“What’s the reason?” Kylee asked, though she had a suspicion.

“He is.” Madame Humphrey closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them, peering into Kylee’s. “Did you have sex with him?”

Price made a strange gurgling sound in his throat, but Kylee didn’t even feel fazed by the question. “No.”

Madame Humphrey blew out a breath and placed her palm beneath their joined hands. “Good. Then you are not bound to him.”

“What do you mean?” Price demanded. “If we’d—uh—slept together, she’d be stuck with me?”

“Precisely.” She pierced him with her eyes. “It would create a connection between you that would not let her move on, even as her soul is yearning to. The Kylee that isn’t here is the one that would be with you for every moment of the rest of your life. You would never be alone. She would haunt you forever.”

Price looked a bit shaken by that thought, and Kylee knew it didn’t fit the romantic fantasies he’d had of always having her nearby. “But we didn’t,” he said, his voice much more timid. “Why is she stuck here?”

“Because you haven’t let her go.”

“But I have!” he protested. “I helped her. I even died for her. What more do I have to do?”

“You know,” Madame Humphrey said.

Kylee watched Price’s face as he struggled with her words. His hand slipped in hers, and then his grip tightened again.

“What will happen to Kylee after she moves on? Will she remember me?”

“That I don’t know,” Madame Humphrey said. “I’ve never spoken to a soul that moved on. Only the ones that are stuck here, trying to. I don’t know if she’ll remember you, what she’ll feel for you. But we like to believe those thoughts and feelings go with us.” She took Kylee’s left hand from Price and slipped the ring off. “You don’t need this anymore. Your time here is over.” She looked at Price. “Let her go.”

They left the store together and walked in silence to the cafe to meet Price’s father. Price kept his hands to himself, buried in his pockets, though he sent several glances her direction. Probably to make sure she was still there.

She followed him to the same table where he’d taken her the first time, under an umbrella out on the patio, and she remembered. She remembered the wonder of that moment when he touched her and the world became colored.

Madame Humphrey might not know, but Kylee knew. She would not forget Price Hudson.

His family hadn’t arrived yet. “Well,” she said, drumming her fingers on the table, “what do you think?”

“I don’t know. How am I supposed to let you go?” He looked at her hand, and she stilled her fingers. He sighed. “I’ve done all I can.”

“Maybe if we didn’t see each other anymore,” Kylee whispered. “If we didn’t touch.”

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He dropped his head. “I don’t want that.”

“I know. I think that’s what she means. You aren’t willing to let me die, Price.”

“Listen, I can’t lose you like—like I lost my mom.”

She gave a half-smile, knowing it came down to what he viewed as yet another loss. “But think of the people you’re not losing.”

“The thing is, Kylee, I’d gladly be haunted by you. For the rest of my life. But I want it to be you, this you that’s sitting here talking to me now, not some empty shell of a ghost.” He looked at her, pain in his brown eyes. “I couldn’t bear that.”

“Then let me go,” she whispered.

Price dug into his satchel. He pulled out a black leather wallet and removed a cut-out photo. “This is my mom. That was taken last year. Six months before she got sick.” He placed the photo face-up on the table in front of Kylee. “I loved her, Kylee. And I had to let her go. I had no choice. But you—maybe it doesn’t have to be this way.”

She leaned over for a better look, and something hummed deep in her soul. “I saw her.”

“You mean you saw her picture in my room?”

“No.” She shook her head, remembering the woman with the long red hair who helped her save Price out at the pond. The same image smiled up at her from the photograph. “She was there. That night you died.”

Price blinked, his brows pulling down in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Kylee swallowed, wondering how she could explain this. “You were drowning, and I couldn’t help you. She appeared in front of me. She didn’t say anything to me, but she looked at me, and then she sent me to you. I don’t know how. But she helped me save you.”

Price took the picture back and put it in his wallet. “I’m not sure I understand. You saw her ghost?”

Kylee’s eyes burned, and she nodded. “But she’s already moved on, Price. Don’t you see? This proves it. This proves we remember. We still love. She knew you were in danger, and that I could help you. She came for you.”

He put one hand over his eyes and didn’t say anything.

“Price?” Mr. Hudson joined their table with Lisa at his elbow. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He dropped his hands and slid back in his chair, blinking. “Just a headache. A lot of memories, you know?”

Kylee stood up and backed away from the table. Price’s father put his arm around him, comforting him.

These were his people. This was where he belonged.

He’d know it soon.

She turned around and walked out of the cafe, out to the sidewalk. She felt the sunshine on her skin, smelled the briny sea salt air. How long before this world disappeared for her? Since Price’s mom had come back, she assumed that she could, if necessary, visit this dimension. But she wouldn’t dwell here. She wouldn’t wander around the living as they went about their daily business. She didn’t want to. How long before she forgot what it was like to be alive?

“Kylee!”

She turned around at the sound of her name and wasn’t surprised to see Price running after her. He swept her up in a hug, crushing her to him. His hot tears fell on her neck.

“You would go like that?” he whispered. “Without even saying goodbye?”

Her heart constricted. Kylee reached one hand up and buried it in his spiky hair. “We’ve already said our goodbyes, Price. It doesn’t make it any easier.”

He drew his head back and kissed her, firm and hard on the lips. “I love you.” He kissed her again. “You can go. You can move on. Never forget me.”

“I won’t,” she promised. “But you, Price. You can move on also.” He would forget her. She knew it. And though it made her ache inside, she knew it would be better for him.

Light began to stream out of Price. Kylee took two steps back to make sure she was seeing correctly. No. The light wasn’t coming out of Price, but from behind him, silhouetting him. The outline of a door opened behind him, showing a hallway so entrenched in brilliance that Kylee couldn’t look at it.

“That’s it,” she said, unable to prevent the smile that pressed against her lips. “That’s my ticket out of here.”

Price turned around and then looked back at her, his brow furrowed in confusion. “What is it, Kylee?”

She didn’t answer him. She hardly heard him. The light called to her, beckoned her. She stepped around him, her feet moving toward the hallway without any thought from her. She placed one foot on the golden carpet and inhaled as happiness and peace filled her.

“Kylee?”

She turned around to face Price just as the door closed, blocking him from view.

image [https://cdn-gcs.inkitt.com/story_images/big_d52e8687015d5af5989587b7a3b033bc.jpeg]