Lake Larson

Why were leftovers always heavenly? The feeling of waking up with hunger in your stomach, but you don't have the energy to cook. A doggie box ready to be heated in the microwave, even if the white styrofoam was not microwaveable.

It was like waking up after a stormy night to see the uproar had passed. A bright yellow shined down on you with a beautiful smile, not just any smile, but one that would melt the glaciers around a bitter heart. A smile that grew bigger, forcing you to stare into his hazel eyes. The greens danced with the browns like leaves blowing across a field.

Frick.

I'm off-topic.

"What are you looking at?" Ian asked, bringing me back to reality.

Yes, those leftovers were good, really, really, good. I blinked at Ian with a shocked expression.

"Nothing," I whispered. "Just daydreaming."

My face burned from embarrassment as he watched me. I quickly cupped my cheeks, looking away from Ian.

I shoved the last bite of my leftovers into my mouth, throwing away the box. I walked to my bookshelf, chewing while grabbing the little orange book. Dust lined the outer cover, and I saw my fingerprints before blowing on the dust bunnies. While I stared at the cover, my eyes slid to the shelf, seeing the photo of Ian with his red beanie. This picture told me a story while I grabbed it and placed the book back.

"They took this photo of me after I returned from New York," Ian whispered behind me. "I believe."

His hand reached around me slowly while his skin touched mine. He stepped closer, and his chest rested against my back. I inhaled deeply, letting the shivers trail down my spine.

Ian's lips lingered close to my ear. "Well, my dear, take heart," he whispered. "Someday, I will kiss you, and you will like it."

I recognized his quote right away, spinning to look at him. "But not now, so I beg you not to be too impatient."

His hands gripped the photo without his eyes leaving mine. With a smirk, he peeked down at the picture. He glanced past me, looking at the bookshelf behind me.

"I see you had read the ones on your shelf." Ian tilted his head.

I mirrored his expression. "Well, Gone with the Wind was a requirement in my literature class."

He chuckled. "You don't memorize quotes unless you have read them more than once."

"I can say the same for you. That's two books now." I stepped back from him. "You surprise me every day."

Ian let out a sad chuckle, glancing at the wood floor. "When you are unhappy. It's nice to get away with a good book." He stepped closer to me.

I paced away from him, feeling the bookshelf against my back. "Reading to get away doesn't always mean you are unhappy."

"Eventually, you will need to put the book down and look over the edge of the pages and see what's in front of you." Ian took another step closer to me. "So, tell me, Lake. What do you see when you put the book down?"

I bit my cheek nervously while I thought of him. "Family. Alex," I responded, not looking into his eyes. "My schooling used for something good." I glanced at the photo in his hand. "Happiness."

Ian followed my gaze to the picture. He turned it over, seeing his name written on the back. The kiss mark smeared across the old film material.

"Something seems familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but something about this picture."

"Well, yeah," I said. "It brought you here."

He peeked at me with a side smile. "I know that. There is something more." Ian glanced at the back again. "I don't know," he said, tossing it.

I watched the photo float slowly, swaying back and forth. With the features of a feather, it glided to the wood floor. No noise. No crash. The picture peacefully touched the wood panels.

"Let's get out of here," Ian said, walking to the photo. "Get your shoes on." He reached down, picking it up.

"Where to, captain?" I asked, grabbing my shoes from under the bed.

Ian slid the photo back on my bookshelf. "It's a surprise," he said, looking at the picture. He glanced at me with a wink. "Now, get a warm coat on because it is cold outside."

I tilted my head, dropping my tennis shoes and reaching for my winter boots. After tying up the laces, I wrapped my yellow rain coat around me.

---👻---

"This way," Ian said, jumping off the paved trail into the thick pines. His bare feet touched the snow, crunching under his weight.

"You sure?"

"Yes!" he yelled while running away.

I stepped off the path into the forest, feeling the mist. A patch of snow under a pine slowly melted on the slightly warmer days, bringing the rain. Ian peeked his head around a rock.

"You coming?" he waved his hand while I followed around the boulder.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, glancing from my boots to a railroad track.

Ian stood on the tracks, waiting for me. I tucked my hair behind my ears, climbing up to him.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" I asked, stopping before him with my boots on the tracks.

"Nope." Ian walked down the railroad tracks.

I jogged up to him, keeping on the wood panels. "Where are you taking me?"

"To my favorite place. Well, from what I can remember." He pointed ahead. "It's not much farther."

"Oh, just a hop and a skip over the mountain," I replied with a quiet giggle.

"How did you know?" Ian pointed at a hillside, raising a brow.

"You are joking, right?" I glanced up the hillside, realizing I hadn't worked out since my last soccer game.

Ian placed his hand on my shoulder, gazing into my eyes. "Trust me, it is worth it."

With a sigh, I waved for him to lead the way. Ian climbed the hillside, pausing at every switchback to glance at me. The wet ground made it hard to scale the side while rocks slid from under my feet. I flipped my hood off my head, feeling the cold sweat on my neck. Tucking my hand into my yellow sleeves, I should have brought gloves.

"Almost there," Ian said over his shoulder.

I glanced at him while he smiled down at me. He nodded his head, reaching his hand out for me to take. I stretched my fingers toward him while he entangled his with mine. He gripped tight, pulling me up the rest of the way. I released my palm from him, turning to face the view.

Pine trees lined perfectly with one another like a painting. The fog crept at the bottoms, hazing the forest. The mist threatened to rain while the gray clouds covered the sun. A winter bird chirped in the tree above me, flying away and adding to the view.

"Now, close your eyes," Ian whispered before I peeked over at him.

"Why would I want to close my eyes?"

He gripped my shoulders, forcing me to face him. "Close your eyes."

I exhaled a long breath, closing my eyes for him. A shiver trailed down my spine while I waited for something to happen.

"Now what?" I would roll my eyes at him if I could.

"Just wait." His hands gripped my shoulders tighter.

My breath slowly let out, being the only thing I could hear. The silence pierced my ears while blood rushed to them. But in the distance, the river flowed, crashing into the rocks. The birds chirped a quiet tune, and then I heard it.

"Do you hear it?" Ian asked.

"Yes." I opened my eyes to see Ian's hazels close to mine. "Here comes the wind."

I closed my eyes again, listening to the breeze in the distance, blowing around the hillside like an overflowing river smashing into the Earth. The wind was peace, flying through the trees, washing away the sins for the minds of the ones who sat there long enough to listen. It roared louder as it rushed closer.

Ian's hand brushed down my arm, stopping at my elbows. He mirrored the wind slowly trailing to my hands while the breeze swept toward us. His fingers tickled my palms before interlocking them one by one.

I inhaled, holding my breath as the surrounding leaves rustled quietly. And in a hazy moment, the wind washed my face, whipping my hair back. The invisible river bathed me while memories of my dad floated through my mind, his laughter when he acted like a child, showering me with love.

I opened my eyes, smiling at Ian while a lonely tear trailed down my cheek. He watched the liquid leave its path behind before removing his hand from mine and using his thumb to dry my skin. Ian's eyes stayed on my cheekbone while his expression dropped.

"Thank you," I whispered before quickly tucking my face into his chest and wrapped my arms around him.

Ian squeezed me tight with warmth as I fit perfectly in his arms. Breathing in his scent, I closed my eyes, never wanting this moment to end. But reality sunk in when not even a single beat of a heart echoed in my ears. No heartbeat meant no happy ending.

I stepped out of his arms, feeling a cold drop hit my nose. Another raindrop landed on my cheek, followed by another. The patter of the rain hitting the forest sang in an echo.

"We better get going," I said, glancing at the gray cloud.

Ian reached his hand out for me to take it. I froze, looking at his stretched fingers before looking at him. He smirked, raised a brow, and chuckled, stitching our palms together.

We raced down the hillside back to my car in the pouring rain. The water soaked the outside of my coat, freezing my skin. My hair dripped liquid down my back, drenching my shirt.

We slid to a stop near my car as I stripped off my wet coat and threw it in the backseat before hopping in. Turning the engine on, I rubbed my palms together before the vent.

"My fingers are freezing," I said, exhaling a breath of warmth. "I can't feel them."

Ian reached to my cupped hands, touching his chilly fingers to my skin. I pulled away instantly.

"Sorry," I said, chattering my teeth. "Your hands are ice cubes." I let out a soft giggle. "I guess that's what I get for being friends with a ghost."

"Yeah," he whispered in a low tone. "Let's just get back to your apartment."

"Thank you for this," I replied, shifting my body to face him.

He smiled at the front window. "Of course." Ian peeked at me. "I wish I could help you more," he said, watching me build friction with my hands.

"It's warming up, don't worry." The heat in my car blew in my face while chilly drops of water fell from the ends of my hair.

He fixed his gaze on my hands. "Tell me, Lake, if you had one thing in the world you would want to do but could never get yourself to do it, what would it be?"

I paused, scrunching my brows together. "Weird out of the blue question."

"Just trying to do small talk to get your mind off the cold." He tapped his hand on the front console. "So?"

I leaned closer to the steering wheel, resting my head on it. "Maybe a tattoo."

He pointed at me. "Good one," he said. "I have a couple, actually."

I sat up straight. "Really?" I replied with too much excitement. "Where?"

Ian slowly formed a smirk on his face. "I can't show you," he replied with a wink.

I rolled my eyes with a giggle. "Let's get back to my place," I said, pulling onto the dirt road.

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