whose lips were on mine, whose hands burned through the fabric of the shirt covering my chest.
I couldn’t describe the light. It shone on us, both of us, yet I didn’t feel the heat. In fact, a breeze drifted through the tunnel, cooling me, calming me. A hum reverberated through the vacant space and wrapped around us. The kiss could’ve lasted minutes or hours—probably only seconds—but it felt as though it spanned lifetimes. Generations. Instead of lasting a few heartbeats, it could’ve easily transpired over a few decades.
Our mouths separated, but rather than back away, we remained close to each other. Her breath wafted across my lips, battling against the cool breeze. But I couldn’t move. Her gaze froze every muscle, stunned every breath, and captured every thought.
Just then, the sky opened up, and the sun’s warmth welcomed us back to reality. The harsh light forced me to blink a few times and caused Kenny to lower her shades back from the top of her head to the bridge of her nose. I frantically glanced around and wondered if anyone had witnessed our exchange.
If it had even happened.
Or if it had all been in my imagination.
Kenny quickly answered that for me when she dropped her forehead to the center of my chest. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” Her words drifted through the quiet breeze on a shaky exhale. “I don’t know why I just did that.”
Confusion wrapped around me like a weighted blanket. I had no idea why she would be apologizing when I was the one who’d kissed her. Apparently, she assumed it had gone the other way. I wanted to correct her, though I couldn’t seem to find my voice. In fact, I couldn’t seem to do much of anything other than hold her to me.
It was as if a switch had flipped—for both of us. Somehow, inside the church dome, beneath the steeple, surrounded by glass…we were in another universe. One where only the two of us existed. A space belonging to only Kenny and me. Where time had no measure. It was unexplainable.
Incomprehensible.
“I don’t know why you did that, either.” With laughter on my lips, I shook my head and quickly grabbed the wheel to straighten us out against the current. Her body turned rigid against mine in an instant. And the moment she lifted her chin, pulling away just enough to see my face, I smiled and added, “Maybe you just find me irresistible.”
At least it fulfilled its purpose—it evicted most of the heaviness around us and made her laugh. I realized right then and there that I wanted to hear that sound as often as I could…for as long as I could.
After getting the boat straightened out, I dropped my arms. I expected Kenny to move away. However, she remained in front of me, facing me, her shielded stare penetrating me while her smile lingered on her lips.
“Either that or…didn’t you say the lake is haunted?”
“And you think the ghosts of Chogan decided to use their powers of possession to make you kiss me?”
She lifted one shoulder and casually shifted until she stood next to me, no longer face to face. “Well, yeah…I mean, it’s the only thing that makes sense. I was most certainly not in control of my actions, that’s for sure.”
I ran my hand over the light dusting of hair on my jawline in dramatic thought. “Do you think we have to be on the water or in the church for them to make you do it again?” I stoned my expression as best I could. “Or should I be worried about it happening on dry land as well?”
“Nope, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll keep my hands to myself.” She lifted her arms, palms out, in a dramatic show of surrender—all with a grin complimenting her glistening lips.
A strong desire to kiss her again burned deep in my chest. At least I no longer felt powerless against my actions like I had beneath the steeple. Except, I worried that this need would go unfulfilled, and therefore, be a permanent reminder of my loneliness. The best I could do was ignore it and hope it went away.
Kenny relaxed next to me with a long exhale that somewhat resembled a sigh. But when I glanced at her, I found her observing the peaceful nature around us, an easiness resting in her expression. “You never did tell me about these ghosts.”
“That’s because there aren’t any. The people around here only believe