Page 62 of Purrfectly Haunted

“Let’s go out today,” I say.

Ewan blinks. “Out?”

“Yes. Just the two of us. I want to feel normal for a day, and you can show me Edinburgh some more. Who knows when I’ll get to come back?”

His expression turns mournful.

Good job, James. Good way to turn the mood by reminding him you might not see each other again when this is done.

“Alright,” he says after a pause. “Let’s do that. And we can buy food for tonight, too. I want to cook for the others.”

“Excellent. I’ll help. Let’s get ready and get breakfast outside.”

We extricate ourselves from the bed while trying our best not to bother the cats. They slow blink at us, entertained by our efforts.

We start the day in a coffee shop in New Town. I keep my hand on Ewan’s lower back as he orders, and I don’t miss the way the barista keeps looking at it, blushing. Feeling mischievous, I slide my hand under his sweatshirt to touch his skin. I feel him shiver, and he looks at me with hungry eyes. Maybe we should have kicked the cats out and had our fun anyway this morning.

We both eat our pastries and drink our coffees while walking. It’s a bright autumn Saturday, and the streets are busy. Ewan takes me to the Royal Mile and other famous locations in Edinburgh. We have a laugh in front of a shop offering to adopt ghosts. Tourists gather in front of the handmade little sculptures, unaware of the two real spirits floating around them, attracted by all the excitement and life. I can’t see them, of course, but Ewan describes them to me. He seems less afraid than a few days ago. Dealing with the poltergeists of Lynch Hostel has a way of putting things into perspective, I guess.

The whole city has dressed in Halloween decorations, and I feel like a kid again. We see the Ghost Tour bus a few times, and it’s packed with people. They will stop in front of the hostel, whisper about ghosts, oblivious to the fact that the house itself is the real marvel.

As the afternoon unfolds, we get fed up with the crowds, and Ewan suggests we hike Arthur’s Seat, the main peak in the hills of Holyrood Park. It’s an hour walk uphill, and we meet quite a lot of people going down. The setting sun touches the sea of green grass, and there is a cool breeze blowing from the east.

When we finally make it to the peak, the view of Edinburgh is breathtaking. Dusk is upon us, and the city lights make an appearance.

Ewan’s face is washed in a golden glow, his hair made of light. “We’re standing on an ancient volcano,” he tells me with a smile. He’s never looked more beautiful.

“Oh yeah? Tell me more.”

He laughs and looks away shyly. He tells me about the supposed legends about this place, and the archaeological discoveries. I can’t actually pay attention to his words, not when the man himself is taking my breath away.

Until he looks behind us and his eyes widen. “Uh-oh.”

“What?” I turn to face a sky full of dark clouds.

“No wonder we were the only ones going up. It looks like rain’s coming.”

We both hurry down the path, jumping over rocks and tufts of grass, but the storm catches us. The wind picks up, and the rain pours from the heavens. We swear and laugh. In the matter of minutes, the dirt turns into mud under our feet.

Around a bend, Ewan shouts and slips. I grab him, but being much smaller, his momentum takes us both down in the mud. I land on top of him, the breath knocked out of my lungs. He holds on to me and he starts laughing.

I struggle for a moment to get up, then realise I don’t want to. It’s too late, we are drenched and muddy anyway, there's no hurry. And Ewan is under me, happy and oh so beautiful. I grab his face in my hands and kiss him, swallowing his laugh. He tastes like rain and happiness. After a second, he kisses me back with fervour, and his lips and tongue feel so warm.

You’re fucking amazing, I want to say, but I can’t seem to stop kissing him long enough to utter words. He moans and shivers under me. My feet slide in the mud as I try to thrust between his legs. This is just silly but damn I can’t seem to stop and—

Thunder booms in the dark clouds, making us both jump out of our skins.

“Holy shit!” I pull Ewan to his feet and we both starts running downhill, laughing like mad men.

We reach the city in record time, drenched, dirty, and happy. The rare people still in the streets with umbrellas give us startled looks as we run past them. We stop at a convenience store on the way to the hostel to buy food, all the while apologising to the clerks for dripping water all over their floor.

We take our muddy shoes off just outside the hostel to avoid destroying the carpets, and Shirley laughs from her desk as she sees us.

“We’re cooking tonight!” I say.

“Great,” she shouts. “But don’t dirty my kitchen!”

“Yeah, yeah,” I throw over my shoulder.