Star Crossed by Sammisawr (online e reader txt) 📕

green eyes and he could see she wanted the truth and not some cock and bull answer. "Helen...I do love you..." he whispered, so he could barely hear himself. 
"...But what?" Helen asked, feeling a slight dull ache at her stomach from the coughing fits. She ignored the pain and looked deeply into his eyes, furrowing her eyes slightly; "William... what are you not telling me? What has happened to you?" 
William looked down into his lap, remembering his past life. "When I was...alive…I was in love with a girl. We had known each other since we were 3 years old. According to my mother we would always point to one another saying 'This is the person I'm going to marry. Nothing will stop us.'" he stopped for a moment smiling at that. "As time went on we were not to be separated. We were each other's best friend, secret keeper, lovers..." 
"And then... you..." Helen trailed off.  
 
William gave a slightly cold smile. "Yes. The accident. I watched her grow up then... all what we have promised each other thrown away like it never existed."  
 
"William... it might not be as bad as you think..."  
 
He looked up to her then. A cold look, mixed with various emotions. "Helen, don't you get it? I'm a ghost. I'm dead." 
"But-"  
 
"No Helen. There's nothing you can say to make it any better. I'm dead, you're not. You're just going to grow up like Shannon did and once you find another man, you'll forget all about me. Do you know how many times I would go to her house and just watch her sleep with her husband? do you know how many days I would watch them and the kids, wondering what it would have been like if that man was me?" he said, his voice pained.
Helen opened her mouth to speak, only to find William shaking his head to her again.  
 
"It doesn't matter." He said softly.  
 
"Yes it does..." Helen sighed. "William, if it would pain you that much... I can leave." 
"Helen, I don't want you to leave. Did you not hear me? I love you! Yes, I love you just as much maybe more then I loved Shannon. You can't leave me, not like she did..." he finished, his face full with emotion.  
 
"But..."  
 
"Please...don't leave me...Helen...I need you," he said squeezing her hands. 
"William." Helen breathed, leaning into his arms. "William... has anyone ever told you that nobody can leave you for good?"  
 
"What do you mean?" William asked as he stroked her hair.  
 
"I mean in death. Before my grandmother passed away, she had expected it, but told my mother that she would still love her even after death..." 
"I know...and I have loved Shannon still. But I called her house, asking if she remembered William about 2 years after my death...and she asked.." he paused knowing how much it hurt, "she asked William who?" 
"Well..." Helen said softly, leaning her cheek on her shoulder. "It might be for the best. I mean... look at you, William. You linger in the thought of her life and her death enough to make you push people away..."  
 
"But Helen... she didn't remember me..."  
 
"I bet she did, William." 
"No she didn’t," he said with and edge to his voice.  
 
"Well...I will always remember you," she said kissing the top of his head.  
 
"..That's what she said too..." he muttered pulling away from her. 
"William... I promise you. I will not forget you."  
 
He turned away from her and sighed. "Helen, my life seems to be filled with lies and my death has been as well."  
 
"Just because one person forgets you... it doesn't mean I would." Helen said weakly. 
"...I know..." he whispered, still not turning around to face her.  
 
"William, I love you, you know that."  
 
"...I love you too, Helen. But what happens when you grow up? What happens when you find a man who is alive, that you love? What happens then?" 
Her lips forming a small smile, Helen leaned forward and placed her arms around him and interlocked her fingers on his chest. She rests her head on his back and breathed for a few seconds.  
 
"If I ever meet a man like that, I'll still stay here." She answered truthfully. "And if I ever get a chance to have a son, I'm sure we both know his name already." 
William smirked. "What? Frank?"  
 
Turning his face towards her, he kissed her gently on the nose. "Why are you so understanding? Why do you love me? I don't deserve you..." 
"I love you... because I do." Helen smiled. "You make me feel safe, no matter what you try to do." She closed her eyes. "You deserve me at least more than Shawn does..." 
William turned around completely so her hands were linked behind his back. "That much I agree with," he said kissing her lightly. "But you really should be resting," he said lying down so he brought her with him. 
Helen leaned back and coughed, keeping her eyes closed. "Stay here..." She pleaded as she nestled her head to his chest.  
 
"What is it?" William asked with a raised eyebrow.  
 
"Just... stay. Please." 
"Okay," he said softly. "I'll stay." Wrapping his arms around her he leaned his cheek against the top of her head.  
 
"Thank you..." she whispered, slowly dropping off to sleep.  
 
"It's my pleasure." 
William took the blanket and covered them both, stroking Helen's hair. She rests her head and slowly went to sleep, knowing that his presence would at least divert her thoughts from the nightmarish incident before. As she slept, Helen breathed softly and wondered on what she would do without him. 
As William sat there breathing in the sweet scent of Helen's shampoo mixed with grass, he found him self thinking of the last night he saw Shannon.  
 
"But William! We were supposed to do something today," she had told him, making her voice whiny but all the while she had a smile on her lips.  
 
Kissing her forehead he smiled, "I know, but I told you. My parents want me to go with them for a work thing."  
 
Shannon sighed, pulling away from his embrace. "Did you tell them that I'm leaving for a week tomorrow morning?"  
 
He nodded, "Yes, but they are set in their ways, they won't budge!"  
 
"Fine! Go off with you're parents! Ill stay here and...and...I don’t know maybe I'll just go off and do something with John!" she said angrily.  
 
"Shannon, don't do this! I’m not trying to leave you!" he said walking towards her.  
 
"No? Well guess what! Now I'm leaving!" she said walking out the door and slamming it behind her.  
 
"I never got to say good bye..." he whispered. 
Hearing him, Helen kept her eyes closed and fought consciously to prevent herself from sleeping. She could feel him trembling slightly and wondered what on earth would cause him such an act. But Helen kept as silent as she could as she continued to listen to his lost thoughts.  
 
"If only..." He trailed off to himself with a sigh. A cough escaped Helen's lips and William tightened his hold of her, stroking her hair comfortingly.  
 
William..? 
I never got to say good bye...or...or...I love you...  
 
Closing his eyes tightly he took a deep breath. It was all behind him now; Shannon didn't matter to him anymore. He had Helen and that's all that mattered.  
 
Kissing the top of her head he relaxed next to her, pushing out all thoughts of Shannon out of his mind. 
Helen opened her eyes and risked a look up to him, opening her mouth slightly. Her tiredness eventually got a final hold of her and she slept, in William's arms, waiting for the night to pass.  
 
Unfortunately enough, as soon as she drifted to sleep, she dreamt of the memory of her mother's death. In less than ten minutes, Helen's body tensed. 
William rubbed Helen's arm as soon as he felt her tense. Trying to relax her he kissed her lightly, "Helen...it's alright...I'm here..."  
 
Helen slowly relaxed into his arms, her dreams changing from her mother's death to William, being alive with her.  
 
Smiling William leaned his head against the head board, allowing sleep to over come him. 
Night passed slowly and as Helen woke up the next day, she could see the sunshine passing through the opened curtains. Feeling William's arms around her, Helen leaned back into his arms, only to find his grip tightening around her.  
 
"Too late, Helen. You're awake." He kissed her nose gently. 
She shook her head playfully. "No I'm not...I’m still asleep..."  
 
"How can a person who is asleep talk?" he asked her, stroking her hair.  
 
"Sleep talking?" she asked looking up at him.  
 
He laughed, "Nice try." Kissing her he hugged her, "No matter what…if you have to leave, always remember to say goodbye." 
"..What do you mean?" Helen asked with a raised eyebrow.  
 
"What I just said." William answered with a small smile. "Enough of that, Helen. Just remember to do it. How are you feeling? Better?"  
 
"Much better." Helen replied brightly. "But really... what did you mean?" 
"Just what I said. Just remember to say good bye." He gave her a good squeeze. "You had better get ready for breakfast, it's almost time."  
 
"How do you know?" she asked not moving.  
 
"Ghosts have an amazing sense of time," he said getting out from under her. "Get dressed, wash yourself if needed, and get down stairs Little Missy. You're father will want to see you." He smiled and walked out of the room, backwards through the wall 
Helen rolled over and sat up, realizing how hungry she was as the maid entered; "Would you like some help, Miss?" The maid asked.  
 
"Hum? Oh, no, thank you." Helen replied with a smile, standing up.  
 
"The bath is ready and I'll prepare your outfit." She answered, exiting her room.  
 
Helen watched her leave and walked slowly towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her and stepped into the welcoming hot bath, sighing in relief. 
William turned himself invisible and stepped into the bathroom keeping his eyes closed. Picking up the bubble bath from the sink he dumped it into the tub. Once the bubbles covered everything on Helen.  
 
"There, now we can talk," he said smiling.
Laughing softly, Helen looked around for William, spotting him as he changed back. She smiled, gently playing with her hair, feeling the small stings from her cuts.  
 
"I thought you were about to leave." Helen teased. 
He shrugged moving to sit on the toilet next to the tub, "I changed my mind...how are you're cuts in the soap?"  
 
Helen sighed, "They sting a little bit...but nothing I can't handle."  
 
"Well that's good," he leaned down and kissed her on the nose. "But now I have to go before your father gets here." 
"He's coming up?" Helen asked in surprise. "You mean now?" 
"No not now, but in about 5 minutes to see if you're ready to get out of the tub," he said smirking. Leaning on the tub he squatted down next to her, looking her in the eyes. "You have beautiful eyes..." he whispered. 
"Thank you." Helen breathed, looking into his icy ones. "Yours are as well." She said softly. "Very... gentle." 
He smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips, standing up. "I'm sorry for leaving like this again...but your dad should be here in 3...2..." he walked backwards through the wall "...1."  
 
"Helen, are you finished?" her father asked through the door. 
Helen chuckled aloud, grinning as she stood up and wrapped herself with a towel. "I'll be there in a second." She called out.  
"Alright, I'll tell the cook to start setting the food out," he said, his voice fading as he walked away.  
 
William, still halfway in the said quietly, "Told you..." Stepping back he moved to his room sitting on the bed waiting for