I ended up sneaking one of my mom's old butler uniforms and a pair of shoes into the room for Miguel. He tied his hair back, and as he dressed, he moved even more gracefully than usual. I turned around to give him privacy, but when I peeked back at him…
The suit suited him. Pun intended. I snorted at my own joke and quickly covered my mouth.
He refused to wear the jacket and wouldn't tuck in his shirt. Left the top three buttons undone, too. At first I was disappointed, but with how he styled it, he didn't even look like he was wearing a uniform.
"So… how did this happen?" I asked.
Miguel gave me a squint, like my question didn't deserve an answer. "It's part of my agreement with Heaven."
"S-so... was it because we... um, had sex?" My face was burning.
Miguel nearly doubled over laughing. "Heaven's not exactly big on premarital sex, so no."
"Oh…" I stared at the floor as he rolled up his sleeves.
"Then why?" I pressed.
He leaned in close, his breath brushing my ear. "…I'll tell you after we repeat what happened last night… a few more times."
"N-no, wait—!" I squeaked. "Last night… y-you dulled my pain somehow, but… today I'm really sore. Like… it hurts just to sit down."
Miguel smirked. "Oh? Then I guess you're not that curious after all."
"I—!"
He pressed a finger gently against my lips. "When you're feeling more curious… let me know."
He was definitely different now—more expressive and sweeter. Was it because he was truly alive again?
"Lemon," he said suddenly, his voice dropping. "Just because I'm alive doesn't mean you're forgiven for killing me. There's still work to do."
His words hit like a slap, but I smiled anyway and nodded. "I know… of course."
He stared at me long enough for it to feel awkward. Then, finally, he smiled.
"You're too adorable sometimes." He pulled me in and kissed me, stealing the breath from my lungs. His lips were warmer now. No more cold. Just heat. "You smell nice… your lips taste sweet. All these new sensations… you're making it harder to resist you."
"Th-that's probably just my chapstick," I whispered, covering my mouth with both hands.
"I want to taste the other parts of you," he murmured.
My heart practically short-circuited. "W-we agreed to wait!—"
Before I could finish, he pushed me onto my back, capturing my mouth in another kiss.
And that was the exact moment my mother walked in.
"Sweetie, breakfast is re...ready—" she froze, eyes wide as she took in the scene. Miguel quickly rolled off me and sat calmly at the edge of the bed.
"Good morning, Mrs. Mitch—" he began, only to be cut off by her ear-splitting scream.
Later...
"Oh, so you're Lemiette's friend?" she asked once she'd recovered.
Miguel nodded, flashing his most charismatic smile. "I came by last night to see Lemon. She wanted to tell you, but you weren't home."
"You invited someone into my home without my permission?" she directed the accusation at me, and I shrank behind Miguel.
"Actually," Miguel interjected smoothly, "I came unannounced. She would've told you, but she mentioned you only have a landline. So we waited... and ended up falling asleep before you returned."
He wasn't wrong. And how did he even know about the house phone? Did he retain ghost knowledge?
"Oh… I see. That makes sense. I'm sorry I wasn't here to welcome you," Mom said, looking a bit embarrassed.
"It's fine. I understand you were busy," Miguel replied with a gentle smile that made her look ashamed—probably because she knew what kind of 'busy' she'd been.
"Is it okay if I stay until tomorrow and leave with Lemon?" he asked.
"Well… yes, that's fine. But no sleeping in the same room. Take your things to the guest room."
Miguel just smiled and didn't mention that he had no "things" at all.
"So… are you really just friends?" Mom turned to me.
"Um…" I hesitated. Last time I'd called him my boyfriend, he got snippy.
"I thought we were more than just friends," Miguel said in a mock-hurt voice. "It's sad you hesitate so much."
He was smirking like the little menace he is.
"We're dating. He's my boyfriend," I grumbled.
Mom's whole face lit up. "You've been hung up on that Jack guy for so long! I thought you'd never date again! I'm so glad to hear this! No wonder you've been looking so pretty—last time you visited you had dark circles and greasy hair—"
"Mom!" I cried, face flaming. Miguel just laughed.
Later, she grilled him about his background.
"Oh, so you're 23? What high school did you go to?"
"Envisage High School," he said with an easy smile.
What the hell?! I had to dig and spy to find that out!
"I promised to take Lemon shopping today," Miguel said suddenly, "Is it alright if we step out for a while? I won't keep her too long."
Mom sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Yeah, that's fine."
"Then let's go, Lemon." Miguel grabbed my wrist and tugged me out the door.
"W-wait! You're pulling too hard!"
He let go once we were outside and massaged his jaw.
"Ugh… smiling that much hurts."
"Then why do it?"
"I wanted to make a good impression on your mom," he replied nonchalantly.
My heart fluttered. "Why?"
Miguel gave me that look again. "Because you're my girlfriend, and I want your mom to like me."
I turned away, red as a tomato. "I thought that was just for show…"
He paused. "So… you'd give up your virginity to someone you didn't think was your boyfriend?"
"N-no! I mean—of course not! I just… didn't know you felt the same." I stared at the sidewalk.
"I do." He took my hand gently. "Is the shopping district close enough to walk, or should we call an Uber?"
"You really want to go shopping?"
"Well yeah. I have no clothes. And I need a phone. You can start paying off your debt by buying it for me."
How charming.
"It's a bit far. We should call an Uber," I muttered, pulling out my phone.