GENRE: Gay Paranormal Romance
LENGTH: 6,059 words
RATING:

When heartbroken Lyle and his best (and very pregnant) friend Delia hang out one afternoon, Lyle realizes he's not fully himself. Sure, he's still hurting over his boyfriend's Chris abandonment, and from the non-stop chubby jokes he's grown up with, but there is something more to his sudden chest pain, his random forgetfulness, and his sudden cravings for all things marshmallow. He's not Lyle at all, but Cassandra, the ghost of a teenage girl who is also heartbroken.

With the help of his best friend Delia, and her ever-trusty midwife Hazel, both Lyle and Cassandra must learn how to mend their broken hearts if they ever want to be un-haunted again.

EXCERPT:

When Delia arrived at Lyle's place, it was at the same moment that one of his many Amazon purchases had also arrived. He answered the door buzz with a delightful feeling of excitement in his stomach, one that he'd not felt since the early days of any relationship he'd ever had. He was downright giddy.

Probably those marshmallows, he thought. Just the multicolored bits of heaven making him feel the best he had in years.

"It's D," Delia said into the speaker, though she'd texted not five minutes earlier. "And I have a surprise for you."

"It better be my Amazon packages."

"Of course," she added. "Though I am indisposed and will need your big strong burly arms to help me carry all of this."

Lyle let out a low giggle -- yes, a giggle -- which even Delia seemed surprised by. He took the elevator down and soon met his best friend, and now six months pregnant woman, in the lobby of his building. They hugged, both of their bellies getting in the way.

"I love this," she said, and rubbed his stomach. "I get to return the favor. You know how many people do this to me now? Without even asking! The bus ride over here was murder."

"Tell 'em to keep their hands off." Lyle demonstrated a jujitsu move that he didn't know the name for. Yet, there was a delicate grace to his hands as he made the motions.

"Huh." Delia regarded Lyle from head to foot. "I think living alone is doing wonders for you. Love what you're doing with your hair."

"My hair?" Lyle eyed his reflection on the mirrored entrance way for his building. While his normal style was a kind of anti-style -- why bother getting dressed up when no one had clothing in your size, other than campy T-shirts for his favorite horror films? -- his hair suddenly possessed something more than bed-head. There were curls, downright curls, over his ears and his normal blonde mane seemed more strawberry in color.

Delia leaned close and touched the hair, as if confirming it was real. "And this!" she said, gesturing to the necklace he wore underneath his Shining T-shirt and half-buried by chest hair. "When did you get into astrology? And aren't you a Pisces and not a Libra?"

"I am. I just ... thought it looked good." Lyle grabbed the remaining packages that bore his unit number in the front hallway. There was a smaller one, most likely containing the marshmallows since they had not yet arrived, and a larger one that had his chair. All other items had come -- including the necklace he'd purchased as an impulse the day before. "I don't know why I wanted it," he explained when they were in the elevator and Delia was still staring at it. "I think it's good for healing or something."

"Hmm. Libra do tend to be devoted to beauty and justice. Dated one once, she was kind, but flakey."

"I'm not flakey," Lyle said, getting defensive though he didn't know why. "Just different, I guess."

"I know, don't worry. I like the new Lyle." Delia grinned and touched his shoulder in a kind manner. "Just don't change too much on me too fast, okay?"