Incorporeal by J.R. Barrett Read Free Book Online Page A

this time, into Sara’s time. He could have loved her as a man loves a woman, protected her, provided for her, given her children, grown old with her and passed on to the next life with her.
    Damn . Nathan slammed his clenched fist against a wall that was not a wall. It existed only in his mind. He knew he’d created it, along with this space, although he didn’t know how. The rock felt solid nonetheless, and the pain he experienced seemed as real as anything he’d felt when he’d walked the earth as a man. He shook his hand, reminding himself that the sensation was not real.
    What about the sensation I feel when I’m with Sara? It seems real enough. God in heaven, it feels real.
    But Sara’s home isn’t mine any more than this no-place is . What do I have to offer a living woman? Nathan’s laugh echoed in the empty space, sounding bitter to his own ears. Nothing whatsoever. I am not a man. I am dead and buried and I’ve been so for centuries.
    Then why does my heart seem to beat? Why can I feel the warmth of a fire, the heat of her body; the silky softness of her skin beneath my fingertips? Nathan closed his eyes and ran his ghost fingers through his ghost hair.
    “ I don’t understand.” He spoke the words aloud and as he expected, he heard their faint echo. He turned in a slow circle, staring at the cold, silent space surrounding him. This is not what I want. I want more. I want her . Nathan knew what he had to do. It was time to join the dead.
     
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    “ Nathan?” Sara gave the door a shove with her hip. She held the bound manuscripts in her arms, while the straps of her purse and the tote bag managed to dig jointly into her shoulder. It would be nice if he’d show off by opening the door for her. “Nathan?”
    There was no answer.
    Eyes lighting on the fireplace, hoping for the warm glow of a fire, Sara saw only dark, cold ashes. She turned in a slow, methodical circle, searching for any glimmer of her ghost. The room contained nothing but furniture and empty space. Sudden tears slid down her cheeks, surprising her. She tried and failed to wipe them away with her free shoulder, feeling a chill settle into her heart.
    How odd that a long-dead incorporeal spirit could bring such light and warmth into a home. She’d grown so accustomed to Nathan’s presence in recent months that his absence felt almost like an amputation. And there was no mistake, he was absent.
    She tried again. “Nathan, where are you?” Not a murmur, not a single, sibilant, ethereal, hiss, not the slightest brush of cool air as he passed by. The room was filled with pure, unadulterated, unbroken silence.
    “ He’ll be back. He’s done this before, vanished for a day or two. He’ll be back.” Fuck. He’d better be .
    Sara dropped manuscripts onto the dining room table, along with her purse and the heavy tote. After she shut the front door, Sara closed her eyes and listened one more time. The ice maker groaned and dropped ice into the plastic tray with a clack. Somewhere a faucet dripped. A far-off siren sounded like the howl of a lone wolf. There was no Nathan.
    “ Well this sucks. He leaves without any explanation or a fare thee well and I’m stuck talking to myself. I don’t even have the foggiest notion why he showed up in the first place. Great, just great. I was going to make him tell me about that tonight. I want an explanation.” Her voice rose. “Do you hear that, Nathan? I demand an explanation for your presence.”
    What if I never get it? Sara’s feet refused to move. What if I never get an explanation for his presence because I never see him again? Oh my god . Wobbly legs dictated she sit on the couch before she fell onto the floor. Do you want to see him again? The answer came to her in a flash. Yes. I want to see Nathan again.
    Are you falling in love with a ghost? Sara, be reasonable .
    What’s to be reasonable about? There’s nothing reasonable about this situation. C’mon, brain,