had forgotten what she was now.
The truth struck him suddenly and it felt as if someone was twisting a blade in his gut. He would never feel her warm embrace. He could never hold her hand. Taking in the look on her face, he knew she was thinking the same thing.
"I forgot." she murmured.
"Myrtle…" he said, reaching out to her but she flinched away.
"You can't touch me." she murmured. "You should go."
He moved toward the door, but turned to her at the last moment. "You asked what other reason I could've had for being here. I told you that you mattered to me, but I didn't say it right…I'm in love with you, Myrtle."