“I’m okay with that,” Emily said in a low whisper. And she was okay with it. Not only was she okay, but the relief she felt was overwhelming. Liam let go of her hands as she turned toward her closet to grab a small duffle bag. Emily stuffed the bag with a pair of pajamas and sweatpants, a pair of jeans, a pair of her favorite yoga pants and leggings, a sweater, a couple of shirts, an extra bra, her favorite warm fuzzy socks, and a hand full of panties. Then, she made her way to her bathroom and grabbed only the bare necessities, including makeup. Emily knew she could always come back to her flat if she needed anything, but the truth was she really didn’t want to step foot in her flat again. At least not for the time being and definitely not by herself.
“Ready?” Liam asked from the kitchen. He was looking over notes that Trey and Luke had made.
“Yes…Wait.” Emily was more than ready to leave and head back upstairs, but she couldn’t forget her computer. She grabbed the laptop from the kitchen counter, the charging cable, and her planner, and placed them in her bag as well. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Taking the duffle bag from Emily’s hand, Liam led her back to the front door, where she put on her favorite pair of Toms shoes and grabbed a cardigan and scarf that were hanging on a hook with her purse. She grabbed them, and Liam led her out of her flat and back up the stairs. Inside, Emily let out a long sigh.
“Okay?” Liam asked.
“I think I held my breath the whole time we were in there. It doesn’t feel the same. It feels different.”
Liam nodded after she spoke, agreeing with her. “Heavy.”
It wasn’t a question as much as it was a confirmation. “Yeah,” Emily agreed. “Why doesn’t it feel like that here? It’s the same building. How can my place feel like that and it’s only a few feet away?”
Liam shook his head and stepped closer to her, where he placed his palm on her cheek. Emily closed her eyes. She now craved the grounding sensation that blanketed her every time they touched.
Leaning down, Liam placed his forehead on hers, and she could feel the heat radiating off of his entire body. “I can’t give you an answer as to what is happening or why it’s happening. But, I can tell you that I will do everything I can to try and get to the bottom of this and keep you safe. I just need you to trust me. Trust Trey and Luke, too. Okay?”
“I’ve never had anyone to lean on before,” Emily explained as she tried to control the hitch of emotion in her voice.
“That changes now. You can lean on me. Me and the guys lean on each other. That’s how we operate. We’re a team.” Liam’s hand went to the back of her neck. His other hand rested firmly but gently on her hip.
“Are you saying I’m a part of your team now?”
“I’m saying you’re with me now. And since you’re with me, that makes you one of us.”
“I’m with you?” Emily asked. Liam’s declaration shot through her like a lightning bolt. Scaring her and exciting her all at once.
“Yes, baby. At least I want you to be. If that’s what you want too. I know we just met. But …” Liam paused, squeezing his eyes shut before opening them again. “I feel like I’ve known you my whole life. You’re not someone new to me. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it’s true.”
“I’m scared, Liam. What if it tries to hurt you to keep us apart?”
Liam gently quieted her by placing a finger over her lips. “I’m not scared. Remember, this is what I do. I chase ghosts for a living. But I don’t want to be with you because of everything that’s happened. I want to be with you because I like you. Because the moment I laid eyes on you that first night, I felt something. Electricity struck me that moment, and now I feel tethered to you. That might scare you. Fuck, it scares me. But I’m an honest man, Emily. I’ll always tell you what I feel. And what I feel for you is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I don’t think the English language has words yet to describe what I feel. I want you here, if you want to be here, ghosts and all. I want to get to know you. All of you. I even want to meet Lexi. So yeah, babe. You’re with me. If you want to be.”
Swallowing hard, Emily closed her eyes and leaned into him. “I want to be with you.”
“Thank god.” And with that, he moved the hand that was on the back of her neck to her chin, moving her gaze up to look at him. “Trust me, Emily.”
“I trust you.”
Liam lowered his head and placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth, letting his lips linger for a moment before stepping away and saying, “Go on, babe. Go get ready. I’ll wait for you, and then we’ll go. I’ll feed you, and we can talk. Yeah?”
“Okay. That sounds good.”
Emily walked into the bathroom, shutting the door and leaning against it, steadying herself. How could one man make her so weak in the knees? She felt like flowing molasses. Being near Liam caused her to slip further and further, inching her closer to a yearning and desire she had no idea existed within her. She was hungry for it, desperate to feel passion with another person, to share a closeness with someone, a bond she thought could only exist in books and movies. And for the first time in her life, she wasn’t afraid to take that leap and experience the excitement and satisfaction and possibility of, dare she say, those three little words.
Fourteen
Liam explained the area they were headed to was known as Lands End, located on the Western side of the city, and he was taking Emily to one of his favorite restaurants. He promised her a delicious breakfast featuring a picturesque view. They sat in comfortable silence on the car ride across the city. Liam’s hand rested in Emily’s hand on her lap, where she gently stroked his knuckles. And, he snuck a peek at her out of the corner of his eye every so often. It was still hard for him to believe that the woman he’d dreamt about for years was real, in his presence, and he was able to physically touch her. “I hope you’re hungry.” Liam broke the quiet between them. “This place serves up some hefty portions.”
Emily turned in her seat, positioning her body and leaning toward him a little more. “I am. We didn’t end up eating last night. I’m starving.”
Liam’s jaw tightened as he remembered their dinner being interrupted by the spirit the night before. He raised Emily’s hand to his lips, inhaling the scent of his own soap on her skin. She’d used his body wash when she showered that morning, but her own natural warm, vanilla scent came through and calmed his nerves. Emily allowed her hand to linger on his cheek as he turned the car into the parking lot.
Liam parked in the small lot before turning off the engine. He jogged around to Emily’s door and held it open for her. Her eyes fixated on the view in front of them, and she gasped as she stepped out onto the gravel. To Liam’s delight, it was a clear morning. Though there was a heavy chill in the air, the sky was clear, and not a cloud or a hint of fog was in site.
The parking lot overlooked a cliff where old ruins of concrete pools and the foundations of buildings sat. Liam tracked Emily’s gaze as her eyes fixated on the historic site. “What is that?” Emily asked.
“Those there,” Liam said as he pointed down toward the abandoned remnants, “are the old San Francisco Sutro Baths. They were huge saltwater pools that were a very popular hangout in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds. They burned down in the nineteen sixties. This is all that’s left of them.” Liam walked closer, standing directly behind her. He leaned down, resting his cheek next to her ear, and wrapped one arm around her waist. Using his free hand, he pointed straight out in the distance, drawing her line of sight to the pointy peaks jutting out of the ocean. “Those islands way out there are the Farallon Islands.”
Emily gazed out at the ocean and took a deep breath, as if she’d never get another chance to smell the ocean breeze. “We got lucky,” he told her, “You can only see the islands on very clear days.”
Liam stared at her for a moment, relishing in her beauty, soaking in the sight of her. Her skin glowed in the morning light. “You haven’t ventured out here yet, have you?”
>
“No,” Emily replied. “Not yet. It’s so beautiful. I’m from Seattle. I’ve seen the ocean before. But I’ve never seen it like this. I feel so peaceful here. Like I…belong.” Emily turned around. Her eyes caught the glow of the rising sun behind them.
Liam put an arm around her shoulder and guided her toward the restaurant. “Come on, Em. The view from inside is just as amazing.”
The hostess sat them beside a window at Liam’s request. There were a few people inside, mostly at the bar having coffee. The place was quaint. It could feel cramped if crowded, but it was cozy and intimate. With windows lining most of the walls, the ocean was visible from anywhere you sat in the restaurant.
When the waitress came over, she poured them both coffee and took their orders.
“I’ll have the Eggs Benedict, please,” Emily told the waitress.
“And I’ll have the Chicken and Apple Sausage and Eggs, scrambled, with a side order of French toast.”
The waitress assured them she’d be back shortly with their food and hurried off.
Emily stared out the window, fixated on the breaking waves. “I’ve been feeling so stressed and worried. It’s amazing how different I feel now just being here.”
Liam knew all too well what she meant. Not only had he and his team helped so many people living with the stress of hauntings, but, as a child, he had experienced the same stress as well. “I know. When you live in a place that’s haunted, it’s good to get out as often as you can. Being away from the fear and oppression can help your sanity.”
“Is that why you come here? Because you find it so peaceful?”
Liam smiled. “That is exactly why I come here a lot. In fact, when my parents retired, they bought a home down the coast in Carmel. Right on the beach. I love staying down there. It’s beautiful.”
“It sounds like it. I wish we could spend the day here. I haven’t spent time at the beach in ages. The thought of going back to the house makes me so anxious.”
Emily’s words had Liam’s heart jumping into his throat. He wanted to spend more time with her, away from the house, where they could talk and not be interrupted. “We can spend some time here at the beach if you want.”
“I thought the guys are waiting for us to get back.”
“They are,” Liam stated as he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent Trey and Luke a text that he and Emily would be back later that afternoon. “There. I just told them we would be back later. Don’t worry. I promised them I’d bring home lunch. And they need time to go over footage and audio from the cameras they had rolling last night. That takes time, and we would just be bored and anxious waiting around for them at the house to finish.”
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you.”
“For what, babe?”
“For helping me. For not freaking out. For not trying to make me think I’m crazy and need to be on medication. And most importantly, for excepting Lexi and not being intimidated by her.” Her lips tipped up in a smile at her last statement. They both chuckled.
“You’re welcome, Em.”
Liam was about to reach for Emily’s hand but was interrupted when the waitress returned with their orders. They ate their meal while sipping on another cup of coffee. After Liam refused to let Emily pay for her breakfast, he placed some bills on the table before heading out of the building. They walked out into the salty, breezy sea air. Liam took Emily’s hand, guiding her down the hill to the sand.
***
They walked along the beach, hand in hand, before finding a nice spot to relax in the sand. Neither of them spoke at first. They sat silent, holding each other’s hands while watching the waves roll onto the shore and retreat.
There was something so familiar about Liam. Emily barely knew him, yet she felt like she’d known him her entire life. It wasn’t common that you could sit with a person in silence and not feel awkward. But with Liam, it felt natural. As if they had been together their whole lives and were content just being with each other.
The sound of the waves rushing onshore lulled her into a deep state of relaxation, easing the anxiety that had been building since arriving in San Francisco. Emily glanced at Liam. The man was a living God. His blue eyes sparkled as the sunlight bounced off of the water. His lightly tanned skin, accented by dark stubble framing his face, glowed. And she was still in awe of the idea that Liam wanted her. A thought that caused her insides to flip and tingle all at once.
He stared out at the ocean, and she sensed he was grappling with a thought. She leaned toward him and said in his ear, “Penny for your thoughts.”
Liam looked over at her and smiled. He leaned back on an elbow, stretching his legs out in front of him. Looking back out at the ocean. “I’m thinking about this girl.”
“Aw. A girl, huh?”
“Yeah. I haven’t known her for very long, but she’s starting to work her way into my heart.”
Whoa. She was not expecting that. Liking the little game he was playing, Emily decided she would play along. “Work her way into your heart, huh? Interesting. Well, judging from that blush on your cheeks, I take it that’s a good thing and not a sign that she’s annoying you.”
“She could never annoy me.” Liam shook his head while he drew circles in the sand with his finger before looking up.
“Oh, you would be surprised. Especially since you don’t know her very well. People have a way of nitpicking the little things after a while. You might find that you hate the way she chews. Or the way she lets her clean laundry sit in the basket for days without folding it.”
“That could never happen.” Liam chuckled. “I happen to know for a fact that I love watching her eat. I also happen to know that I couldn’t give a shit about where she puts her clean clothes.”
“Well…” Emily leaned back on her elbow. The wind was calmer closer to the sand, and the sound of the rushing waves surrounded them, blocking out all other noise. It felt as if they were the only two people on the beach at that moment. “What if she has a crazy friend who is super overprotective?”
“Then, I’d be glad she had an amazing friend who cared about her.”
“What if she lived in a haunted house and had been followed by ghosts her entire life who were dead set on keeping her from finding happiness?”
Liam gently tugged on her arm, and she scooted closer to him. They were so close if they’d been any closer their eyes would have lost focus. Liam stared deep into her eyes, his own gaze fierce but protective.
“I don’t care about haunted houses. I would promise to help her find out what was following her and put a stop to it. Ghosts don’t scare me. That’s why I hunt them. There is one thing that scares me. I’m afraid to tell her because I don’t want to scare her.”
“What?” she asked him with concern in her voice.
Liam cupped her cheek with his palm and pulled in a deep breath.
“I’ve had haunting dreams myself for years.”
“You have?”
“Yes.” Liam stared at her. He was still struggling with the thought in his head. Emily watched as his jaw clenched, and his lips pressed together.
“Tell me?” she asked as she placed her hand on his cheek in an attempt to comfort him. She knew the fear of having reoccurring dreams and not understanding them. Understood the anxiety of wanting to confide in another person but being afraid to tell anyone.
Liam closed his eyes and took a breath. When his lids opened, and his gaze met hers, he said, “In it, I’m surrounded by a man. I can’t move because I’ve been hurt. But that’s not what scares me.”
“What scares you?” Emily whispered.
Swallowing hard, Liam continued, “There’s a woman in my dream. Always the same woman. She’s been hurt and held captive. I can’t move and I can’t help her.”
“Oh, Liam.” Emily moved closer. She could see the anguish he felt from thinking about it. “Why would that scare me?” Emily didn’t understand his worry about scaring her. The emotion was clearly vis
ible across his beautiful face. He spoke again.
“Because that woman is you.”
Emily pulled away a fraction and looked into Liam’s eyes. She could see the concern in them. His lips still pressed tightly together, his hand squeezed hers. Deep down, she knew he wasn’t lying. He was confiding in her the way that she did with him. “How can I be in your dream? We only just met.”
Liam shrugged and shook his head. “I’ve been trying to figure it out, and I’ve been terrified to say anything to you because I don’t have an explanation. All I can tell you is that I’ve seen you in my dream since high school. I’ve always hated having it. Now, I almost want to dream it nightly so I can figure it all out. But I can’t, and it’s driving me crazy. The second I saw you that night outside of your flat, I knew who you were. The beauty from my dream. The one I can’t get to.
“That morning, when you saw the shadow in your bathroom, I heard you scream, and I had a flashback to my dream. It’s the same scream. That’s why I ran downstairs so fast. I had to get to you. I know down to the marrow of my bones that somehow you and I are connected. Please tell me, you know of me too.”
Emily closed her eyes and put her forehead to Liam’s. “In my dream, everything is hazy. The images aren’t clear, but I can hear you. I can hear your voice. It’s you. I know it’s you I hear.”
“Really?” Liam moved his hand to the back of her neck, pressing their foreheads tighter to one another.
“Yes. I was going to tell you last night while we were talking. It’s your voice I hear in my nightmare, calling for me. Only I can’t see you. But, we started talking about the shadow, and then Trey and Luke showed up. I know we are connected. I knew it the moment we both had that vision yesterday in the hallway. I do feel it. It should be scaring the hell out of me, but I’m not scared. I want to be with you, and I want to find out what is happening too.”
“You’re sure?”
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