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When I awoke, his words vanished like morning fog, but the sound of his laughter stuck with me. As did the smell of the salty, perfumed air.
"Morning already, huh?" I muttered, staring at my ceiling. My heart felt like the night had wrapped it in mist and mystery.
I glanced at the mirror on my dresser, half-expecting to see Ben's playful grin, but all I saw was my disappointed reflection.
A tingling surge pulled me out of bed and led me to the bathroom, where I'd first met Ben's reflection. I reached out, my fingers lightly brushing the cool glass.
For a split second, I felt...something. It was like an electrical charge, a subtle zap. I yanked my hand back as if burned. What was it?
* * *
My friend Holly looked every inch the embodiment of autumn as I slid into the seat opposite her at our favorite café. She wore shades of plum, deep greens, and browns complemented by a scarf that appeared to be woven from the rays of a setting sun.
She looked up from her latte, her amber eyes brightening. "Logan! You're here. Took you long enough."
"Sorry, I was caught up in...well, you'll hear all about it in a minute," I said, signaling the server to bring over my usual double espresso.
"So what's the urgent mystery you couldn't discuss over the phone?" Holly looked curious but also concerned. Her bracelets clinked gently as she adjusted her position.
Taking a deep breath, I dove in. "Okay, so don't freak out, but I've kind of fallen for a ghost."
Her eyes widened, and she nearly spat out her latte. "You're in love with a ghost? Like, an actual 'boo!' ghost? I think you’re the least likely to among my friends.”
"Would you keep it down?" I hissed. "It's complicated, Holly."
She leaned in, her eyes scanning my face as if waiting for me to say it was a joke. When I was silent, she said, “Okay, spill. How did this happen?"
I told her my story—the first meeting in the bathroom mirror, the subsequent encounters, and the deep, complex conversations. Every word I spoke seemed to pull her deeper into the unbelievable story of my new love life.
Finally, Holly leaned back, her face a mixture of awe and disbelief. "Wow. You know, I've heard about rituals that can bridge the realms. Some people in my Wicca circle have tried them. But this is...this is really something else."
I leaned in, driven by a newfound hope. "Did they...work? The rituals?"
She shrugged, her bracelets clinking. "The jury's still out on that one. But if you're serious, it might be worth exploring."
"More than worth it," I stressed, my eyes pleading with her to understand how much it meant to me.
She seemed to get it, and her gaze softened. "Logan, you do need to understand what you’re wading into isn’t frivolous. It's not like you're looking for better luck or a new job. You want to pull a spirit into our world. That’s messing with the boundaries between the dead and the living.”
"I know it’s a big ask, but I've never felt like this before. I’m 32, and all I have to call a love life is an endless trail of bad dates. I want to explore this, no matter what it takes."
Holly took a long sip from her cup. "Well, if you insist on going down this rabbit hole, you'll need guidance. That means real guidance from a real person, not just Google searches."
My heart leaped into my throat. "So that means you'll help me?"
She chuckled. "Let's just say I'll do my best to guide you to the right resources. I know a couple of reliable witches who specialize in the arcane arts, and there's a mystical bookstore that you must visit."
"You're amazing, you know that?"
"Just promise me you'll tread carefully, Logan. Love is powerful magic."
"I promise," I said, "Holly, you won't regret helping me."
"I better not," she said, her eyes locking onto mine. "Because if you break the natural laws and end up unleashing some kind of apocalypse, you're buying me lattes for the rest of your life."
"Deal," I laughed, sealing our pact as my espresso arrived.
Our conversation shifted to other things—her Wicca circle's upcoming retreat, my latest work project—but my mind kept drifting back to Ben and the winding path I was about to wander. As I left the café, I felt Holly's warning weigh heavily in my thoughts.
