"Daisy, sit still. We're almost there, I promise."

The old puppy shifts restlessly in the passenger seat, peering her head up through the window as we draw closer to Ghost's place.

I can only imagine how stressful this must be for her, being up and moved into a new home after spending her entire life in the same place. This is better than the alternative mom suggested, though. She'll adjust soon enough.

I glance at my phone, where the GPS is currently showing me which way to go. Ghost had texted me the address this morning and all day I've been anticipating seeing his place, wondering what it's like. I'm expecting bachelor pad paradise.

It's only about a ten to fifteen minute drive from the dorms, which is nice. I'll be able to visit Daisy much more frequently having her this close.

I turn down his street and my eyes squint with confusion when I don't see any apartment buildings. I roll to a stop in front of a small, single-family home and wonder for a moment if I have the wrong place, but I recognize Ghost's car in the driveway, so this must be it.

I shut off the car, getting out and circling around to get Daisy before walking up to the door. I knock lightly and moments later it opens to Ghost's smiling face.

"You made it." He greets cheerfully.

"We sure did."

He glances down at Daisy and immediately crouches down to her level to start scratching her behind the ear and under her chin, "Hello there, big girl. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm your new daddy."

"Don't say daddy, that sounds wrong."

"But it's true." He retorts with a smirk as he straightens back up to his full height. I'm slightly surprised when he leans forward to give me a quick hug. I guess that's how we greet each other now.

When we pull away I keep my gaze down as I mutter, "Uhm, there's a bunch of her stuff in the car; a crate and dog food and all that."

"I'll grab it, you two can come in, get situated." He tells me, ushering me through the threshold as he steps out to head towards my car.

I walk inside hesitantly, looking around at everything as I crouch down to let Daisy off her leash. She slowly moves around, sniffing everything as I stand in the center of the living room.

It's a nice place, with hardwood floors and an open layout. It doesn't exactly feel like Ghost, though. I was imaging everything dark and modern, with sharp edges and a cold feeling to it. What I'm standing in is warm and inviting. It feels like something out of a catalogue.

The door reopens and Ghost saunters in with a forty pound bag of dog food over his shoulder and a crate and dog bed in his other arm, but he's hardly breaking a sweat. He shows no signs of strain as he passes me a smile and walks through to the kitchen to dump everything on the floor.

I slowly trail after him, lingering in the walkway as I lean against the wall and remark, "I didn't imagine you living in a place like this."

"Oh?" He glances over his shoulder at me as he sets up the crate, "What were you imagining?"

I shrug, "A bachelor pad in some high-end apartment."

He laughs as he turns to face me, pushing his curls out of his eyes, "Sorry to disappoint."

"No, this is better. She'll like this more." I gesture to Daisy who is wandering around still exploring everything new, before questioning, "Are you renting?"

He shakes his head, glancing around the room as he replies, "No, actually, I own it."

My eyes widen at him, "Really? You already own a house at your age?"

"I know, I am the picture of success." He boasts jokingly, tossing me a coy grin.

"I'll say." I nod in agreement.

He turns slightly more serious as his eyes cast downward and he explains, "Nah, actually it, uh... it used to be my mom's house. She left it to me after she died."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss." I state sincerely, passing him a sympathetic look.

He shrugs it off, appearing to be fine as he sends me a half-smile, "Thank you. It's alright, it's been almost six years."

"Wow, six years." I utter, my heart tugging for him, "How old were you?"

"Seventeen."

"That must've been really hard." I state somberly. I watch him closely, hoping I'm not offending him by talking about this, but his face remains relaxed, maybe just a small hint of sadness in his eyes.

"It was for a while." He tells me, smiling reassuringly as he adds, "But I figured out how to deal with it. And hey, not having to pay rent or mortgage every month has been pretty nice."

I nod my head, glancing around at the house and suddenly the decor options make more sense. Clearly, Ghost's mom made these decisions, and it doesn't look like he's done much to change it. Which is very sweet when I think about it. It's like he's preserving a part of her within these walls.

I can't help but wonder about whether his dad is still in the picture or not, but he doesn't mention anything so I don't bring it up. I'm not really one to pry into topics that are none of my business.

Ghost continues to set up Daisy's crate and everything so I step over to help. The air feels a little heavy after the sad topic of his mom and he seems to be concentrating very hard on the work at hand.

I fill the silence by saying, "So, Daisy has medication for her arthritis that she needs to take every morning and evening."

He grimaces beside me, "Is this a medication I'm gonna have to stick up her ass?"

My nose crinkles as I quickly shake my head, "No, gross. You just put it in her food, she'll eat it right up no problem."

"Thank god."

"Also, she's not totally blind but her eyesight is bad, she can't see like two feet in front of her, so she may take some time getting used to how everything is set up here. Just watch out for her, make sure she's not hurting herself hitting into furniture or anything."

"I'll take good care of her. I promise." He remarks, glancing over at me with a small smile.

I sigh, leaning back against the wall as I fix him with a serious look and tell him once again, "Thank you so much for doing this."

He smiles back at me, "She'll still be your dog, Rose. Feel free to stop by whenever you want to see her. Actually," He pauses as he digs through the back pocket of his jeans before pulling out a small, silver key and handing it to me, "This is for you, so you can do exactly that."

I stare down at the key with shock for a moment before slowly reaching out to take it, "You sure? I don't want you to feel like you'll never have privacy or anything."

He shrugs at me with an easy grin as he remarks, "It will be fine. Maybe just shoot me a text or something before stopping by so I can make sure I'm nice and naked when you get here."

I bark out an unattractive laugh and shake my head at him. The thought of him being naked or in any other compromisable position when I come over here is enough to make me blush. I tilt my face down to hide it as I continue to chuckle.

I pocket the key and reply, "Thank you. This will make it so much easier to rob you now."

He smirks at me, seeming amused, "I thought I was supposed to be the thief here, not you?"

I sigh and shake my head, "You're never gonna let that go, are you?"

He shrugs, "Maybe when it stops being funny."

I smile at him and we finish setting everything up for Daisy before wandering back into the living room. I sink down into the worn, leather couch and Ghost chooses the recliner chair to the side of me. Daisy is still exploring the place and I keep a wary eye on her to make sure she's not getting into any sort of trouble.

"Are you hungry?" Ghost asks, pulling my attention his way, "I was gonna order pizza."

I glance at the time as I think it over. I hadn't been planning on staying here and hanging out, but I guess I could. It is around dinner time and I haven't eaten since noon. I also haven't heard much from Brody today, it seems he's busy with work and his father once again.

"Yeah, pizza sounds good."

He seems pleased that I'm staying as he digs his phone out of his pocket while questioning, "Toppings?"

I think it over for a moment, "Uhm, how about Hawaiian with jalapeños?"

His gaze shoots up and pins me there with a disgusted glare as he utters, "Seriously?"

"What?"

"Pineapple does not belong on pizza." He states vehemently, shaking his head at me as he looks me up and down in a whole new light.

I sigh and roll my eyes, "Don't tell me you're one of those people."

"What, you mean someone with taste?" He quips back, appearing to take this very seriously but I can see the small spark of humor in his eyes.

"Pineapple is delicious." I defend, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, it is, just not on pizza." He retorts, "It's a goddamn fruit. If I wanted to eat fruit I would have a fruit salad, not pizza."

"Oh my god." I grumble, slinking back into the couch as I concede, "Fine, forget the Hawaiian. Get whatever you want."

He smirks, "Spinach and artichoke it is."

"Are you serious?" I scoff, "That's disgusting!"

"You don't have a valid opinion, you like pineapple." He hums with disregard, scrolling through his phone to find the number for a pizza place.

"You're the worst." I sigh with a shake of my head.

He just smirks at me as he brings the phone up to his ear. It rings momentarily before he speaks, "Hi, I would like to make an order for delivery." There's a short pause and he glances my way as he speaks, "One large Hawaiian with jalapeños and one large spinach and artichoke combo."

I grin over at him and he winks back as he finishes the call, giving them the address and everything before hanging up.

"Thank you." I tell him and he shrugs.

"It's called compromise."

Thirty minutes later the pizzas are on the coffee table in front of us as Ghost searches through options on Netflix. My Netflix, I should add. He's moved onto the couch beside me to better reach the food, leaving only a few inches separating us.

"Ooh, Mindhunter, let's watch that." I pipe up excitedly when I see the show on the screen.

Ghost tosses me a wary glance and raises an eyebrow, "What's it about?"

I smile over at him and innocently remark, "Serial killers."

He huffs and rolls his eyes to the ceiling, "Why am I not surprised?"

"It's really good, you'll like it. I promise."

That's all the persuading he needs. Silently he puts the show on before reaching over to grab some of the food and settling back on the couch. I do the same and together we eat quietly while watching the TV.

An hour later we get through the first episode and Ghost starts the next one without question, while at the same time muttering, "This show is morbid."

"Just wait, it gets even worse." I promise him as I bring my legs up to my chest and try to get more comfortable.

He glances my way and asks, "Do you want a blanket or something? You look cold."

I nod my head, "Yeah, that'd be nice."

He gets up and shuffles down the hallway, reappearing a few moments later with a large fleece that he throws my way. It falls over my head and I huff indignantly as I pull it down and shoot him a glare.

"Sorry." He chuckles as he plops back down onto the couch.

I situate myself better with the blanket, pulling it up to my chin. I can't help but notice that it smells like him and I realize this must be a blanket he sleeps with at night. For some reason that feels extremely intimate, but I don't remove it. Instead I sink down further, subtly sniffing at the fabric as we watch.

At some point Ghost grabs the other side of the blanket and pulls it over himself. It's big enough for the both of us, but he has to shift a little closer on the couch for it to reach. I attempt to not mind, but it's a little weird knowing I'm sharing a blanket with him.

It seems the longer the show goes on, the closer Ghost shifts to me. I know he's just trying to get comfortable but I can't help but think about how upset Brody would be if he could see me right now. I'm sitting on a couch, sharing a blanket and watching TV with the guy who he explicitly told me to never see again.

I'm a terrible girlfriend.

The current episode ends and Ghost shoots me a questioning glance while reaching for the remote, "Another one?"

I press my lips into a firm line and shake my head, "Nah, I should probably get going. It's late and I'm getting tired."

In our time watching the show the sun has set, and the only light in the room is coming from the TV, making this even worse. We're in the dark together. Bad things happen in the dark.

Ghost glances at the clock on the wall, "Jesus, yeah I didn't realize how late it was." He shoots me an approving smile, "This show is addictive. You were right."

I nod my head, "Jonathan Groff is my favorite."

Ghost stretches his arms above his head and lets out a long yawn. I notice the bottom of his shirt rise up, revealing his tanned torso. It looks so rigid and smooth. Quickly I avert my gaze.

"You can crash here if you need to. I don't want you to drive if you're too tired." He tells me, turning his body to face me better, which knocks our knees together.

I swallow hard at the contact, even though it's barely anything. It's enough to make my heart race, "Uhm, I'll be fine." I assure him, avoiding his gaze, "It's not a long drive."

"You sure?"

I peek up at him, finding him pinning me there with his gaze, one eyebrow cocked in question. He looks so good in the pale glow of the television screen, the harsh shadows making his sharp features stand out even more.

"I'm sure."

The corner of his mouth tilts up, "Alright. Well this was fun. I meant what I said earlier, come by whenever you want."

I nod my head, "Will do."

We both stand up, allowing the blanket to fall at our feet. Ghost stretches again, his back cracking from sitting so long and I keep my eyes down. I spot Daisy sleeping on her bed in the kitchen and shuffle over to her to say goodbye.

I pat her head lightly to not wake her and promise to see her soon before moving back into the living room to put on my shoes. Ghost leans against the armrest of the couch, his arms folded as he silently watches me. His eyes look sleepy, which only makes him all the more adorable.

With my shoes on and keys in hand I stand by the door, deciding how best to say goodbye. He seems to already have that figured out as he smiles at me and opens up his arms, silently requesting a hug goodnight. I'm hesitant to attempt anymore physical contact, but it would be rude to turn him down. Also, I really like his hugs.

I smile back and shuffle over to him. I fall against his chest and his arms wrap tightly around me, holding me into his perfect shape. My head falls just below his chin, and I can feel him rest his head on mine. Without meaning to my eyes flutter closed.

"Thank you, again." I mutter into his chest, "For taking Daisy."

He sighs heavily and it's loud with my ear pressed against him as he mumbles, "I'm gonna start making you pay me ten dollars for every time you thank me, Rose."

"Good, maybe that will make me feel better about you not accepting my money for keeping her here."

"Hmm." He grumbles disapprovingly, "Then I'll have to think of a different punishment."

I let out a small chuckle, "Why would you punish me for being nice?"

"Because it's annoying." He remarks without hesitation, but his tone is light and teasing, "You're too damn nice."

I huff and mutter, "That's what my mom says, too."

"Then I take it back." He decides quickly, "I don't want to sound like your mom."

I hum in agreement and unconsciously nuzzle further into him. I realize this is a long time to be hugging goodbye, but he's so warm and relaxing. I don't want to pull away.

Then Brody's face flashes in my mind.

I clear my throat and let go. Ghost hesitates for one second more before he lets go as well, allowing me to step back. I pass him a small smile as he looks down at me with an indecipherable expression on his face.

"Goodnight, Ghost." I tell him as I slowly back away towards the door.

He watches me and for a moment it looks like he has something else to say, but it passes quickly and morphs into a casual smile.

"Night, Rose. Drive safe." He tells me, "Text me when you get home, okay?"

I nod my head as I reach the doorknob, "Okay."

With that I turn and leave, and all the way home my stomach is twisted in knots. Though I'm not sure whether it's from spending so much time with Ghost or whether it's the worry of Brody ever finding out about this.

Either way, it's not good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN;

This is a cute chapter right?

I hope you guys enjoyed, please comment and vote if you feel so inclined

-Sarah xo