Page 3 of My Ghost

“Tadaaa.”She makes a theatrical sweeping motion with her arms, a delighted grin on her face.I am speechless.The condo is insane.It’s enormous, modern, and far too luxurious for someone like me to be crashing in.The moment I step inside, it feels like walking into an interior design magazine picture.

I turn to my friend with a worried look.“Lily, this place is too much, I’m not sure I can afford the rent.”

She titters.“Nonsense, you won’t pay any rent, you’re helping me out, so the least I can do is get you a decent place to sleep.Come, I’ll give you a tour!”With that she drags me to the kitchen to start our visit.

The space is wide and open—each area flows seamlessly into another.The kitchen gleams with stainless steel and black marble.Even the appliances look complicated enough to need a comprehensive user manual.Or someone qualified enough to be paid to use them.Not me of course, I ponder sourly.I can’t cook anything edible to save my life.

The living room spills into the kitchen.In its center sits a cozy lounging area.Plush, oversized sofas in deep gray form a corner around a low coffee table, and everything faces massive floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto a private terrace.And the view?It’s breathtaking.The city stretches into the distance, and I’m sure that at night, it feels like floating above it all.I fall in love the instant my eyes take in the scenery.

There are multiple bedrooms.Each one feels like a hotel suite, complete with its own en suite bathroom stocked with plush towels and fancy toiletries.The master bathroom has a rainfall walk-in shower the size of an apartment, and heated towel racks that make me want to cry with joy.I’ll definitely make good use of them.

Everything smells nice, like expensive wood polish and fresh linen.The apartment is beautiful.But also cold and spotless.And it only makes me wonder more about the man who owns it.

I can’t hold back the questions that have been on my mind since we started the tour.“That’s an impressive condo.And you said that Matteo owns it?Is it his place?Or is it an investment he rents out?I mean, I don’t want him to crash somewhere while he is lending me his place.”

Lily snorts.“Erin, Matteo owns the wholebuilding.This condo is just one of thirty units he owns.He lives in another building a few blocks away, The Bastion.”

My jaw drops to the floor.“What?He owns the building?”Lily laughs at my dismayed screech.“That’s crazy, there are like, ten floors.And he owns all that?”

She nods with a gleeful grin.“Welcome to Boston, girl!Now you see why him lending you this apartment is really no big deal.Plus, he offered.And since the location is perfect for some nightlife fun, I thought it would be better than setting you up in one of Dark’s townhouses in the tamer districts.”

“Right, Damiano owns townhouses… Of course.”My mind is spiraling and I am speechless for the rest of the tour.This is an entirely new world for me.Hell, it’s an entirely new galaxy.

Once our visit is over, she plops down on the massive sofa in the huge living room with a sigh.“God, I’m so happy to have you here, Erin.Thanks so much for coming.”

I sit down next to her.“No big deal, Lily, you know I’ll always have your back.Now tell me, how is life, and how is the pregnancy going?”

Her face lights up, and I already know I’ll be staying in this wretched apartment of doom solely to keep that bright smile on her face.“Everything’s great, Dark is taking good care of me, maybe too good.He tends to go a bit overboard on the protective side.”She makes a face, but I can see the hearts dancing in her eyes.“As for the pregnancy, it’s perfect, I haven’t experienced any sickness or discomfort so far.I hope it will last.We passed the three-months mark, but it doesn’t show yet.”She lifts her shirt and she’s right, nothing is showing yet.

“I am so excited, that’s a whole new life for you!”I clasp her hand and squeeze.“You will be an amazing mother, the baby is so lucky to have you as a mom.”

“Thank you so much for believing in me, it means a lot to me.”She breathes and tears fill her eyes.“Shit, I lied when I told you I don’t experience any pregnancy fallout.Hormones are the worst.”We snicker just as the front door slams open with a loud bang and Damiano storms in.He nods once in my direction with a noncommittal “Erin.”Then he sees Lily’s tears and his face changes into a mask of cold fury mixed with anguish.In one stride he is on her and hunkers down on his knees before her.“What happened, love?Who—”

“It’s the hormones, Dark, nothing to worry about.”Lily interrupts him with a reassuring smile and a pat on his arm, apparently used to his over-the-top-ness.I am still dumbstruck from his timing.It is as if he has a sixth sense and felt Lily tearing up.That is a helluva scary idea.

“Let’s go, you should rest.”He pulls her up from the couch and she rolls her eyes.

“Dark, I’m feeling fine.I am pregnant, not impaired!”She turns to me.“I’ll let you settle in.Call me if you need anything, and if you have questions about the building, just call Theodore at the front desk.He should be in with your luggage in a while.Tomorrow I’ll pick you up to go to the clinic and then we’ll have lunch together, if you’re up for it?”

I give her a thumbs-up and a nod, and watch them leave.

A few minutes later, a man in his late fifties and a younger one who looks to be his son bring up my luggage.After I thank them, I start to unpack.The clothes and toiletries are now stashed away in their designated place.But what to do with my office?The place is seriously huge and there is a home office with a neat desk and a flatscreen I could use.But where could I hide my second laptop when I’m not using it?It’s too bulky, and it’s way too risky to carry it with me.If anyone gets their hands on it, I’ll be exposed in an instant.

I crouch near the kitchen cabinets, tapping my knuckles along the baseboards.Just as I suspected, they sound hollow.One of the kick-boards beneath the cabinets is slightly loose at the corner.With a bit of pressure and a knife, I could pry it off and slide the laptop behind it.That looks like the perfect hiding place—no one will snoop under there unless they’re raccoons in search of food.

I stand up to look into the fridge.It’s fully stocked, and I am grateful to whoever bothered to fill it, because grocery shopping is the last thing on my mind for now.I settle on the gigantic sofa with a sigh and look at the view.

This isn’t going to be too bad, I guess.

Chapter Three

Erin

The next day, I get up to shower and get dressed in record time.The high-end coffee machine with built-in coffee grinder might just have become my favorite appliance in the apartment.After I gulp down two cups of the best coffee of my life, I ride the elevator down to the lobby and wait for Lily to pick me up.Soon a car stops in front of the building, but apparently she is not the one driving.A serious-ass driver jumps out and opens the car door for her, and Lily steps out.We hug and get in under the professional politeness of the driver, who holds the door open and closes it again after we are seated.Then he settles behind the wheel and pulls the car away from the curb.Seeing my gobsmacked expression, she sheepishly explains that Damiano won’t let her drive for safety reasons, and that the driver-slash-bodyguard is now her permanent shadow.

“But you’ll get used to it.”She beams and pats my hand.

“I don’t know, it’s like you’re royalty.This is a bit unsettling.”