Falling Over You Page 3

  The fiancé leaned down and placed a kiss on the crevice of Lara’s neck, causing her body to visibly tense up. Mike bit his bottom lip before pressing it into a thin line, and he furrowed his brow. Something tugged inside of him as he watched this take place, and even though Lara wasn't responding, it didn't bring him much solace. This was why he didn't want people living in his home; he didn't want to walk in on people in the bathroom, in the shower, or having sex. Especially this particular couple.

  Maybe it was his unreasonable amount of hatred for this guy Brett—whoever he was. Ugh, he couldn't watch this, and yet, he couldn't pull his black eyes away from them. God, couldn't this guy take a hint? She didn't want to have sex with him. How much more obvious could she make it? Dodging his kisses didn't seem to be enough. He absolutely detested men who took women saying no to their sexual advances as playing hard to get. Then again, maybe he was just being biased.

  Mike sighed. He wasn't used to actually knowing a person anymore. He wasn't used to this sort of thing, though he wasn't quite sure as to what it was he was feeling. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, trying to alleviate the tightness that was starting to form in his head. Be over soon, be over soon, be over soon.... And a small part of him hoped she would refuse him altogether.

  "Brett," Lara snapped, narrowing her eyes into his after she shifted her neck around for the fourth time.

  "God, Lara," Brett said with obvious frustration in his voice. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh through his lips before opening them and looking at her. "What's the matter?" Instead of maintaining his place, hovering above her, he slid onto his side and looked at her, but for some reason, Lara felt as though he really wasn't interested in hearing what she had to say.

  "Do you...." Lara started, and then let her voice trail off. Her face turned crimson at what she was about to ask, but she pushed forward, wanting to hear Brett's side of the story. Maybe he could help her figure out some things that she didn't quite understand as of yet. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

  Surprisingly, however, all Brett did for the next twenty-five seconds was laugh. Lara felt her embarrassment touch her cheeks once again, and any sort of trust she felt for him concerning Mike and the whole ghost haunting their house went out the window. "A ghost?" he asked in obvious disbelief. Upon noticing the serious look on his fiancée's face, however, he managed to calm himself down and think for a moment. "Are you talking about the Seven Year Itch ghost?"

  "The Seven Year Itch Ghost?" Mike asked dryly, his mouth hanging open afterwards as he stared at Brett. "Is that really what they're calling me now? Is that really the best they can come up with?"

  "Go away," Lara seethed through gritted teeth, shooting a dark look in Mike's direction. She did not need him interrupting him now, especially not when Brett was actually humoring her about something she felt was important, at least to herself.

  "What?" Brett asked, arching a brow as he tried to make eye contact with Lara. Had she just said something?

  From the corner of her eyes, Lara could see that Mike was desperately trying not to laugh; like it would matter. It wasn't like Brett could hear him. She turned over to Brett and forced a smile onto her face, her mind thinking fast. "We should go away," she said after a moment, her voice slightly strained. However, she realized that her cover-up was quite believable and pushed it a little bit further. "You and me. Together. For a vacation or something."

  "You just got here," Brett pointed out. He still looked confused by the conversation they were having.

  "Right," Lara murmured under her breath. So she might have forgotten one small detail. It wasn't like it was the end of the world.

  "Listen," Brett said, his voice taking on a softer connotation. "I know you hate New York. I know you didn't like moving. But I want you to know that it really does mean a lot to me that you did this, that you came out to see me, to be with me, to live with me." He smiled down at her and Lara smiled back. Neither of them could see, but at that moment, Mike rolled his eyes and refrained from saying something sarcastic. "By the way, how was your interview?"

  Immediately, Lara felt herself blush again and a nervous smile touched her features. "Well, it started off really well," she murmured, though she didn't think Brett actually heard her. "I don't think I got the job...." She let her voice trail off before wincing, preparing for the usual lecture Brett gave her when she didn't do something right. When it didn't come, she glanced over at him and found that his eyes were closed, his hands resting on his chest.

  "Well," Brett said, his tone soft because of how tired he was. Lara would have been mad at him for all but falling asleep during their conversation, but it was hard for her because she knew how hard he worked and how stressed he was. "You are an acquired taste, you know." She watched the corners of his lips twitch up, as though he was amused by some inside joke she wasn't yet aware of. "And you'll get a job sooner or later. You shouldn't worry about that."

  It wasn't long before Lara, too, sank down into the covers, her eyes closed. She really shouldn't feel too tired, but when her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep right away. Relief had washed through her when she realized Brett wasn't going to push the sex thing, and before she had closed her eyes, Lara hadn't noticed Mike anywhere.

  For some reason, Lara felt slightly put off by Brett's words. She couldn't explain it and was too tired to figure it out, but something didn't quite settle with her regarding the matter.

  Unbeknownst to Lara, Mike was amongst the shadows, still watching the exchange between the couple. Like Lara, he, too, felt slightly put off by Brett's words, but unlike her, he knew why. Sometimes such a statement was a compliment, but the way Brett said it didn't make it one this time.

  "I don't think you're an acquired taste," Mike murmured, his black eyes studying Lara's face. Lara might have heard it if she hadn't been asleep, but she was, so his words got lost in the wind.

  6

  The next morning, Lara was sitting at the dining table alone. Brett had left early for work without much of an explanation, save for the fact that it was really important and he wanted to get a head start on it. She had a bowl of fresh fruit that she was chewing slowly, in no rush to go anywhere because, to be honest, she had nowhere to go nor did she have any place to be. She really should start making friends here. Maybe then she could be like all the other hip girls that resided in New York who hung out at cafes and took the subway and.... Lara felt her lips pull into a loose frown. She didn't want to be a New York girl. She wanted to be a southern California girl. Maybe this was what all people went through; maybe she would get used to it.

  A sigh slipped through her nose and she turned the page of the paper she was reading. Her eyes began to skim what was happening in the world of politics, and though she wanted nothing more to retain this sort of information, it was rather difficult. Not because, as many had assumed, Lara was stupid or didn't care. She knew how important politics were, but she wasn't interested. If it was important enough, it would be on The Daily Show, which was where she got her news from, and if not, she didn't feel like she needed to know about it.

  Lara placed another kiwi in her mouth and figured that since Brett was gone, she could stop pretending that she was interested in stuff like this. Instead, she flipped through the paper until she reached the Arts and Entertainment section, a smile on her face. Now this was what she lived for. Plus, they had an interview with Daniel Craig because the new Bond flick was coming out relatively soon. Sweet. She thought he was so—

  "So let me ask you a question," Mike said after he literally popped up from nowhere to sit across from her at the table. Lara nearly choked on her kiwi, and it took her coughing a couple of times before she was better. "Why are you here in New York if you hate it?" He pushed his brows up, indicating that he was clearly waiting for an answer from her.

  "Jesus Christ!" she exclaimed, placing her hand over her rapidly beating heart. Her face was red and her eyes were wide. "Don't do that. I could have
died!"

  Mike shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I wouldn't have let that happen," he said, almost dismissively before returning to his previous question. "Now tell me. Why are you here when you obviously don't like it here?"

  "It's not that I don't like it here," Lara began to answer, but she frowned upon realizing just what it was that she was doing. "Wait, why do you care? Are you just going to make fun of me? Because let me tell you, buddy, that I am not in the mood."

  Mike gave her a dry look before shaking his head slowly. "I haven't spoken to anyone in the past seven years," he informed her. "And now I find a woman living in my house whom I can speak with."

  "All right, all right," Lara said, waving her hand. She probably should have realized this. "I grew up in southern California, and I'm going to be honest: I am very proud of where I'm from. The only reason I moved here in the first place is because Brett works here. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't dislike New York. But whenever I meet any of Brett's colleagues or I'm at a job interview, they see where I'm from, and suddenly, I'm cute, but I'm not taken seriously. It's like some New Yorkers think that southern California is fluff and it's just frustrating because I can't stick up for my home. I don't want to embarrass Brett in front of his peers and I want a job...." She let her voice trail off as a feeling of sadness touched her body. She realized just how much she missed her home, and if she could ask for anything, she would want nothing more than to have it back.

  Mike's eyes sculpted her face and could tell just how fond she was over where she grew up. "I grew up in the Midwest," he said. "In Michigan actually, in this small town called South Haven. Beautiful, simply beautiful. We had a north beach and a south beach. The north beach was for the people with money, and the south beach, which was usually crowded, was for everyone else. It had a skate park, a snack shack. The stars were absolutely huge. Like you could reach out and pluck them from the sky. Everything about it was simply mesmerizing."

  "Why did you come to New York then?" Lara asked quietly, intent on hearing what he had to say.

  Mike shrugged his shoulders once again. "When you grow up in a small town and your parents grew up in the same town and grandparents grew up in the same town, it gets a little repetitive," Mike said. "I wanted change. I wanted a city. And the most famous city I knew of was none other than New York. It was completely opposite of South Haven, and that's exactly what I was looking for. But at the same time, there were nights when I would look out my window and wonder where the stars were, you know?"

  Lara nodded, taking a sip of her decaffeinated tea before looking up at Mike and locking eyes with him.

  "So this whole Brett thing," Mike said, his voice resuming the wit that Lara had gotten somewhat used to. "Is he really worth such a drastic move? I mean, you're engaged, right? Do you want to stay here for the rest of your life? Do you want to raise kids here?"

  Lara looked at the amber liquid inside of her cup for a long moment before glancing back at Mike. "I met Brett at USC," she told him. "And, let me tell you, I was completely smitten. He was on the football team and he was so good with numbers. It surprised me just how hard I fell for him because I usually don't fall for jocks. But something about him was different. I always knew he wanted to come out to New York to work on Wall Street. I mean, this was where he grew up. This was where his family is. It wouldn't be fair for me to make him give that all up."

  "But what about you?" Mike asked, pushing his brow up. "I mean, all your family is in southern California. You grew up there. Why do you have to make such a sacrifice?"

  "Because I love him," she said quietly. "What about you? Haven't you ever fallen in love with someone and wanted to do everything possible to stay with them?"

  "Of course," Mike said. "I remember just after I graduated college—before I came to New York—I was crazy about this girl Peggy. Peggy and I had been going out for nearly two years, and let me tell you, I was ready to marry this woman. When she got a job in Chicago, she wanted me to come with her. I had been to Chicago a couple of times, and I really didn't like it. I mean, the history of the place is fascinating, but I didn't want to live there. I wanted to live in New York. And she knew this. But even though I had plans, I was actually considering changing everything for her. When I realized she wasn't willing to do the same thing, I knew she wasn't the one for me. I couldn't be with someone who wouldn't give everything up for me if I was willing to do the same thing. It wasn't fair, and I knew there had to be someone out there who would feel the same way I felt about her. But Peggy wasn't the one."

  "Did you ever find her?" Lara asked softly, stirring her tea with a tiny spoon.

  "No," Mike said, shaking his head. "I died before I could. But I don't want you to make the same mistake. Why are you marrying Brett anyway?"

  Lara felt her get defensive at the tone Mike was suddenly using. "Because I love him," she snapped. She knew Mike didn't like him, but Lara didn't need some ghost telling her who to love. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she was stressed out because she still hadn't found a job. Regardless, she didn't want this sort of confrontation right now, especially not with Mike. "I'm going upstairs to get dressed. Don't even think about trying to look."

  Mike was about to retort that he wasn't like that and he had boundaries just like the next person. Instead, he rolled his eyes before watching Lara's figure retreat from the kitchen and head up the stairs. "Wouldn't dream of it," he muttered under his breath.

  7

  If Lara was anything, she was determined. After she had taken a shower and gotten dressed, she headed down the stairs and then over to the coffee maker that was still about half full. She was addicted to coffee, in part, thanks to Brett. Today was one of those days that required it. She would drown out the bitter taste that normally accompanied the drink with milk and sugar, sweetening it to the point where she could feel the cavities. Cream was too much for her, interestingly enough. She poured the still-warm liquid in a thermos before taking a quick sip and glancing out the window. She never trusted weather forecasters to give accurate predictions, so she would look outside a window and try to gauge a temperature that way. Normally, she was pretty spot-on, but that was probably because when it came to southern California, one could easily guess that it was going to be sunny with some clouds, and get it right. New York on the other hand....

  Lara was currently wearing a comfortable red and black plaid shirt that was one size too big for her, tight black jeans, and gray knee-high boots with a folded flap and no heels. Her hair was down, and besides her lips being occupied with ChapStick, she had no makeup on. Her eyes caught sight of some misty gray clouds masking in with the gray sky, and she debated whether or not to grab a scarf. At least in California, she was driving everywhere, so on the off chance that it was cold on a particular day, she could drive to a place and didn't have to worry too much about being stranded out in the cold. Here, though, she would be walking a lot of the way and the subway didn't have a heating system that she was aware of.

  She came to the conclusion to grab a black scarf before grabbing her coffee and heading out the door.

  Normally, the first thing Lara would do upon exiting her house—besides locking the door, of course—was to stick in her earphones and listen to her iPod. However, she knew that Mike could sneak up on her at any time and she wouldn't know because her hearing would be distracted by music, and for this particular errand, she wanted full and complete privacy.

  Today, she would be researching her house, and more specifically, she would be researching Mike himself. She didn't know his full name, but if he died and if the rumors of his house being haunted were prevalent, she was sure she would be able to figure it out. Plus, it wasn't as though she had anything better to do today. She had sent out her résumés to everyone she wanted to work for, and as of yet, she had no responses. That was normal, she hoped.

  The weather was slightly cold, pinching bitterness here and there, but not too bad. If she experienced this weather in southern Californi
a, she would definitely say she was cold, but here it seemed almost normal. There was a library about ten blocks north from her house which meant she didn't have to use the subway, and she also didn't have to walk too far.

  She shoved her hands in her jeans pockets, glancing around. Though she had been here for about at least a month, she was still getting used to her surroundings. Her lips curled up when she noticed that the leaves on the trees were starting to change. In a few weeks, there would be piles and piles of different shades of reds and oranges and browns occupying the lawns and streets.

  Because it was a school day, the library was somewhat unoccupied. It was one of the few times Lara actually had been in a library, only because she preferred to own her reading material rather than borrow it. The librarian escorted her to where the computers were located and after a brief but detailed explanation of how to use them, she left Lara to her own devices.

  "Okay," Lara said with a breath and glanced at the keyboard in front of her. She rubbed her hands together, asking herself, "Where to start, where to start?"

  She placed her fingertips on the keys and decided to search seven years ago in the neighborhood she was currently living in. A few articles popped up, but it wasn't until she hit the second page did she start to find what she was looking for.

  Green Meadows Has Its Own Haunting, screamed the headline. But as Lara's eyes skimmed through the article, it was obvious that the writer wasn't convinced that that was so. A particular home in Green Meadows (address withheld in order to ensure privacy) is reputed to be haunted. Neighbors claim they've seen shadows and figures in the second story window, belonging to the master bedroom, but they can't explain why these shadows appear. Apparently, it's when the owners are conveniently away. But can we really trust the pill-popping housewives that clearly come off as desperate when trying to get their stories to sound plausible? As far as this reporter's concerned, this particular haunted house is not haunted and never has been. Maybe the rumors started because of the unforeseen death of former resident, Michael Langdon. However, ghosts have yet to be seen in the house, and if, by chance, they're there, they're awfully quiet residents and the neighbors shouldn't be complaining.