Never ever

11. Connection

I screamed and quickly got a towel to cover myself up. I look at him shocked, not only that he is standing there but that there is a second stranger staring at my less than covered body. He does look like Noah, same body type and golden hair but his is shorter. Hazel Brown eyes, instead of light blue, looking at me amused but I noticed they don’t go down my body. Respectfully they stay directed at my face, which is turning red. 

“That’s mine actually” he said grinning and turns around, “I guess your Noah’s new girl.” 

“Yeah and who might you be?” I asked a little more comfortable now his back is turned. 

“Matthew! When did you get back” an exited Noah answers for him from down hall.

“Hey little brother,” The man, who apparently is called Matthew, says, “Why don’t you come here and introduce me first then we can catch up.” He points behind his back to me and Noah’s head pops up behind his brother. 

“O s**t” He called out when seeing me standing there towel in front of me and hairbrush entangled in my hair, I might add. You can say that again Noah I only think, glaring at him.

“Uhm well this is Matthew my older brother, we live here together and Matthew this is Maya, Rachels niece and my girlfriend, “ Noah says, a slither of doubt coming through at that last part. 

“Nice to meet you” Matthew says his back still towards me, “Why don’t you get dressed and we can meet each other properly during lunch.” 

“Thank you, I would prefer to meet my boyfriends family fully clothed” I said smiling and I can help but notice Noah’s face brighten up with me calling him my boyfriend. After Noah gives me my bag, he follows Matthew to the kitchen. I can hear them talking as I finish my hair and get dressed. Apparently Matthew has been away on some kind of business for over a month and came back late thursday night when Noah had already been in bed. They missed each other on friday and he, Thank god, slept at a friends house last night after one to many. Matthew also questioned Noah about me and I had to keep a scream from frustration down as a blender was turned on just as he was about to answer. I was so curious what he would say about me. 

I put my bag in Noah’s room and then went to find them in the kitchen. 

Matthew was busy cooking lunch for us and he had put Noah to work as well.

“What are you making” I ask as I take a seat at one of the stools. Matthew turns around a familiar smile across his face, now I definitely see the resemblance and there was no doubt in my mind that they were brothers. 

“I’m making omelets or do you prefer something else?” Matthew says while he’s giving me a glass of a delicious looking smoothie. It has a red collar which makes me think he used some kind of berry in it. Noah is slicing tomatoes and in front of him is a bowl of already grated cheese.

“No omelets will be great, especially with tomato and cheese” I say smiling warmly at Noah.

Matthew looks from me to him and focus back on me again asking about Rachel.

“She good. My mother and she are sisters. I had been living with her the past month and just moved out a week ago to my own place. Noah helped out with that,” I explain.

“Your mother had to be young when she had you, I mean Rachel is 33 years and you, I hope,” he looked strictly at Noah for that part, “are over 18.”

“Actually Rachel is 36 but yeah my mom was 18 years old when she had me.” I tell him, curious why he wanted to know. He is grinning however and turns around, towards the hot pan, saying something in the line off I blew it. 

“And if you must know, maya is 2 years older than me” Noah chimed in making me forget about his brothers small outburst. 

“Almost 3 years actually” I correct him, a shy smile across my lips as I look at him. Did he even know it was my birthday next week? Rachel has been promising me a birthday party since i’ve moved here because I usually did celebrate it much. A dinner date with my dad and going out with my friends afterwards was about it. Rachel was never invited since my father can’t stand her. She reminds him of mom he says. Rachel however always came a week before or after so we could spend a day together but this year it was different. Maybe it’s smart to check on what she is planning.

“Dating an older woman requires skills little brother, are you man enough for her” Matthew teases Noah with that piece of information, making Noah lose his attention for me. 

“What would you know about it Matty, I’ve never seen you with a girl your age, let alone one that is older” Noah tells his brother grinning at him and the banter continuous after that. I never had any siblings so i’m loving the going back and forth of loving insults. Clearly they have missed each other. While we eat the banter slows down far enough so we can have a normal conversation and I learn that Matthew is a wildlife and adventure photographer and writer. He had just come home from a tour with national geographic, to find the endangered Sri lankan panther. Also I discover Matthew isn’t the only sibling Noah had not mentioned, Danielle and thomas where twins closer to Matthew’s age. Which made Noah the baby of the family, something Matthew was all too happy about mentioning again and again.

I wanted to hear more about it but there was almost no time left to even get my car, that hopefully was still parked at the party, and get ready to go for work. I thank Matthew for cooking and promised we would have more time when we would meet again. After retrieving my costume and bag I left with Noah as he was giving me a lift. 

--

**Jason**

She didn’t get home, I can’t believe it. It was so frustration watching the hours fly by. When the sun came up and her bed was still empty I had to state the obvious. She was sleeping with him, with that boy. I don’t know what came over me next, I was getting angry and there was a surge of energie boiling inside me. I had to let it go somehow. So I just screamed bloody murder, no one would ever hear me anyway. Now I was sitting in that awful chair of hers, feeling empty still watching that clock who wasn’t ticking any more. I had no way to tell the time but refused to leave until I saw her again. I had to know, I had to talk to her again. 

I think it was already in the afternoon when she came racing home. Cursing that there was no power. She however didn’t do anything about it and just bolted for the bathroom. It was if I had lead shoes, she didn’t see me again. Why, How is this possible. It was depressing to say the least. I was feeling just as horrible as the chair I was sitting in. 

Just a couple of minutes later she came running back in, wet hair pulled into a bun on the back of her head and shoes in her hand. Before I could apprehend what was going on she sat down. I would say on top of me but it was even worse. Suddenly I was hot and cold at the same time, my gaze was shifting. I could feel her all over me and it was electrifying. Maya felt it to as she shivered pulling on her shoes and quickly jumped up. She looked back at me, at the chair confused. But then she shrugged and went for the door.        

“Maya, wait” I yelled at her, surprising even myself and feeling energize all of a sudden. Even more shockingly was the fact that she stopped and turned around. Did she hear me?

“Where are you going?” I asked softly now, my eyes not leaving hers. She didn’t answer and left after that but I did caught her glancing back up as she walked to her car. So she didn’t hear me but she was aware of my presents. 

 ** maya**   

I moaned very loud as I was waking up, I wasn’t ready. At least my curtains were closed properly this time but I could see the soft glow coming from behind it. It must be a sunny day today. I turned closing my eyes again. Last night’s shift had been a total nightmare. I had suddenly been so tired that I had made mistake after mistake. Steve wasn’t happy with me and I had apologized saying I didn’t feel well. He suggested to make better choices about drinking. But that hadden been it, at Noah’s I hadn’t felt anything. Also I wasn’t nauseous at all, I just felt drained. When I finally had gotten home, I had pulled myself into bed and had been out right away. Maybe the party and having s*x with Noah had taken more out of me than I had expected. 

Suddenly I felt this strange sensation that someone was watching me and with my last two encounters still in the back of my head, I shot up feeling afraid. Looking around, my eyes used to the dark, I didn’t see anyone. I was alone but the feeling didn’t disappear.  

Laying back again I felt uneasy, unable to sleep anymore I picked up my phone. I had multiple messages from Noah and one from Rachel. I was just reading the one from Rachel when the feeling got even stronger somehow. Stil I was alone in my bedroom. All of a sudden it was as if a spider walked across my arm and I jumped out of the bed screaming hitting away the spider. As I didn’t see any I ran out of my bedroom. I wasn’t afraid of spiders necessarily but I sure disliked them with their many hairy legs. Seeing a spider was uncomfortable but it was even worse if you knew it was there and it disappeared on you. I was pacing around the living room trying to get less freaked out when the radio turned on. No not this again! Only it didn’t stop there, the tv turned on next and than the kitchen went haywire. When my phone, which I was still holding, began to buzz I began to scream. My phone went flying and I sat done on my knees, covering my face with my hands.

“Please stop, please stop. I can take anymore” My voice shaking, tears rolling over my cheeks. I didn’t know why I said it, it made no sense to me. I was acting on pure instinct. 

Yet it did work, slowly one by one they were turned of and I was sitting there in complete silence. Carefully I looked up, nothing. I was alone in the apartment but I could still feel it. It was unnerving as it became stronger and stronger until it was right in front of me. Softer this time, more a fly then a spider. A stroking sensation, beginning under my eyes toward my yaw. First the one than on the other side. It was trying to wipe away my tears I realized in shock.  

**Jason**

What did I do! I was so excited that she could sense me that I went a little overboard. I completely freaked her out. I’m so stupid but I just couldn’t believe it when she suddenly look straight at me. It had to be a fluke or was there something more just like last night. I just had to find out and then when she could actually feel me stroking her, I just lost my mind. I wanted her to know I was there, to let her know I was with her. So I just turned everything on. But hearing those words in her fearful voice was a slap in my face. She knew I was here now, only she was scared of me. That had never been my intention. It took almost everything I had but slowly I turned everything of again. She was still sitting in the middle of the room then looking shocked, her cheeks wet from her tears. Tears that I was the cause of. Careful to not frighten her even more I moved towards her, stopping right in front of her. 

“Don’t cry, I’m sorry” I said hoping she would understand as I wiped away the last of her tears. 

Her eyes widened as her hand came up to her cheek. Her mouth opened to say something but then she closed it again shaking her head. I could see she was struggling with the fact, with the acknowledgement of spirits. How could I blame her, if I wasn’t the one who was the ghost I wouldn’t have believe it. Maybe I hadn’t believed it I thought, realising how long it must have been since I died. Where was I during all that time?

Her phone buzzed again making us both jump, only this time it didn't stop. Someone was calling her. She collected herself and went to pick up. 

“Hello, What!” She said and her demeanor changed as she started walking to her bedroom still on the phone. I could hear it was my mother on the other end of the phone.

“Don’t worry, I’m on my way. Did you already call Manuela?” She said and I could hear it in her voice, something was wrong.