The Ones She Left Behind

Chapter Seventeen

“Are you really sure you want another kiss from a murderer?”

Topher’s words echoed in Maggie’s mind for several moments. He couldn’t be serious, she thought. Topher was good. There was no way he could have really murdered someone.

“I don’t believe you.”

“After I died, I tracked down my father who was in prison,” he started. “At first, I just thought I would get my revenge by haunting him. But then, haunting became outright mental t*****e. When I was done playing with him, I started a fire in his cell by tampering with the prison’s electrical wiring. Firefighters tried to put the flame out, but the fire wasn’t satisfied until he was burnt to a crisp.”

Maggie’s eyes widened. “Was he the only one?”

Topher nodded. “I made sure no one else was hurt. I possess a unique talent. I have taken control over the element that killed me. There aren’t many ghosts out there with the kinds of powers I possess, and it borders on demonic. If I really wanted to, I could have become a demon.”

“No.” Maggie shook her head. “You can’t be serious. You couldn’t be a demon.”

“I didn’t want to be a demon,” he continued. “I decided to use my powers for good. I used my powers to protect you. I could have killed your father just as easily as I killed my own, but I knew it would have scared you. You never wanted me to hurt your father, and I respected your wishes, even though I would have been happy to light him up as well.”

“I don’t blame you for killing your father,” Maggie said. “I didn’t want my father to die, but I don’t blame my mom for killing him, either. Both of them were terrible men who deserved what they got.”

Topher sighed. “You won’t even eat a hamburger because a cow died for the meat. Why are you defending my killing of a human?”

“The cow was innocent,” she said, crossing her arms. “Your father, on the other hand, was not. Topher, if the roles were reversed and I was a ghost there to protect you, I would have killed your father in a heartbeat. At least he can’t hurt your mom or anyone else ever again. In my opinion, you did a good thing.”

“At the beginning of my new life, I was a very angry spirit. I wanted to kill others who were like my father. The only reason I didn’t was because I was warned that, if I did something like that again, I would be wiped from existence.”

“Our fathers . . . were they?”

Topher nodded. “They were dealt with immediately in the after life. You won’t run into them. But, the same thing could happen to your sister if she doesn’t give you back your body.”

“You don’t want that to happen to her,” Maggie stated. “I can tell you feel very strongly for her as well.”

“She’s like a little sister to me,” he replied. “And, because she’s your family, I have to protect her. But, you come first, and if I have to make a choice between saving her and saving you, I would choose you without a second thought.”

“I hope you don’t have to make a choice like that. I know it sounds weird, but I’m not mad at her. If it wasn’t for her, I would have never found you again.”

“She wanted us to be together. She went to drastic measures to make that possible.”

“So, are we going to waste the opportunity she gave us, or can I kiss you again?”

“I don’t like that I can’t block you when we do that.”

“But, I already know your worst secrets now, right?”

Topher met her gaze. “I don’t like that I can’t block you, but I want to kiss you again.”

A smile crept across Maggie’s face as he stepped closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest. Once again, she could feel his love surrounding her. He looked into her eyes as he leaned into her before capturing her lips with his own. Maggie’s arms wound around his back as she gave into his kiss. She never imagined that a kiss could convey so many emotions, but she knew that kissing a human would never be this intense. 

Some selfish part of me doesn’t want you to kiss another man.

You may not have to worry about that. You’re ruining me for other men.

Topher pulled back from the kiss as a chuckle escaped his lips.

If I’m ruining you for other men, then maybe we should stop now before I make it worse.

Maggie snuggled closer into his chest. It’s already too late for me, so you might as well make it worse.

Topher rested his chin on the top of her head. She made her feelings of not wanting to leave his arms clear, and he found himself thinking the same thing. When the time came for her to return to her body, he knew they couldn’t do this anymore, and he wondered if he would still be able to let her go.

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That night, Darcy lay in a bed for the very first time. She never had to sleep, so she wasn't sure how it happened or what to do. Did she just lie down and close her eyes? Or, was there some kind of magic powder that put people to sleep? She had certainly never seen Tinkerbell sprinkling powder onto Maggie’s face to make her sleep.

She started by closing her eyes. That was usually what Maggie did after she lay down. What next? It was usually at that point that Topher would place his hands on Maggie’s head to create a barrier for her nightmares. It wasn’t supposed to help Maggie fall asleep, and so Darcy knew that part could be skipped.

The longer she lied on the bed, the more relaxed she became. Her thoughts became fewer and fewer until she stopped thinking altogether. This was sleep, she realized.

Darcy had previously wondered about how humans experienced dreams. When she found herself standing on top of a staircase, she realized she didn’t have to wait much longer to find out. 

Darcy stood at the top of a staircase, fear consuming her as she studied the seemingly giant man standing before her. "No, Daddy, don't hurt me!" she cried as the man grabbed her arm. "Daddy, I'm sorry!"

She couldn't hear what he said, if he even spoke. Fear consumed her as he forced her over the banister. There was nothing but the hardwood floor to break her fall. 

A figure moved below her like a flashing blur.

Her head landed on something soft. She looked around, noticing that the three couch cushions were now separating her from the floor. 

A boy with shaggy dark hair and grey eyes filled with concern was by her side.

"Maggie, don't speak. Are you okay?"

She nodded, tears filling her eyes.

Topher wrapped his arms around her as she cried. Of course, she couldn't feel him, but just knowing he was there calmed her. He had always had that effect on Maggie.

Darcy woke up in a cold sweat, her heart racing a mile a minute.

She covered her chest, hoping that would keep it from bursting. She pressed her knees to her chin. Experiencing Maggie’s nightmares wasn’t part of what she had expected when she entered her body. 

Darcy tried to fall back asleep, but her body was too tense for her to relax. She thought about the dream, especially about the way Topher had protected her sister. He had always kept her safe and never let her get seriously hurt as long as he was there. There was nobody better for Maggie than Topher, she thought, and she couldn’t help but wonder if her sister had realized that yet.

Darcy took a deep breath. The night was quiet, but she knew it wouldn’t be that way for much longer. She expected Topher and Maggie to return at any given moment. When that time came, she knew she was going to have a fight on her hands and letting her guard down now would be a mistake.