Ghosts that Watch Us

20

After he left Sean and returned Delia’s ticket, Ellory felt a stab of unease about being at the airport alone. Somewhere, Sean was waiting around for a flight, too, unless he gave up and went back to Providence. Sitting at a restaurant and nursing a scotch to calm his nerves, Ellory kept an eye out for the man, zeroing in on anyone taller than six feet. When Sean had sat next to Ellory by the ticket counters, Ellory had been so freshly reminded of his dream where a laughing and playful Gael had turned into a cuddly and affectionate Sean, kissing his neck and hugging him close. It was too much, the exposure, too much of the details of Sean’s face, the full brows, the dark widow’s peak, the stubble growing along his jaw, the bright, impossible blue of his eyes. Even after his thorough shower before bed, Ellory could have sworn he woke up smelling like him.

What had happened at the lacrosse pitch was still singed at the forefront of Ellory’s mind, and seemed bad enough without adding on their frantic display of lust in his office. His face warmed with thoughts of it all, Sean trying to help him up after his fall, Sean thrusting between his legs.

He was always on edge when around Sean, and this sudden turnabout by the other man was unsettling and confusing. He didn’t like that Sean had been his only eyewitness, both of his fall and spiraling o****m. He would have preferred the entire lacrosse team witness his fall over Sean any day, and that observation alone had him fidgeting in his seat as Sean bombarded him with question after question, as if he cared, as if all this time he hadn’t taunted Ellory and teased him and mocked him and made him feel a complete fool. Wasn’t what happened in his office enough? Why play at a false sense of acquaintance?

Ellory swallowed back the rest of his scotch.

When he didn't spot Sean again, he relaxed a bit and paid his bill. Locating his gate number, he sat at a row of chairs and pulled out a draft of his article to edit. He'd brought a paperback with him too, but that was for the flight. He and Delia had been exchanging edited versions, and this was the most current version, annotated with Delia's suggestions about what he should look for in the Mexican church. He smiled, seeing that the girl was spot on with most of her comments. She would make a fine professor one day, if she felt so inclined.

When boarding was announced, Ellory filed in with the rest of the passengers, hoping that the seat beside him remained empty. He'd only just sold it back. Surely no one could have bought it so soon. As it was the flight was half empty, people settling in, interspersed among the aisles. He found the flight attendant and gave her two ice packs to keep cool during the flight, thanking her warmly.

Delia always preferred the window seat, but now Ellory took it for himself this time, relaxing in with a sigh and adjusting his pants legs. He stared out the square glass, thinking maybe he would sleep part of the seven hours it would take to arrive in Mexico. He might as well rest as much as he could, as he probably wouldn’t after arriving.

Only a few minutes passed before he felt someone stop at his aisle, stowing a bag in the overhead compartment. Please keep moving, please keep moving, he silently begged. But the person dropped down into the seat next to him, heavy and warm. Immediately warm. Ellory stifled a sigh and pulled his elbows in closer to his body.

“What do you figure?” the person said, a smile in their voice, Southern accented and deep. He snapped his head around so fast he felt one of the bones pop. Sean Vernon sat next to him, wearing an irritating grin, hair falling free from its bun.

“What in God’s name are you doing here?” Ellory blurted, and Sean laughed, tongue peeking between his teeth.

“I bought a ticket. Going to Mexico.”

“Yes, but, but—.” Ellory cut off before he began stammering. Realization dawned on him. “You bought Delia’s ticket.”

“Is that her name?”

Sean was unzipping his jacket, pulling it off. Ellory forced himself to look away before he stared for too long. Yes, that’s her bloody name, Ellory thought, ignoring Sean and settling back in his seat, gaze set determinedly out the window. Sean chuckled, and Ellory felt his blood boil.

“Is this how it’s going to be the whole time?”

Ellory spun on him. “And how exactly did you picture the next seven hours going? Shall we swap magazines and gab about who is sleeping with who among the faculty? Or maybe we should talk about when we’ll be flying home next? You to the Ninth Level and me to good old Canada? How excited we are and all the fun things we’ll do once there. And let’s not forget to send each other picture messages about how we miss each other and wish you were here. Or did you want us to talk about how our semester’s going? Well let’s see. I have the most ornery student athlete in my class, who just snaps his fingers and gets his way, grades and mediocre performance be damned. And his coach, goodness. Do we have longer than seven hours?” Sean had his lips pursed and brows bunched in mock thoughtfulness, rummaging around his pockets, bringing out some white ear buds. He put them in his ears, nodding along genially as Ellory whispered his rage. “On top of that, I teach a full load of classes, as well as annotate my research and draft a major article for publication, with which Delia has been an absolute godsend. Or maybe we should talk about how we almost”—here he lowered his voice to a spitting whisper—“f****d on my desk the other day. Was that about right, or did you have something else in mind?”

When he was finally through, Sean had some kind of loud music buzzing through the tiny speakers and before Ellory could stop him, he reached over and pressed his broad hand to Ellory’s forehead, pressing back gently until Ellory’s head was resting against his seat.

“Shh,” Sean said quietly. “Rest time. No more anger for now. Let’s take off first.” And then he relaxed into his own seat and closed his eyes, lips twitching at the corners.

Ellory sat frozen where Sean had left him, fingers clutching his armrests, livid with indignation. He huffed out a breath and adjusted his jacket, leaning as far away from Sean as was still dignified. Resolving to stare out the window the entire trip, Ellory closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again, letting the sunlight sear him blind.

At least he fell asleep after takeoff, sparing himself the conscious knowledge of Sean just beside him, waking much later to a stark cloud bank just outside his window. Eyes closed, Sean was slumped over beside him, head resting on a curled fist. His music was still on, an indistinct beat sounding from the wires disappearing into his shirt. Ellory’s watch confirmed there were still five hours to go. He pulled the paperback out of his bag and bent the book to the light of the window, trying to ignore the warmth of Sean’s leg next to him.