Till Death Do Us Part: A Paranormal Why Choose Romance (Vows Duet Book 1)

Chapter 21

Present Day

Rohan Desai.

The same missing professor from the school.

The same missing professor whose picture I stole. The picture which is now hiding in my closet.

He had stepped closer to me after saying my name, but remained frozen in place as I attempted to process. Which is why, when a touch brushes my elbow, I jolt, whipping my attention to Jimmy. I’d almost forgotten anyone else was in the room.

“Don’t touch me,” I whisper, pointedly looking at where his fingers are hovering on my arm.

“Nova, please,” he murmurs, pleading.

I turn away from him again, meeting Rohan’s eyes. “You’re dead?”

He hesitates, then nods. “Yes.”

The confirmation cracks something inside me, an ache filling me with the knowledge of his demise. “People are looking for you still,” I tell him, my voice rough with emotion. “If you tell me what happened, I can try to get the information to them so they can find…you.”

The man with graying hair steps forward, his mouth moving as he urgently says something I can’t hear to Rohan. Rohan’s gaze darts between me and him before he responds, just as silently.

“Did I just go deaf?” I mutter, closing my eyes and massaging my throbbing temple.

“No,” Jimmy answers. “They’re having a discussion they don’t want you to hear.”

I glance up without acknowledging he’s spoken, watching the arguing pair and have to withhold a chuckle at how funny they look. It’s like watching a silent movie.

“We’re not worried about you alerting someone to Rohan’s death,” the older man says suddenly, breaking their silence.

Rohan nods, his jaw tensed, as he takes in my skeptical expression. “Don’t say anything to anyone.”

A fluttering sensation fills my belly at the sound of his voice, and I try to shove it aside as I search his eyes. “Why?”

“It’s unnecessary,” the older man dismisses.

Irritation builds in my chest. “I didn’t ask you,” I snap, then blanch at the rude way I just responded. “Sorry,” I mumble, chagrined.

“Are you really going to take that message to Chris’ family?”

Everyone turns to the Asian man, whose attention is solely on me.

I dip my chin in a nod. “I’m going to try.”

“Do you know what happened to Chris?” he asks, gesturing toward me. “With the light?”

I bite my lip, then shake my head. “I’ve only seen that one other time. I never saw my…the other ghost again after that. I think they might have moved on.”

There’s hope in the man’s eyes as he steps forward. “You can help us move on? You can free us from being stuck here?”

Swallowing hard, I lift one shoulder in a shrug. “I’m not sure. But I can try.”

As I drop my shoulder back down, I am mortified to realize I’m still wearing only a blanket. Blushing deeply, I clutch at it, squeezing it against me tighter, recognizing that it’s still freezing in here, too.

“I…uh…If you all don’t mind, I’m going to put on clothes, so….” I trail off, looking everywhere but them. Silence is the only response. I dare a look up and step back, surprised. Everyone is gone but Jimmy, Koda, Rohan, and the older guy.

“That meant you too,” I say flatly, looking at each of them, my eyes lingering on Rohan. “We can talk more once I have gotten dressed.”

The older man snorts. “Just wanted to introduce myself before I make myself scarce. I’m Theodore.”

When he sticks out his hand to shake mine, I hesitantly place my palm against his, watching his face carefully for any signs of trickery. Theodore shakes my hand and I suck in a breath as goosebumps travel up my arm at the contact. I go to pull away, freaked out by my instantaneous reaction, but his grip doesn’t relax. His brows furrow as he nearly glares into my eyes, seeming to search for something. I rear back a bit, intimidated by the intensity.

The movement makes him flinch. “Are…are you sure we’ve never met?” he asks, sounding out of breath.

I stop trying to wiggle my fingers in his grip when he moves even closer, glancing up at him. “I don’t think so,” I reply slowly, keeping my voice as even as I can.

A hum comes out of his throat, some melody that has me cocking my head as it strikes familiar, just as he stops and shakes his head. “I’ll be happy to discuss more after you’ve dressed,” Theodore says brusquely. He vanishes from the room, leaving my hand still outstretched, but empty.

As if my eyes have been trained, my attention goes back to Rohan. His gaze caresses me from head to toe, and then he disappears too, without another word. My chest grows tight the moment he’s gone and I absentmindedly rub at it.

Koda and Jimmy step toward me at the same time, glowering at one another when they do. While I glance at Koda first, he keeps glaring at Jimmy, so I look toward the other man. He has turned away from Koda, his eyes on me. I meet them for the first time since Chris happened.

“You’re a ghost,” I sigh, then let my head drop back to stare at the ceiling. “I had sex with a ghost. How does someone even have sex with a ghost?”

Koda snickers. “From what I saw, the same way two people do who are alive.”

My mouth drops open. “Koda! You watched?!”

He grins at me, then blinks in and out of existence, closing the distance between us in less than a breath. His hand seizes my throat and grips lightly. “Yes, little Nova. I watched you get fucked.”

I should shove him off me, but I can’t seem to find the will to do so, not with the way his thumb strokes along the cord in my neck.

He’s a ghost, Nova. He’s dead. Just like Jimmy.

Speaking of whom… My eyes dart to Jimmy, who closes the distance, crowding my side since Koda is blocking my front. His expression shows his annoyance with Koda, but he doesn’t push him away from me.

“You’re different,” Jimmy says after a few beats, studying Koda’s hand on me. “We can’t touch others, but we can touch you for some reason.”

“We can taste you,” Koda adds, his voice husky. His head dips, the tip of his nose grazing mine. “Your blood was delicious, little Nova. I bet your pussy is even better.”

My face burns so hot with shyness at his crass observations that my eyes water a little. “I can’t…we shouldn’t…” I try, knowing I need to stop this. I can’t very well go around sleeping with various ghosts.

Right?

Before I can get too much more out, Jimmy interrupts me. “Best thing I can ever remember tasting. Even before I died.”

A high-pitched nervous laugh squeaks out of me, closing my eyes because Koda’s gaze is so overwhelming. “Oh god.”

“I will be,” Koda growls. He grins at my confusion when I open myself. “I will be your god, little Nova. I’ll make you scream my name until your throat is too raw to speak. You’ll be praying to me for mercy before I’m finished with you.”

My eyes, which had widened at his clarification, grow even larger with every subsequent declaration. Koda, seemingly smug, jerks me forward by the hold on my throat, his lips finding mine softer than the last time we kissed.

I’m intent on rejecting it. I even release my hold on the blanket I’m wrapped in, to shove at Koda and stop this.

That isn’t what happens.

I clutch at him instead, circling the wrist of the hand that’s locked on my throat with both of mine. A breathless moan escapes me, followed by a groan at myself. I feel Koda snicker against my mouth, but he doesn’t let up, coaxing me with his lips and tongue.

I’m well aware there’s another hand trailing touches across my bare shoulder and down my arm.

I’m also aware that one of Koda’s hands is on my throat—obviously—and the other is gripping my waist.

Which means…

I feel Jimmy move behind me as Koda becomes more insistent with kisses, nipping at my bottom lip when I try to pull away. More lips press against the nape of my neck, and I squirm when I’m sandwiched between two bodies.

I know in an instant that if I don’t stop this, it will end with all three of us naked in my bed. Two ghosts, one girl.

What the flip am I doing?

These men aren’t men at all. Not really. Not anymore. They’re spirits—ones who, if judging by Chris’ exit, need help to move on. And once they do, I’ll be on my own.

That thought, coupled with the way the blanket around me is being tugged at, is like a bucket of cold water over my head.

“Wait,” I protest, snatching the blanket before it can fall to my feet.

Koda tries to kiss me again, but this time, when I bring my hands up, I shove as hard as I can. He barely moves, but it’s enough to make him pause. Jimmy steps away from me, to the side so I can see him, his hands raised in surrender.

“No,” I say, panting like I ran a marathon. “No more.”

Koda smirks. “Little Nova, we just—”

“No,” I interrupt sharply. I wince at the mean tone of voice and try to soften my expression toward both men. “We can’t do this anymore. I…I’ll do what I can to help you move on. But that’s it. This”—I gesture between the three of us—“cannot happen anymore.”

I can’t explain why I feel so robbed by the idea of never having Koda or Jimmy’s touch again. I have to do this, though. If I don’t, it’ll only end up with them moving on without a single look back. And me? I’d be left alone, used like what my dad always said I’d turn into without his correction—a whore.

I slap a hand over my mouth even though I didn’t utter the degrading word aloud, cutting off whatever Jimmy had been saying that I was oblivious to.

“Out,” I whisper, still covering my mouth. Koda and Jimmy frown, furrowing their brows, and I know they didn’t hear or understand me. “Out!” I yell, moving my hand. “Get out!”

“Nova,” Jimmy murmurs, sounding concerned. “What’s—”

“Get out!” I shout, my arm snapping out to point at the door.

Koda disappears with a huff, not bothering to utter another word. Jimmy hesitates, but when I pin him with a glare, he vanishes, a mix of remorse and hurt on his face.

I regret sending them away the moment they’re both gone, even though I know it was the right thing to do. I’ve already done enough tonight to call my morality into question. Not knowing I was making out with, or even sleeping with, ghosts is one thing.

But to actively want to do it with ghosts, including with more than one at a time, made me feel like I was dirty. I shouldn’t want the things that make me call myself things like ‘whore’.

Shudders travel through me until the sobs start, jerking me violently as I slump to the ground. The blanket pools around me, providing a cushion between my battered body and the hard floor, when I curl up and cry into the soft fleece.

I don’t move. I don’t get dressed. I don’t leave the room to discuss more with the ghosts on how to help them move on.

And they don’t come back.