Ghost of You

My life before Jaden was ordinary, almost as if I was living in grey. I noticed the color around me but it all seemed very dull. The night I met Jaden at concert he preformed at my life felt like it exploded in color and happiness, I had never felt a love like I had with him. My life after Jaden's accident became much darker than before I had met him. I thought we had forever, but time was a thief. I thought I had lost him until I laid down to take a nap, and as i drifted off to sleep I saw Jaden sitting next to me on the balcony of our hotel room in Hawaii sipping on coffee and smiling as he looked out at the sunrise. That was the day I discovered our love continued on in a parallel universe.

****

"News just in Jaden Xander lead singer of the up and coming rock band 'The Stage Unborn' passed away this morning due to fatal injuries from a helicopter crash while vacationing in Hawaii. We are told his girlfriend Ophelia traveled back home the day before and wasn't involved in the accident."

I stood there in the middle of the coffee shop frozen staring at the TV screen as the news anchor revealed the news I so desperately wish I would have found out privately. My mind began to race, there was no way that he died I had just spoken to him last night he was perfectly healthy. Why was he in a helicopter? I ran out of the coffeeshop without even getting my drink. Our apartment was a block away and I ran all the way there slamming the door shut after I got inside.

I looked around for Jaden, hoping that somehow the news was a fluke or that I was being Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher. When I realized that neither of those things were true and Jaden was gone I began to sob uncontrollably. I laid down on his side of the bed hugging his pillow that still smelled like him as I cried. After an hour went by I calmed down a little, the tears had stopped momentarily. I kept replaying our last moments, the hugs the kisses the laughs until I finally drifted off to sleep.

****

A Hawaiian sunrise is like no other I had ever seen before, it was a mix of pinks and purples something out of a fantasy novel. I sat out on the balcony of our 26th floor hotel room, iced coffee in hand staring out at the beautiful masterpiece in front of me. Something about this felt so familiar as if I had already lived this day already. Before i could continue pondering the idea I hear the slider open behind me and I looked over my shoulder to seen Jaden stepping on to the balcony with is cup of coffee taking the seat next to me. Odd he was wearing the same Stage Unborn band tee and grey sweatpants I had seen him in the morning I left to come home. That was when I started to remember that he had been in an accident and that this could be nothing more than a dream.

"Jaden?" I say cautiously, scared he won't answer.

"Good morning my love." he said smiling at me, taking a sip of coffee and looking out at the sunrise with a smile.

"I can't believe I am here with you, I heard one the news that you were in a helicopter accident this morning and you died." I say my voice cracking as I am on the verge of tears.

He looks over at me with his deep brown eyes, still with a smile but there was sadness in his eyes.

"I was, but I exist here now in this parallel universe, our parallel universe. I remember us talking about when we first met how if anything ever happened to us we hoped we could meet in another universe and continue our love story. Well I guess i beat you here." He said, chuckling a little but his eyes still locked with mine.

"You didn't have to rush here we were supposed to have more time! I love you Jaden and I always will. You were the first person to ever show me tru happiness. I don't want to wake up I don't want to leave you here alone."

"I love you to Ophelia you will forever be the love of my life. And I won't ever be alone, you'll always be with me. You'll come to visit me here. I'll be okay."

He leaned over the table and softly kissed my lips, it felt so real. Tears began to fall down my cheeks and he slowly started to fade away along with the sunset and soon everything was black.

*****

I woke up gasping for air. I looked around my apartment lost, feeling as though I had been transported back by a spaceship not waking from a dream. I looked to my side and seen Jadens band tee, a duplicate of the one he wore the last time I saw him. I hadn't remembered it being there when I had fallen asleep. I grabbed the tee and brought it to my nose, savoring the scent of sandalwood and mint his signature smell. This was my sign from Jaden that he was still here with me in someway. I sat the shirt back on the bed, made myself and iced coffee and sat out on our patio to watch the sunset. I looked out at the sky as I took a sip of my coffee hoping that Jaden was looking at the same sunset as he drank his evening coffee in the parallel waiting for me to visit so we could live out our happily ever after.