The Return of the Ghost

(Real Birds Sing: Heartbeats is a continuation of the novella Real Birds Sing: A Story About Love and Fear, available on Amazon. Ghostwriter Lea McIntyre’s life takes an unexpected turn when musician Jacob Bailey asks her to write his memoir. As their bond deepens, Jacob helps Lea confront her fears, teaching her about love, self-discovery, and the courage to embrace the future. This series explores Lea’s emotional journey as she navigates romance, personal growth, and the echoes of her past.

Genre: Romance | Contemporary | Drama )

Mornings are once again entirely mine. They belong to the peaceful moments where I feel Jacob’s music softly play in the background, and it fills the gaps I didn’t even know existed. He has a way of grounding me and causes the chaos in my head to seem almost insignificant. It’s been ages since I felt this kind of calm. My life isn’t perfect, but it’s… enough. I came to California to help Jacob lighten the heavy burden he’s carried for so long, yet somehow he ends up lightening my load too.

I feel almost selfish for this. But maybe it does him good to rescue someone; perhaps it helps him forget the things he couldn’t do for his mother. I don’t mean to psychoanalyze him; it’s just a thought. I’d like to bring the focus back to his story, to remind him why I’m here, but I can’t help but notice how peaceful he seems. That would be selfish of me, wouldn’t it?

Jacob knows me well. He senses when I need quiet and when I need to talk. With him, I finally feel I’ve found a balance between the noise of my thoughts and the peace I’ve searched for. I never imagined it could feel this easy: so simple, so effortless. It feels like everything we’ve shared so far enhances every moment we have together.

We understand each other deeply, and he makes me feel special. I’ve mentioned before how easily I fall in love, but that’s because my heart is full of things to express and share. His love, whatever form it takes, gives me the freedom to stay connected to my dreams and ambitions.

Fear has slowly transformed within me, almost like he’s given me wings. Maybe it’s the music, or perhaps it’s just him. My coach used to say that the balance between love and fear holds vital importance for personal growth. Love encourages us to embrace change, while fear often holds us back. It’s a sweet dance.

I’ve learned that stepping out of my comfort zone can scare me, but with Jacob by my side, it feels a little less daunting. Transforming my fear into love gives me energy and propels me forward. This journey helps me see fear not as an obstacle but as a stepping stone toward something beautiful. With Jacob, I’m beginning to understand that love serves as a path to discovering who I truly am.

I realize that the power of love to diminish fear rests in the emotional connections we create. Love establishes a safe space that enables us to confront our deepest anxieties. This transformative power thrives in small, everyday acts that provide comfort and reassurance. Yes, with Jacob’s support, I feel secure. This sense of security helps me face fears that once felt insurmountable. Together, we build a foundation of trust and empathy. I find the courage to tackle challenges that once overwhelmed me.

Before meeting Jacob, I lived in a state of comfort mixed with constant doubt, always searching for something I couldn’t quite define. I had spent years in New York, content but uncertain, chasing a dream, or perhaps something I wasn’t even sure was right for me. I thought the chaos was necessary, that it was the only way to grow. But now… now, I’ve discovered a different kind of growth, one that’s soft and gentle. With Jacob, I don’t have to fight to feel alive. He quiets my storms, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I can breathe without worrying about what’s next.

Looking out at the stunning view from this apartment, the one Jacob so carefully chose for my comfort, I feel incredibly spoiled. Me, who didn’t even want to take this contract in the first place, now find myself living one of the best moments of my life. Gina was right to push me to come here. I lack nothing, and inspiration seems to flow effortlessly, far from the doubts and fear I used to carry. I smile to myself, like a teenager experiencing her first love. It’s ridiculous.

But just as I’m about to let myself sink into the peace of the moment, my phone buzzes on the kitchen counter. At first, I ignore it, lost in the steady rhythm of Jacob’s guitar playing softly from the other room. But something tells me to look, a small, nagging instinct I can’t ignore. I glance at the screen and feel my breath catch in my throat.

Stephen.

His name flashes across my screen, and for a moment, I feel like I’m drowning. Stephen? After all this time?

I stare at the name for what feels like an eternity. My mind races, trying to understand how Stephen would even reach out now, after disappearing without a trace. Wait… how does he even know where I am? How does he know I’m in California? My first instinct is to delete the message, to erase his name from my life as easily as he had erased me from his. But I can’t. My fingers hover over the screen, frozen. What is he doing? Why now? How did he even find me here?

A part of me, a part I’m ashamed to acknowledge, still wants answers. Yes, it seems that I still want closure. Really, Lea? Can you believe that? Just a few minutes ago, you were basking in the happiness of being here in Los Angeles, and now here you are, reconnecting with the past? A past, by the way, that left no trace or sign of life behind. How did he even know I’d be here? What am I doing?

Before I can stop myself, I swipe open the message:

Lea, I know it’s been a long time. There’s something we need to talk about. I’m in Los Angeles for a few days, meet me tomorrow? Please.

“Excuse me? What does he want now?” I think, frustration bubbling up. How did he find me here? Did he track me down? My heart pounds in my chest. The words are simple, but the emotions they stir up are anything but. I don’t owe him anything. In fact, he doesn’t deserve an explanation. How dare he just pop back into my life like this? He ghosted me, vanished without a word, and now he wants to talk? And what, he just expects me to meet him?

But a small voice in the back of my mind whispers: What if?

No, Lea, stop. You are with someone right now. Okay, Jacob may not be your boyfriend, but he’s a friend, a very close friend, a client… a friend, and a companion in your best moments right now. Why would you risk ruining that?

But… what if this is the closure I need? What if meeting him helps me finally put the past behind me? What if that’s all it is?

But at what cost? The life I have now—Jacob, the peace we’ve built—it feels fragile, as if Stephen’s mere presence could shatter it all. I think about Jacob, still in the other room, playing music like he always does when he senses I need space. He trusts me, and I’ve never given him a reason to question that trust. But Stephen…

I close my eyes, trying to push away the flood of memories. Stephen and I had been a whirlwind, chaotic and consuming. And how did he even find me? He knew how to make me feel alive, but he also knew how to tear me down. The highs with him were euphoric, but the lows, they nearly destroyed me. And then, without warning, he was gone. No goodbye, no explanation. Nothing but silence. So why now? Why after all this time?

Tomorrow? Really? I think, angry that he has the audacity to assume I’d be available, as if nothing has changed. And what’s with this casual meet me tomorrow? Like he never disappeared? Like I’m just supposed to drop everything? But everything has changed. I’m not the same woman he left behind.

I lock my phone and stand up, pacing the room as if movement might help clear my mind. The view outside no longer looks as peaceful as it did moments ago. Instead, the horizon seems distant, unreachable, like a reflection of how I feel, caught between two lives, two versions of myself.

Jacob’s soft voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

“Everything alright?”

I turn to see him standing in the doorway, concern etched on his face. His presence is steady, comforting, the complete opposite of the storm Stephen always seemed to bring. I want to tell him everything, but something holds me back. Maybe it’s the fear of disrupting this balance we’ve created, or maybe it’s because, deep down, I’m not ready to let go of the part of me that Stephen still holds. And how would I even explain that? That this man who ghosted me somehow tracked me down here in California?

“I’m fine,” I say, forcing a smile. But I know he doesn’t believe me. I barely believe myself.

Jacob walks over to me, placing his guitar on the couch.

“You sure? You’ve been quiet all morning.”

I hesitate, biting my lip as I weigh my options. Do I tell him about Stephen? About the message that’s thrown my entire morning into chaos? Or do I pretend it never happened, hoping that ignoring it will make the problem go away?

But problems like Stephen don’t just disappear. They linger, like ghosts haunting the edges of your life, waiting for the right moment to reappear.

“Just… thinking,” I finally say, looking down at my hands. It’s not a lie, but it’s not the truth either.

Jacob studies me for a moment, his brow furrowed in concern. He opens his mouth as if to say something but decides against it. Instead, he pulls me into a gentle embrace. His warmth is reassuring, and for a moment, I allow myself to melt into his arms, to forget about the message waiting on my phone.

But it doesn’t last.

I give him a small kiss on the cheek before making an excuse about needing some air. Grabbing my jacket, I step out onto the balcony, letting the cool breeze wash over me. It doesn’t take away the tension in my chest, but it gives me space to think. To breathe.

I lean against the railing, again completely lost, when something catches my eye. A robin perches on the edge of the balcony, its chest a familiar shade of red, so out of place here in Los Angeles, but somehow… fitting. I freeze, stunned to see it. Of all places, why here? The last time I saw a robin like this, it was during a moment that marked a turning point in my life. As if this bird knows something I don’t, like it’s trying to tell me something now, too.

The robin looks at me for a long second before it flutters away, disappearing into the fading sky. I stare after it, my mind swirling. How strange to see it again. It moves so freely, while I stand here, rooted in the confusion of my past and present. I envy its certainty, its ease.

I pull out my phone again, staring at the message from Stephen. How did he even know I was here? Why now? My thumb hovers over the keyboard, the urge to respond growing stronger with each passing second. But what would I even say?

Fine, let’s meet tomorrow. But don’t expect me to be the same person you left behind.

I want to be strong, to show him that I’ve moved on. But the truth is, I’m not sure if I have.

Before I can second-guess myself, I type out a reply.

Stephen, I’m not sure this is a good idea. It’s been years. What could you possibly have to say to me now?

I hit send, my heart pounding as the message is delivered. Part of me feels relief, at least I didn’t agree to meet him right away. But another part of me is terrified. What if he responds? What if he doesn’t? And how did he find me?

I stare at the sky, watching as the sun begins to dip below the horizon, and for a moment, I let myself be distracted by its beauty. But even the sunset can’t chase away the thoughts swirling in my head.

Jacob and I have built a friendship that feels stable and secure, two people who understand each other’s burdens. He’s helped me carry mine, just as I’ve tried to ease his. Stephen’s message has stirred up something different, something I thought I had buried long ago. Now, I’m not sure what’s more terrifying—facing Stephen, or facing the part of myself that still remembers how it felt to love him…And how he found me.