Nick was changing.

Well, he had changed when he was a ghost, but now he's finding his way back again.

A part of me felt happy that he was able to grow again.

Another part of me was upset that I wasn't able to be a part of that again.

I hated how my body reacted to him. How a simple touch could make me so dizzy and breathless.

Seeing him was always painful. I hated how all our memories together vanished. How every word and touch disappeared. How I couldn't stop loving him while he did not even know he cared for me at one point.

But he did break up with Amelia. Seeing her be with him... it ripped me apart. I was proud of him too. He was becoming the Nick I knew all by himself. I loved seeing him grow again. A part of me wished he would go back to his old ways. For him to torment me. I wanted to hate him again. I wanted to hate him so badly, because loving him hurt way more.

My father had finally given me some freedom back. I could finally walk to school and work in daylight again. I decided to take a week off school and stay with my mother. It just hurt too much to see Nick around, especially since he does not remember anything about us.

***

Nick's POV

Everything felt weird. I had missed out on a month of my life. Trey had been made captain of the football team while I was gone. I got my title back immediately, but could tell Trey was not pleased about it. I had a nagging feeling when I saw some of my friends, like I knew something about them that I shouldn't-- despite not being able to remember anything.

I knew what happened in the episodes of shows I never watched that aired while I was in a comma. They said I might have overheard them while in a comma, but I visually remember scenes, which made no sense. I had a constant craving for apple pie. The song Ghost kept playing in my head.

And the sight of Eva always made my body stop functioning normally.

Did guilt do that? Is this what the road to redemption felt like?

I couldn't help myself from running up to her to join her on her walk home from school. Eva looked like she might faint.

"W-what are you doing?"

I shrugged. "Same as you. Walking home. We are neighbours, you know? It makes sense to walk together."

She opened her mouth then closed it.

A sense of relief spread through me knowing she wasn't shutting me out.

"College deadlines are soon. Did you apply?" I asked her. "Something with law enforcement right?"

Her eyes widened. "Do you... do you remember something?"

Huh? We've spoken of this before, no?

Eva and I never had real conversations before... how would I have known?

I scratched my head a little confused. "Must have heard it somewhere."

"I finally submitted my applications, I was a little nervous, but I guess coming back from a comma has a way of pushing me forward," I found myself telling her. It was easy to talk to her. It felt like we've done this a million times.

"What did you end up going with? Football or Notre Dame?" she asked before her eyes widened in horror.

How did she know of Notre Dame? Only my parents knew of it since we argued so much over it. Not even my friends knew. "How did you..."

"Uh- I overheard your parents," she squeaked. Hmmm... that was possible.

I kept talking to Eva, it was hard squeezing answers out of her. Sometimes she seemed comfortable and then suddenly her worry would return. I just wanted to keep hearing her voice. It was a very odd feeling.

When Eva took a week off school, everything felt wrong. Her father told me she was staying at her mother's. I couldn't help but feel like I was driving her away. Was I coming on too strong? Did I even want to stop talking to her if I was?

Even though I did not see her, Eva haunted me. She followed me in my dreams. Dreams I shouldn't be having of her, but I was. The dreams felt so real, so intimate. She even haunted me in the waking hours. Sometimes I would hear her laugh, images of her smiling would flash before my eyes, flashes of us together, I would sometimes get a whiff of her smell and can't help but look around of her. It felt too real. Too odd. Something wasn't right.

***

Eva's POV

I wished I could stay longer at my mother's house, but I needed to get back to school and work. I planned to avoid Nick like the plague so I could get over him, but every time I looked for him I noticed him looking at me with an odd expression. Some times I felt like he might come over and talk to me- more like confront me, but he never did.

He was staring at me from the end of the hall. Every hair on my body stood up. It was hard to avoid him when he kept staring at me. I closed my locker, ready to escape his gaze only to find him standing before me. How the hell did he get here this fast?

"What have you done to me?" he asked, looking slightly angry.

"What are you talking about?" I furrowed my brows.

He took a step closer to me, making me lose my breath.

"You're in my head. Why are you in my head?"

"I-- I--"

What was going on?

"You are in everything. I don't get it Eva. We never hung out before. I can't do anything without you popping into my head!" He was really angry. How would I explain this to him?

I took a cautious step back only to have my body hit the lockers behind me. I was officially trapped.

"How are you in my dreams every night? Why am I having such dreams of you?" He continued to ask. His angry demeanour turning to confusion. "Why do I look forward to them every night? Why do they feel so real?"

My hands clenched and unclenched at my sides. I didn't know what to say without sounding crazy. My chest felt like it my explode.

Nick lifted my chin with his fingers. His eyes turning hooded. I held my breath as he brought his lips down to mine, claiming them in a passionate kiss. He only pulled back an inch looking me in the eye. "Why does that feel so familiar? So right?"

My lips parted, but I had no answer to give him.

"We've done this before, haven't we?"

I bit my lip. How could I possibly answer that?

"Please Eva, tell me I'm not crazy," he begged.

I felt horrible. I knew what it felt like to go crazy. I finally came to my senses realizing we were still in the middle of the school hallway. All eyes were on us and whispers filled the air.

"Can we go somewhere private?" I asked, my voice coming out breathless.

Nick seemed to realize the situation we were in. He grabbed my wrist leading me to the pathway home.

"Your father comes home late today, right?" he asked.

I nodded my head feeling nervous.

"Good, I feel like this is going to be a long conversation," he said.

I could only dread what was to come.

Nick didn't ask anything and I didn't dare speak until we got to my house. I led Nick to the kitchen. I pulled out an apple pie, only because it felt like a good icebreaker. I've baked one every few days trying to find the courage to take it over because I knew he loved it, but never having the strength to.

Nick's eyes lit up. "I swear I have been craving this since waking up from the comma."

A smile tugged on my lips. He remembered this. He was remembering bit by bit. We had hope. Maybe I could help trigger other memories.

Nick quickly dug his fork into the middle of the pie, before looking up at me sheepishly. "Sorry, bad habit. Got it from my father."

"— Your father," I said at the same time.

Nick furrowed his brows. "Yeah... how did you..."

"Ice cream!" I interrupted pulling up some vanilla ice cream to go with it.

This kept Nick distracted temporarily.

Nick finished his portion before washing his dish. It was odd seeing him so at home in my house. He dried his hands and turned around. "I want to see your room."

"What? I--"

He took a step forward. "I've never been in your room, yet I keep having visions of us in your room."

I bit my lip thinking it over before nodding. I led Nick upstairs and opened the door to my room. Nick took one step in and paused. He looked around my room with an unreadable expression.

"How? How is this possible?"

My heart ached at his distraught expression. He probably thought he was going crazy. I owed him the truth. He was in for a surprise.

"You're going to want to take a seat for this," I motioned for him to sit on my bed.

"You're going to tell me?" He looked so hopeful.

I nodded my head. Sanity be damned.

Nick took a seat, but I couldn't hold myself still enough to sit down. Instead, I paced.

"Any day now."

I groaned, digging my fingers into my palms. "I'm working up to it, alright?"

Nick let out a whistle.

After a few deep breaths, I turned to face him. "Okay, so you know those rumours of me seeing your ghost? Well, they weren't just rumours."

Nick raised his brows, skeptical. "So what you're saying is that you saw my ghost?"

I nodded. "Yes, well spirit I guess. You were lost from you body I think. We teamed up to find your body so I could help you move on."

Nick clenched his jaw, looking like he wanted to believe this. "So during this time, we became friends-- more than friends?"

Please don't think I'm crazy.

I nodded my head.

Nick didn't look convinced. I reached under my pillow and pulled out Nick's notebook.

His eyes widened. "How did you--"

I opened the bookmarked page and thrust it in his hands. "You told me I was colour. I was your light."

Nick closed his eyes like he was in pain. He let out a loud groan. "Why am I remembering that?"

"Because it happened," I urged him to believe me.

I started telling him everything, from the first moment I saw his spirit in the halls, to our lake adventures, to the secrets he's never told anyone.

Nick clutched his head as I continued to speak. He looked like he was in immense pain, but I didn't stop. I continued.

Nick dropped to his knees and let out a serious of horrible groans. I dropped to my knees beside him, putting my arms around him.

"Nick! Nick!"

Oh god! I broke him!

"Come on Nick!"

He was screaming now.

Shit shit shit.

He stopped. Nick remained crouched. His body heaving up and down.

"Nick...."

It felt like forever before Nick raised his head. His nose was bleeding, but he didn't seem to mind.

His jaw was clenched so hard it looked like it could cut rocks.

"I remember. I remember everything."

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