Could I continue to date Mark? While letting Cole come to me as well? How do you juggle a man and a ghost? What if Cole decided to get possessive and didn't like me being with Mark? What if I decided to sleep with Mark and Cole jumped in there as well?
The mere thought of having a real life lover and a ghostly lover, at the same time, turned me on and freaked me out simultaneously.
If Cole was still around, what if I chose him and never had a real relationship? Could I live with a ghost lover forever? No wedding. No kids. Just Cole, as he was. Could I do that?
If I chose Mark, and Cole couldn't, or wouldn't, leave us? What then?
I left those questions floating in my mind and turned to the other possibility.
What if the morning sun shines bright, and Cole is gone?
Would I be able to see him on other Halloweens?
Would the thought of him always sit between me and Mark, or between me and any other relationship I ever took on?
Which did I want?
When morning comes, do I want normal or Cole?
The thoughts were pointless, really. I'd have my answer come morning, which was in just a few hours.
They checked me into the hospital, bumping us out of the ER and into a room for the night, saying they didn't want to release me until all of the nuts and the various injections were out of my system. They kept me hooked up to the saline IV, but that was it.
They let Mark stay, pulling a rollaway cot into my new room, but they told him that I needed to rest and that all the antihistamines in my system would make me sleep anyway.
I tried to fight the medications, preferring to feel Cole in the last few hours that I knew for sure I'd have him, but a troubled sleep eventually won out.
My mind was restless even in sleep. Sexy, erotic dreams filled the rest of the night. Mark was in them as well, sometimes with Cole and I, sometimes without.
I gave myself up to them, letting the three of us fight it out in the most erotic ways as my body healed. I wasn't entirely sure if they were all in my mind or if Cole and I took advantage of the thin veil and of my and Mark's guards being down in sleep during the magical Halloween night, fucking the night away, but real or imagined I was glad to have them.
* * *
When I opened my eyes I was alone.
The room was bright with sunlight, I could hear activity just outside in the hall, and Mark's cot was folded up and out of the way, with him nowhere to be seen.
I stretched and took inventory of myself. I felt good. I was a little sore from all the poking and prodding, but I wasn't groggy in the slightest. I'd slept surprisingly deeply and felt well rested and whole and ready to get out of here.
Flashes of the dreams I'd had in the night flitted through my mind. Memories of the sensual scenes where I was locked in passionate embraces, calling out in pleasure again and again warmed my face with color and I was glad that no one was here to see it, or notice my pulse suddenly starting to race.
When I thought I could take the answer, whatever it would be, I reached out to Cole in my mind.
Are you still here?
There was no response.
I couldn't hear him or feel him. All I had was the memory of him, and he felt further from me than he ever had before.
Cole? Are you here? Tell me I didn't dream it all, please. Tell me you weren't a figment of my imagination, or a side effect of the drugs. You were here, weren't you?
Nothing.
I sighed a deep, sad sigh as a knock sounded on my door. They didn't wait for a response, but opened the door on the tail of the announcing sound and a nurse let herself in, hands full of instruments and paperwork.
"Good morning! One more check of everything and you get to go home. I sent your boyfriend down to the cafeteria for some coffee when I saw him in the hall walking out the kinks of sleeping on our wonderful cots, but he should be back up soon. We'll get some food in you and get you guys on your way, how's that sound?"
I gave her the answer I knew she expected, "Sounds good."
"How'd you sleep?"
There was an odd tilt to her question, so I glanced up at her as she put down paperwork and started to cuff me to check my blood pressure.
"I feel well rested so I guess I slept well. Thanks for asking."
"I always hate having to come in every few hours when patients are sleeping and take their vitals. Most patients hate it as well, but you never even stirred. You slept through all of my checks. You seemed quite…"
When she didn't finish I finally prompted her.
"Quite what?"
"Quite … peaceful," she paused again. "Most of the time."
She seemed to be holding something back, so I prodded her again, curious and oddly blushing.
"Most of the time?"
She grinned then, and said, "You were talking in your sleep. Calling out, actually. It sounded like you were having a lot of … fun. I, uh, felt like I was intruding when I'd have to touch you and check on you."