An Envious Shade Ch. 05
She reached to turn off the alarm before it had a chance to sound, then snuggled closer to Craig, breathing in his scent and basking in the warmth of his skin.
He let out a soft moan before his eyelids fluttered open and he smiled at her. "Good morning, baby," he murmured.
"Good morning," Celeste whispered back. She noticed that Craig immediately realized it was Celeste lying next to him, and not Alice. He no longer felt uncertainty, or fear of being tricked, for he could tell the two women apart now.
She slid her hand over his bare chest, then slipped her fingers beneath the sheet covering the lower half of his body. Craig moaned louder when Celeste stroked his erection. "Oh my, it does feel like a good morning!" she said with a grin.
Craig laughed low and soft. "Morning wood," he said. "I can't help it."
Celeste focused on the head of his erection, massaging his frenulum. Craig's breathing quickened, and she pressed her lips against his chest. "Well, you can help me by driving it deep inside me, Craig." Just speaking the words made her grow wet.
Craig didn't need to be told twice. Fully awake now, he slid on top of Celeste, and she hurriedly spread her legs wide. His stare was hot, locking with hers as he slid the tip of his penis between her inner lips. "God, I love how you get so wet, so fast," he said, his voice husky with arousal.
Then he entered her and thrust deep. Celeste couldn't suppress her cry as Craig let out a sigh of pleasure. For a long moment, he was completely still, reveling in the sensation while bracing himself on his hands, but when Celeste rhythmically clenched her muscles around him, he gasped and began taking her hard and fast.
As she wrapped her legs around his hips, Celeste marveled at how easily she and Craig moved together, as if they could intuit just what the other wanted and needed.
Their lovemaking grew wild and desperate, with Celeste clawing at Craig's back while he slammed into her with a ferocity that made her heavy breasts bounce. "Yes!" she wailed.
The headboard smacked against the wall, and Celeste shrieked, her eyes growing wide. Craig grinned, then leaned forward to give her neck a playful nip. "We're going to give Mrs. Miller and Thomas a run for their money," he growled.
"We shouldn't wake them," Celeste said through her moans, but she didn't want Craig to slow down. No, she wanted him to keep pumping away between her legs, taking her with a force that would leave her aching and thinking of him for the rest of the day.
"They've kept me awake plenty of nights," Craig replied, his voice strained. "Turnabout's fair play." With that, he thrust even harder so that the headboard slammed against the wall and the mattress springs squeaked in protest.
Celeste shook beneath him, already so close. "I bet Anna's listening right now," she panted, holding Craig's stare. "Do you think she's touching herself while listening to us, Craig?"
He let out a helpless whimper, obviously excited at the thought of being overheard. It excited Celeste as well, and she couldn't stop herself from continuing, though she knew Craig was right at the edge of his own climax. "Anna might be older, but she still gets so wet," she revealed.
Though the air of the room was cool, Craig was sweating, and he grunted with each thrust. "My God, Celeste, you're gonna make me come if you keep talking that way! I'm trying to last for you."
Celeste's thighs quivered as she worked herself into a frenzied state of ecstasy with the words she spoke, and from the sensation of Craig growing even harder inside her. "I bet Anna's imagining every inch of your gorgeous body," she said, her voice plaintive with need. "And right now, I'm thinking of how incredible it would be to sit on your face while I watch her ride you."
"Oh, fuck!" Craig roared, and the helpless look on his face as he came brought about Celeste's climax as well. She clung to him, shuddering and spasming, knowing he could feel each contraction while he remained buried deep inside her.
When he finally relaxed against her, totally spent, Celeste brushed his hair back from his face. "I'm pretty sure Anna and Thomas couldn't have slept through that," she said. "I hope we don't get a lecture over breakfast about being discreet."
Craig gathered Celeste's left breast in his palm and brought it to his mouth so he could swirl his tongue over her hard nipple. "We might have gotten a little carried away this time," he conceded.
"A little?" Celeste giggled. "The headboard probably left marks on the wall!"
Craig cupped a hand between her thighs. "Did I get too rough?" he asked, sounding worried.
"Not at all," she assured him. "I loved every minute of it. And I hope you didn't mind my dirty talk about Anna."
He raised his head to regard her. "Is it true, what you said? That you'd love to see her riding me?"
Celeste considered his question. "Not outside of my own fantasies," she finally admitted. "I mean, I know you and I aren't exclusive, but if I'm being honest, it would bother me if you and Anna began sleeping together. It bothered me to know you were with another woman the night before last."
Craig stroked her cheek. "And what about you and Thomas?"
Celeste sighed, feeling utterly conflicted. "When Alice was in control, she was with Anna and Thomas at the same time. It felt to her, and to me, like she was invited into their sexual relationship. So it's not as if Alice ever had Thomas all to herself. Yet neither Thomas nor Anna seem to be the jealous type." Celeste hesitated, wondering if she should reveal anything else to Craig, then reluctantly continued. "Yesterday, Thomas made it clear that he's fine with pursuing a relationship separate from Anna, and I think Anna would be fine with that, too..."
"But I'm not," Craig said. He set his jaw in a determined line. "I'm not fine with you and Thomas sleeping together, just like you wouldn't be okay with me and Mrs. Miller sleeping together."
"Maybe we're getting a little ahead of ourselves--" Celeste started to protest.
Craig slid off of her and then sat up in the bed. "Are we? I think this is something we need to talk about."
Celeste sat up as well, not bothering to cover herself with the sheet. "Fine. Are you telling me you won't be sleeping with any college girls from now on?"
His eyes locked with hers. "That's exactly what I'm telling you."
She reached for his hand, and he interlaced his fingers with hers. "So you do want us to be exclusive."
"That's what I've wanted since I asked you out on Saturday, Celeste," Craig replied, his eyes full of tenderness.
"But I could be stuck with Alice forever!" Celeste cried. "You can't commit to someone who is possessed by a ghost!" Her voice shattered as she spoke that last word, and despair threatened to overwhelm her once more.
Craig drew her into an embrace. "I'm going to get in touch with one of my former professors today," he said. "I saw him in town just last week, so he hasn't taken off for the summer. Anyway, he taught a course I took on world religions, and after class, he and I would often have some cool philosophical discussions. So I was thinking that if I explained your situation to him--while keeping you anonymous, of course--he might have some suggestions as to what to do."
Celeste couldn't afford to get her hopes up, but she hugged Craig tight. "I really appreciate that, Craig. He's probably going to tell you that I need to spend some time in a mental institution, though."
"Nah, he's open-minded about this kind of stuff," Craig assured her. "I was always the skeptical one in our talks." He lifted her chin so he could plant a kiss on her lips. "I promised you I'll do whatever I can to help, and I meant that."
Without warning, her eyes filled with tears. "And I promise you that while I'm in control of my body and have any choice at all in the matter, I won't get sexually involved with Thomas or Anna. I want to give you and me a chance."
Craig smiled. "I'm thrilled to hear you say that, Celeste."
They shared one more kiss before reluctantly leaving the bed. Once Celeste peeked out into the hallway and found it empty, she grinned over her shoulder at Craig. "Coast is clear. I'm going to take a shower."
"I could join you," Craig offered with a wink. "That would free up the men's bathroom for Thomas to get ready."
"I'm pretty sure Anna would draw the line at you using the women's bathroom," Celeste said. "And since you don't need to be anywhere early this morning, how about cutting Thomas some slack and letting him get ready first?" Craig scowled at her suggestion. "Hey, you can trust me around Thomas, okay?" she persisted.
"Yeah, but I can't trust him around you," Craig grumbled.
"The four of us have to live together in this house," she reminded him. "If you and Thomas are at each other's throats, that's not going to be possible."
Craig sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, fine. For you, I will try to tolerate him. Emphasis on the word 'try.'"
"Thank you," she said with a sweet smile, then slipped out of the room.
As Celeste got ready for her day, she found herself thinking of Craig's plan to get in touch with his college professor. Could the man actually have knowledge that might help her? Did anyone, even an open-minded Religion professor, still believe in spirit possession?
"It couldn't hurt for Craig to talk to him," she told herself while running a comb through her wet hair.
As she dressed in her room, she realized she was avoiding looking in the mirror for fear that Alice's reflection would be waiting for her. She found it strange, even unsettling, that Alice had accepted defeat at Craig's hands the night before. That could only mean the spirit was preparing herself for a future battle, and Celeste knew she would be the one caught in Alice's crosshairs.
At breakfast that morning, Craig's expression darkened when he entered the dining room and found Thomas sitting next to Celeste. Celeste gave Craig a helpless look; after all, she and Thomas had sat beside each other at the table for years.
Anna, meanwhile, looked from Craig to Celeste. "Did everyone sleep well?" she asked, and while her voice was pleasant enough, Celeste knew the woman's question had a double meaning.
"Very well," Celeste replied brightly.
"You were up awfully early, though," Thomas commented with a wry smile.
Craig opened his mouth to speak, but Celeste shot him a warning look. "Craig and I apologize if we were too loud," she said to Anna and Thomas. It wouldn't do any good, she told herself, to keep sneaking around, pretending she and Craig weren't sleeping together. "We promise to be more considerate in the future."
Anna smiled and placed her napkin in her lap. "As will Thomas and I," she said. "I understand that we've been a bit noisy in the past."
Craig looked over at Celeste, his eyes wide. She had to avert her gaze in order to hide her grin. So it was all out in the open now, she thought. Thomas and Anna would no longer hide their relationship, and Celeste and Craig could be honest about theirs as well. The realization filled her with relief.
* * *
Celeste's day dragged by, and she found herself glancing at the clock every few minutes. She was anxious to get back home and find out if Craig had been able to meet with his professor.
When she left the library at five, she was surprised to find Craig waiting for her. She smiled as soon as she saw him. "Craig, what are you doing here?" she asked as she drew closer. Then her smile faded. "Is something wrong? What's happened?"
"Nothing's wrong," he assured her, then moved to slip an arm around her waist. "I just have good news."
She looked up at him expectantly. "I am in desperate need of good news right now."
"Well, I gave my former professor a call this morning," Craig said. "We met up for lunch, and after I explained your situation to him, he said that he knows a guy who's a... what did he call him? A clairvoyant medium. Anyway, this guy can apparently communicate with spirits. He's across the country right now, but my professor managed to reach him by phone, and he knows of a method that might work to cast out Alice. Forever."
Celeste stopped on the sidewalk and turned to Craig. Her heart was beating faster
as she grabbed his hand. "What do we need to do?" she demanded.
Craig started to speak, then looked around them and shook his head. "Let's talk about this in my car, where no one else can hear. You might trust Alice to behave herself while you're in public, but I don't. Especially when she realizes what we plan to do."
Once they were in Craig's Chevette, which was parked in the shade, they rolled the windows down to let in a breeze. Craig turned to face her, his dark eyes filled with excitement. Then a frown shadowed his face.
"Do you sense Alice around right now?" he asked in a low voice. "I mean, we know she's listening to us, but can you feel her presence?"
Celeste was quiet a moment, considering his question, then she shook her head. "I haven't since last night, when you forced her to give up control of me."
Craig took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Celeste, we're going to have to return to Alice's old house," he began. She opened her mouth, ready to protest; the thought of going back to that place filled her with a sickening dread. But Craig hurried on before she could speak. "The medium said we need to take her brooch with us, and we need to place it on her gravesite."
As soon as he uttered the words, Celeste began shaking violently, almost as if she were having a seizure. She heard Craig call her name in panic, but she couldn't respond. Slumping back against the seat, her head lolled, and she felt Alice struggling to wrest control from her.
"I can't fight her off," Celeste managed to murmur.
Craig grasped Celeste's shoulders. "Stay with me!" he cried. "Don't give her control!"
Celeste grew suddenly still, her eyes wide. She blinked at Craig and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Alice is here," she said, her breaths coming hard and fast. "Oh, God, we're both here, both present... two spirits in one body, just like we are in my room, when she appears in the mirror and forces me to surrender to her!"
Craig struggled to hide his alarm, though Celeste could sense him shaking. "Alice," he said slowly, "you're breaking your promise to Celeste. You vowed you would never try to take control while she's outside of Mrs. Miller's house."
A sob escaped Celeste's lips, and tears began streaming down her cheeks. "That was before you found a way to banish me!" she wailed. The voice speaking the words was Celeste's, but it wasn't her mind, her will, making her talk. It was Alice's.
Craig tried to touch her face, but Celeste, or Alice, rather, pulled away from him. "I'm sorry I was too greedy in wanting to live again," she said, "and to experience new things. I know I hurt Celeste, and I made her afraid. I'm sorry I was selfish."
Celeste listened to the words falling from her lips, though she fought against Alice's presence. "Oh, now you're sorry, Alice!" she hissed. "Now that we've learned how to get rid of you forever!"
She must have looked crazy, she realized, talking to herself with her expression alternating between despair and rage. Luckily no one was near Craig's car, and he understood perfectly well what was going on.
"Don't argue with her," Craig urged Celeste. "Don't give her any opportunity to take over."
Celeste nodded, knowing he was right. Now that Alice was here, it would be an exhausting struggle to attempt to repel her. And Celeste felt she needed to save all her strength for what might lie ahead.
"How do we manage to find Alice's grave?" she murmured, already feeling fatigued. "We have no idea where she's buried, and she sure as hell isn't going to tell us."
Craig stared out the windshield, deep in thought. "I wonder if she's buried right there on that property," he finally said.
Celeste's eyes flew open wide, and she grabbed his hand. "You're probably right," she said, even as she sensed Alice railing against her, trying desperately to stop her and Craig. "She owned that nice brooch, but it had belonged to her grandmother. Alice said her father was poor; he had planned to sell that brooch to get money for booze. When Alice died, her father most likely couldn't have afforded to have her buried in a cemetery. Her grave is probably somewhere near that house."
Craig started the car. "We'll go back to Mrs. Miller's, and I'll run up to your room and get the brooch. Then we'll head out to that house. According to the medium, while Alice's spirit might be determined not to take the brooch back, she can't refuse it if we leave it on her final resting place."
"No!" Alice wailed through Celeste. "Please, I promise I will never harm Celeste again. I swear it to both of you! If you'll just let me live, even a little longer, I will remain in the background, never, ever interfering in Celeste's life..."
Craig set his jaw in a grim line as he drove out of the library parking lot. "As if we could ever trust you, Alice! As if Celeste wants some spirit hanging around her for the rest of her life. Do you know the damage you've done to her?" His voice shook with rage.
Celeste writhed as if in pain, straining against her seatbelt. "I never wanted to hurt her," Alice whispered. "I had to, in order to take control, but I hoped she would take pity on me, and eventually come to accept me. I would have let you two fall in love and be together. I promise I would have!"
"That's bullshit!" Craig slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "You're a wicked creature, Alice. Pure evil! Don't you remember all the things you said last night, when you had control of Celeste? You threatened to try to have me evicted. You talked about what a great fuck Thomas is, and you sure as hell can't convince me that you weren't planning to have sex with him again!"
Celeste grew still, observing Craig's fury while feeling Alice's distress. She felt torn in two, being pulled in opposite directions by the man she cared for, and by the ghost who needed her in order to continue existing.
"You're right," Alice finally whispered. "I am wicked. If my mother could see me now, she would be so ashamed of me. She tried to raise me to be a good and honest woman, and while I was alive, I wanted to be just that. I really did. But somehow, after spending almost fifty years alone in that house... I changed. I shouldn't have made the choice to stay here, lingering in this world, when my body failed me."
Neither Alice nor Celeste said anything more as Craig neared Anna's house, and when he pulled into the drive, his face was filled with worry. "Will you be okay out here while I run upstairs to your room and get the brooch?" he asked Celeste.
She nodded. "I don't think Alice wants to hurt me." When she saw the skepticism darkening Craig's eyes, she placed a hand on his arm, trying to reassure him. "I really don't think she means me harm anymore. I'll be okay."
After Craig left the car, practically sprinting toward the house, Celeste took several steadying breaths. Then she worked up the nerve to peer into the car's side mirror.
Alice's reflection greeted her there. Her face, always pale, was now ashen, and her eyes were wide with terror. Yet as Celeste regarded the spirit, she thought she detected a sense of resignation about her, as if Alice was surrendering to the fate that awaited her.
"I'm sorry," Alice said in the mirror. "You have every right to hate me, Celeste. And I know now that I don't belong here. I'm scared of what will await me once I leave this world, but I promise I won't fight you any longer."r"
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