Chapter THREE
I woke the next morning and felt the still warm sheets next to me. As I glanced around the room, I saw Alex standing by the window, his hands braced against its frame.
I sat there watching him for a while. His wings were out, trailing down to the ground, the light reflecting off of them where it came through the slats of the blinds. His entire frame trembled slightly, all of the muscles in his body taught and strained. His breathing came in slow, labored draws.
Careful not to make any sounds, I slid off the bed and walked up behind him. I gently placed a hand on his arm. His eyes jumped to my face, a gasp filling his throat. He turned slightly, grabbing my forearms. His fingers gripped me so tightly my skin started turning white. His eyes squeezed closed, his breath continuing to come with labored effort.
“Stay with me, Alex,” I said quietly, squeezing his forearms. “Concentrate on me. You aren’t leaving me. Not now, not ever.”
“I…” he gasped. He squeezed me harder. “I’m… not… leaving.”
Very slowly, his body stopped shaking, his grip loosened. And then he collapsed to his hands and knees, half taking me down with him. I kneeled next to him, laying my hand on his back, fighting back the fear that wanted to consume me.
“It’s getting stronger, isn’t it?” I asked.
Alex only nodded.
“We’re going to figure this out,” I faked calm. “I’m not going to let them take you from me.”
Alex didn’t say anything, just nodded as he pulled himself to his feet. I stood as well, meeting his eyes, everything in me suddenly wishing they were still blue.
“Jessica?” Amber’s voice floated down the stairs.
“Coming,” I called back. I held Alex’s eyes for another long moment before stepping out the door.
Somehow I had to figure out how to stop this. But how did you stop a dead man from joining the afterlife? It was going to take more than simply loving Alex to save him.
“I think I’ve got all my stuff packed,” Amber said as I reached the top of the stairs. “Rod is coming over to help me load everything up.”
“Wow, that was fast,” I said as I raised my eyebrows at her.
Amber suddenly looked uncomfortable, her eyes flicking to the stairs.
“What?” I asked.
She looked to the stairs again. “It’s just, well, Caroline kind of scares me. She’s just…”
“Is that why you’re so eager to leave?” I asked, feeling my stomach sicken.
“Well, it’s part of it I guess. I just, don’t really trust having her in the house,” she said, twisting her fingers around each other. I could tell she felt bad for telling me this. And the thing was that I couldn’t blame her for feeling that way. Caroline made me uneasy too.
“It’s just until she can get clean and then we will help her find her own place, help her find a job.”
Amber nodded, a sad little smile twisting in the corner of her lips. “I hope so. It’s really sad she was never a part of Alex’s life. He’s such a nice guy.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, a pang in my chest forming. “Yeah, it’s too bad she missed out.”
The door opened and in walked Emily and Rod.
“Okay, he had better be lying about there being a ring on your finger,” Emily said as she stopped in the entryway, crossing her arms over her chest. “Or you’re in some serious trouble.”
I just chuckled and held up my hand, wiggling my fingers. “I guess I’m in trouble,” I said sheepishly.
“Oh my gosh!” she squealed as she bounded across the room to me, throwing her arms around my shoulders. “Congratulations!”
“So… you’re not mad?” I asked as I hugged her back.
“Well, maybe a little, but whatever,” she said as she took a step away from me, taking my hand in hers and inspecting the ring. “Dang girl. Spoiled much?” She chuckled and stepped away from me, resting her hands on her hips. “At least now you won’t go back to being all moppy.”
“Thanks for reminding me of that,” I rolled my eyes at her. I watched as Amber and Rod started carrying boxes outside.
“And I’m going to be your maid of honor, right?” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
I just chuckled and shook my head, “Is there a chance you won’t murder me if I didn’t ask you to be?”
I didn’t think about what I was saying until it was too late. Emily’s face blanched, her eyes growing big. I instantly felt terrible, wishing I could take back my words.
Emily’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head at me. “You,” she said as a smile slow formed on her face. “Not funny.”
“Sorry,” I said with a chuckle as I followed her into the kitchen. “Of course you’re going to be my maid of honor.” She grabbed an orange from off the counter and started peeling it. Amber called a quick good-bye and then she and Rod were gone.
“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I saw Alex’s mom creeping around a pretty shady part of Bellingham last night. I was on my way back from the homeless shelter when I saw her. I thought you should know, what with trying to get her clean and whatnot.”
“Serious?” I said with a downfallen sigh. “Crap.”
“Lots of crap,” she said as she bit into a juicy slice.
“Hey, Jessica,” Alex said from the stairs. His face looked all too serious. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
I glanced back at Emily. “Go for it, I’ve got to get going actually. I just thought you should know.”
“’K, thanks for telling me,” I said as I walked her to the door. As I watched her go, I was amazed at how cheery she was considering it had been just over twenty-four hours since Cormack had gone back to the afterlife. She had taken his advice to heart though. She was already setting up volunteer work to try and redeem herself.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I turned back to face Alex.
He held up a long and quite disgusting looking needle with a piece of toilet paper. “I found this in Caroline’s bedroom. I heard her leave the house around midnight last night.”
“That’s the reason Emily came over. She said she saw her last night in a part of town she shouldn’t have been in.”
Alex’s face fell, his shoulders slumping. “I’m so sorry,” I said as I put my arms around him.
“I was stupid for thinking I could get her to clean up on my own,” he said as he laid his cheek on the top of my head. “I should have just checked her into rehab the second we got home.”
“You’ve been doing the best you can. And it’s not too late. We could still try and get her some help.”
“As long as we can find her,” Alex said as he stepped away from me. I then noticed he had changed into his work clothes. He sighed again as he grabbed his truck keys from off the hook by the door. “Well, I’ve got to go to the rental house. All the trim is supposed to be delivered in about an hour.”
“Okay,” I said as I laid a hand on his arm and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Are you okay? You seem really down. Especially considering you just got engaged.”
He gave a half smile, his eyes still sad. “I just want everything to be perfect. This just isn’t how I had hoped everything would happen.”
“As long as there’s you and there’s me, it is perfect,” I said as I held his eyes. “That’s the only part that matters.”
“You’re right,” he said, pressing a kiss to my lips again. “That’s all that matters. I’ll call you in a bit, okay?”
“Alright, have fun,” I chuckled and closed the door after him.
I found one of the dozens of bridal magazines Amber had left behind and took it out with me onto the upper back deck. Still in my pajamas, I settled onto one of the reclining chairs. I had flipped through a dozen pages before I noticed him. A man with shoulder length hair, perfect complexion, and dark eyes, watching me.
And he was standing on Cole’s back deck.
My heart leapt into my throat and I nearly fell off my chair as I sat up straighter. But by the time I righted myself and looked back again, the man was gone.
Cole’s house had sat empty and untouched since he had killed Alex. It had never been sold or placed on the market. There shouldn’t be anyone creeping around it.
I’d changed into some denim shorts, pulled on shoes, and was walking down the street in less than sixty seconds. My palms felt sweaty and my stomach was in knots. My heart threatened to hammer out of my chest as I stood in front of Cole’s front door. Pressing my lips into a tight line, I knocked three times.
I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or not when no one came to the door. Very quietly, I turned the doorknob and cracked the door open. “Hello?” I called.
When no one replied, I stepped inside. The house smelled stale, abandoned for too long. After checking the main floor, I determined there was no one inside. I found the deck clear too.
Maybe I was seeing things.
But the feeling of fear and dread settled into my stomach, a feeling I was far too familiar with. I closed the door behind me, trying to shake it, and walked to Sal’s house. I found her lying in her bed, her sheet pulled around her head.
“Are you alright?” I asked as I sat on the bed next to her.
She just shook her head. “I’m tired. I didn’t sleep last night. I didn’t want to see Roger.”
“Oh, Sal,” I said, my heart aching. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
She just shook her head.
“Do you want me to make an appointment with your doctor? Maybe she could help.”
Sal shook her head again. I sat there silently, unsure of what to do or say. “Sal,” I said cautiously. “You haven’t seen a new neighbor have you?”
“No, just Alex’s scary mom.”
I chuckled, feeling the shift in Sal’s mood. “I’m hungry,” she pronounced, climbing out of her bed suddenly. I followed her up the stairs into her kitchen. She proceeded to pull out the makings for a BLT.
“Do you want one?” Sal offered.
“That’s okay,” I refused politely. “I’ve got some errands I have to do. Do you want me to get you anything at the store?”
“Umm, some socks, and a jar of honey.”
“Alright,” I said as I walked to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sal.”
The knot in my stomach wouldn’t release as I closed her door behind me and started back home. I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder.
X
Blackness wrapped around me like the coldest blanket that ever existed. I groped around me, searching for a surface to orient myself, but there was nothing. Wherever I was, it felt empty and void of anything.
Jessica, a voice whispered through the dark.
I whipped my head around, my eyes searching wildly for the source of the voice.
Jessica.
“Who’s there?” I demanded.
They’re watching you.
That time the voice was unmistakable.
“Cole?”
They know something’s wrong. Four times now they should have had you before them and yet they haven’t.
“What are you talking about?” My heart was hammering in my chest. My eyes searched wildly through the dark, seeking Cole’s familiar face.
Don’t let them see for themselves what has happened to you, Cole’s butter smooth voice said through the dark. I suddenly sensed a presence next to me in the dark. It is the only advantage you have against them to save him.
“To save Alex?” I repeated quietly.
You must be more careful. They will try to take everything from you.
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked, panic rising in my throat, threatening to claw me from the inside out. “How do I stop them from taking Alex?”
The air suddenly seemed to be shifting, growing warmer by the second. The ground beneath me started to vibrate.
“Cole?” I said, my voice panicked. “How do I stop them?!”
They are watching you.