Making sure not to ruin the restriction tapes, I entered his apartment and locked the door behind me.

The blinders on the windows were down. Even so, the morning sunlight illuminated the apartment. His living room was neat and not even a thing was out of place. The walls were painted blue with a darker combination of furniture. Paintings of flowers, sceneries, and mythical creators on the walls, and the shelves were filled with books.

“That’s a lot of books,” I observed the apartment. “Didn’t imagine you to be a geek.” I snorted as I picked a book from the table.

Good thing I wore gloves so I won’t be leaving any fingers prints.

“Is it a problem if I turned out to be a nerd?” He asked, and I raised my brow at him.

“No... You can be whatever you want. I’m just...” I shrugged. “Shocked.”

He gazed at me and something about it told me he was bothered, but by what... I didn’t know.

I scrutinized the book in my hand and the others on the table and shelves.

“All the books are related to mythology,” I mumbled, running my fingers through the firebird made over it.

“Guess I’m into myths.” He murmured.

“You know...” I remembered the first time I met him. “You called me Phoenix when we first met.”

“Why?” He frowned, and I gave him a shrug, putting the book back in its place.

“I have no idea.”

“Maybe because you’re a redhead?”

“You also said that I looked familiar.” I chuckled. “It was a lame pickup line, but it got me hooked.”

“Then what happened?”

I told him about our first interaction as I looked around the apartment. There was a bedroom with a Queen size bed and I ran through all the possible things I could have done on it with him, but I shook my head and ignored my horny thoughts.

I went to the cabinets and his walk-in closets and searched them for anything that I could use, but found nothing. Though I got a glimpse of how he dressed. Since I met him and he became a ghost, he’s always been in the same clothes, but no doubt the dude got great fashion sense.

The kitchen was empty as well. There weren’t many things there. It was like a normal guy’s house, but there were no clues about his family or anything.

I came back to the living room and saw him staring at a painting placed on one shelf on the wall. Standing beside him, I tilted my head and scrutinized it.

It was a picture of a Phoenix emerging from the water.

“This painting is giving me a weird feeling.” He mumbled.

“In what sense?”

“I don’t know...” He rubbed his chin as his calculated eyes darted over the painting and the seriousness on his face.

F**k he looks hot!

Clearing my throat, I turned my attention towards the painting and got on my toes to reach it since it was on the above shelf. I stretched my fingers but still couldn’t reach it. My foot slipped, and I grabbed the shelf to balance myself, knocking on the picture.

I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for it to fall on the floor, but heard nothing. Peeking through my eyes, I saw Finlay extending his hand as he lifted the picture in the air.

“I’m getting the hang of this.” He gave a cocky smirk, making me roll my eyes.

“Put it back then.” He moved his hand, and the picture followed it to the shelf.

He was about to place it, but something shined behind it.

“Wait...” I stopped him and looked at the object. “There is a box behind the picture.”

I tried to reach it but huffed when I couldn’t. Thinking of getting a chair or table, I looked around, but Finlay stopped me.

He moved his other hand, and the box floated in the air and came in front of me. I grabbed it and walked to the table nearby while he placed the picture back.

I tilted my head as I observed the ancient wooden box with a flower pattern carved over it.

“What is it?” Finlay asked, standing beside me.

“The reason for your weird feeling.”

I examined the box and saw a Four-digit wheel lock on it.

“Do you know the code?” I asked him and he scratched his head.

I sighed, knowing he remembered nothing, and sat on my knees on the floor. I tried different random combinations but nothing word.

“Seriously?” He scoffed when I selected six and nine two times. “That’s the best you got?”

“You’re a guy...” I said in a duh tone. “Worth trying.”

He shook his head at me, and I stuck my tongue, making him chuckle.

“Come on, Fin.” I groaned, giving up on the combinations. “Not even a clue?”

“I’m trying to think...” He mumbled, still staring at the Phoenix picture. “Nineteen ninety-seven.”

“That’s very specific.” I raised my brow at him and selected the codes.

The box made a sound and opened with a pop. My eyes widened, and I stared at Finlay.

“How did-“

“Don’t ask me.” He shrugged. “I just had a feeling.”

“Whatever... At least we got it open.” I mumbled and opened the lid.

There was a picture frame that caught my eye first. In it was a young boy and a woman grinning at the camera. Both shared the same ocean blue eyes. The women had dark brown hair while the boys were of a lighter shade.

“That’s me...” Finlay crouched beside me. “And...”

“Your mother.” I guessed.

Oddly, they looked familiar to me even though I never met him or his mother before.

I placed the picture on the table and looked at the other things. There were a few envelopes. I picked them out and read them.

“Dear Aurora Reed... That must be your mother.” I mumbled, and he nodded.

Turned out it was a love letter from someone named Fergus.

“Who is this guy?” I tilted my head.

“He’s my father.” My head snapped towards him.

“How do you know?”

“That name reminded me.” He blinked. “Read the letters.”

“Alright...” I took the letters and read them.

There wasn’t any information in the letter except that his father was madly in love with her and they met at New York University.

“It’s cute that your father wrote your mother letters even though they lived only a few dorms away...” I folded the letters back. “The letters stopped when he asked your mother to go to Scotland with him when she got pregnant and I assumed she went since you were born there. But I don’t get one thing...”

“What?”

“Your mother is obviously unmarried by this, and her surname is Reed. So the question is, why do you have your mother’s surname?”

“I wish I could remember it.” His brows knitted as he tried to concentrate.

“Your father didn’t use his in these letters, so all we got is Fergus from Scotland.” I sighed, placing the letters back. “And why in the world do you have your mother’s love letters?”

Searching for something else, I saw a blue velvet box and took it out. A gasp let out my lips when I saw a gorgeous ring in it.

“The f**k.” I examined it.

The princess cut diamond shined on a gold band. I didn't know about the carat, but I could tell it was f**king expensive.

“Try it on.” My head whirled towards Finlay, and I saw him grinning.

“What? I-I can’t-“

“You know you want to.”

“I do, but we don’t know who this belong-“

“It’s in my stuff, which means I’m the owner.” He winked. “And I want you to try it.”

I bit my lip in excitement and was thrilled to try something so expensive. It fitted perfectly on my ring finger and I couldn’t control my grin.

“It’s magnificent,” I murmured and showed it to Finlay. “See!”

“It looks beautiful on you.” He gazed at me and my heart skip a beat.

We both stared at each other when we heard something and turned our heads towards the main door. The knob moved and my eyes widened in horror.

“Someone is coming,” Finlay whispered, making me gulp.

F**k!

• • • • •

A/N

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