Everlasting (17 page)

“Let me explain my story to you…and maybe you won’t think Marrian’s crazy.” Marrian sat, still staring at the floor, picking at a loose string on her hospital gown. “Mandy called me back in May asking me to come and spend the summer with her.”

Aaron and Steve went pallid. Steve got up from the bed, his hand scratching over his bald head. He paced the floor. “You’re crazy, that’s impossible. How dare you come here and try to lay these lies on us.”

“Hold on now, Dad. Let Sophia tell her story.” Aaron held up his hand, a mocking laugh smeared across his face. “I’d like to hear this…even if it is all make-believe.” Then he got up and walked toward me, sticking his face up close to mine. “You know we don’t believe any of this, but continue.” He urged me on with his hand.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me, and I told Mandy that. That’s why she wrote the note. Who else knew you called her princess, and sweet pea, and also how she would say ‘I wuv you.’ No one else in the world knew these things, except for maybe Marrian. I sure as heck didn’t. She told me this note would make you believe me, but I should have known better.” My eyes filled with tears. I plucked my purse from the floor and got up to go.

Steve stammered and shook his head, still pacing the room. “You’re right about me being the only one who knew these things. But…but it’s all so hard to comprehend. Mandy…a ghost? I can’t even begin to fathom the idea.”

“I know, it was the exact same thing for me.” I stood by the door, my hand on the knob.

“Sit down, Sophia.” Steve patted the back of the folding chair. “I’m sorry if I sounded harsh. Tell us the story, and I promise I won’t judge or argue with you anymore.” He sat back down on the bed. Aaron in the recliner.

I wiped my eyes, bowed my head and walked toward the chair, sitting down. My chest heaved, hesitant to begin speaking again. I looked Steve in the eye, took a deep, calming breath, and began. “She bought my airline tickets, so I agreed to come and stay with her. We spent the whole summer together—swimming, snorkeling, parasailing. She introduced me to her boyfriend, Matt Cobain.”

Aaron barked out a jeering laugh, but I didn’t look at him.

Steve’s head jerked backward, “Matt? He’s a ghost, too?”

“Yes…all three of them are, even Tate Forester.”

Steve put his hands to his head. “All of them? I can’t believe it. Go on. Please.” Pain flourished in his eyes when he looked at me. His hands trembled, his face haggard.

“Yes, Tate and I began dating. I fell in love with him.” I glanced at Aaron, and the color drained from his face. He looked at me and turned away.

Steve rubbed his chin. “All summer you had no idea they were ghosts? Did they look any different?”

“They were a bit paler than most people, but for the most part, there wasn’t much difference.”

Aaron turned toward me again, his eyes drilling into me. A sly smile played along the corners of his mouth. “How did you find out they were ghosts?”

“Mandy wanted me to meet her at Aunt Bethany’s house for supper two days ago. She never arrived. And when I told Aunt Bethany I was waiting to meet Mandy there, she showed me the newspaper articles that she’d saved.”

Steve slung one leg over the other, his ankle wiggling. “Aunt Bethany…you went there? She’s Marrian’s sister. You’d never met her before, had you?”

“No, I had to introduce myself.”

“Where is Mandy now?” Aaron’s tone screamed rebellion—challenging me. “Can she show herself to us? If she’s a ghost, I want to see her.”

“Both of them are gone now. She explained to me that the reason she was a ghost was because she had unfinished business. Her unfinished business was to bring Tate and me together. Once she did that, she had fulfilled her unfinished business. They had two months to continue being ghosts, then they went on to the next level.”

The more I talked, the more Marrian took notice. Her head perked, and she looked at me intently, listening. Then, in a faint whisper, she spoke. “Thank heavens…for you…Sophia.”

“Shh, I think she said something.” Aaron got up, rushing to her wheelchair. “Mom, tell us again. What did you say?”

Marrian’s lips moved again, but nothing came out. Aaron took a handkerchief, wiping at a string of drool that hung from her mouth.

Still quiet, she tried again, this time in full sentences. “I told you all along, I wasn’t crazy. Mandy was here…just like I told you, and I got to speak to her. It was all true, and I’m so thankful to Sophia for coming here and telling everyone this.” Her voice grew louder this time, and a small smile formed on her lips. “Mandy knew what she was doing and sent her best friend here to be her messenger. Come here and give me a hug, Sophia.” She held out her frail arms to me.

I got up and walked toward her. Marrian embraced me with a fragile hug. “Mandy wanted me to let you know that she’s happy now and went to a place that is a hundred times better than here on Earth. She said she will see all of us again, and she and Matt will be together for eternity.”

Steve went to her. He bent down and gave her a hug. “Marrian…I can’t believe this.” Tears crowded his eyes. “It’s so good to have you back.”

They embraced in silence, then he walked over to me and held out his arms. “Sophia, you have no idea what you’ve done here today.” His arms wrapped around me in a hug. “You have given Marrian back her sanity. I’m sorry I bit your head off earlier, but it’s just so hard to understand.” He released me and wiped at the tears running down his cheeks.

My gaze searched the floor as I patted his shoulder, still aware that Aaron was watching me. “You’re not telling me anything I didn’t know. I acted the same way when I heard the news.”

Steve bent down to Marrian and kissed her cheek. “Marrian, let’s go tell the nurses we’re breaking you out of here.” He rose up and pressed his palms to his eyes, a thousand years washing from his face. “You’re going home. We can stop the bleeding from all of these doctor bills and get back to a normal life.”

A splash of color replaced Marrian’s wan complexion. Relief drenched her face when Steve pushed her from her room out into the hallway.

I
picked
up my purse and sighed, glancing at my watch. “Well, I’m gonna take off. My plane’s waiting.” Aaron stood outside the door, watching Steve push Marrian down the hall. “School starts in a couple of weeks, and I need to get home. Tell your folks bye for me. I hope everything works out for them.”

He stepped back into the room and closed the door behind him. “Not so fast. Let’s do dinner tonight…you know…reminisce about old times.” His dark brown eyes smoldered. “You don’t realize what you’ve done here today, Sophia. My parents are on the verge of divorce by what happened to Mom. Dad even has a girlfriend, if you didn’t notice all the texting he was doing. I’m hoping by Mom coming out of her trauma, this might save them, and I have you to thank for that. Would you come with me for a while?”

My brow wrinkled in suspicion.
Aaron never gave me the time of day when we were
kids.
What has changed him?
I winced and looked again at my watch. “Gosh, Aaron, I don’t know. I’m glad I was able to help your parents, but I don’t have much time.”

“Don’t worry about the time, I’ll get you home. As you can see, I can afford to buy you a new plane ticket if you need one.” He licked his lips.

“Gee…I don’t know.”

“C’mon, we’re old friends.” He pulled on my arm and opened the door, his eyes gleaming. “What’s the harm in that?”

I looked around for Tate but could no longer see him. My purse zipper gaped open so I rummaged for an antacid, popping one in my mouth.
How will I get back to Tate’s place? Aaron
might have made him mad
. “Alright, I guess it won’t hurt to stay for a little while.” My stomach cringed inside as soon as the words spewed out.

I stared at my feet as Aaron looped his arm through mine and led me down the hall.

We walked through the parking lot, and he showed me to his car—a black luxury sedan with whitewall tires. “Hop in, my lady. I’ll take you wherever you want to go.” He pointed to the passenger door, then walked around to the driver’s side and got in, not even coming close to Tate’s gentleman hospitality—Tate would have had the door opened for me long before I ever made it to the car.

I buckled my seat belt, then tapped my watch. “Where’re we going? Remember, I’m on limited time.”

“Don’t worry about the time, I’ll get you home.” He flashed me an alluring smile—gleaming white teeth perfectly straight.

W
e drove
to a five-star restaurant and sat down at a table adorned with a white silk tablecloth and two tall candles burning in the middle. Music played in the background. A balding waiter approached, dressed in a black tuxedo, a white linen draped over his arm. He held a bottle of wine in his hands. “Wine for you tonight, madam?” His stance was stick straight while he waited for my answer.

Blush heating my face, I stammered. “Uh…no thank you. I’m not quite eighteen, not old enough to drink. Just bring me a tea, please.”

“I’m so sorry, madam. Tea it is. How about for you, sir?”

“No wine, but I would like a glass of sherry, please.”

“Sure thing, sir.”

The waiter disappeared, leaving us alone. My stomach, odd and nervous, tumbled and rolled. The antacid I took earlier hadn’t done much. It didn’t feel right to be out with anyone besides Tate. I’d lost my appetite and wanted to go home.

I wish Tate would appear and talk to me. He could guide me, and get me out of this mess. The funny thing was, a tiny flutter vibrated my heart—old feelings for Aaron had resurfaced, and I knew this wasn’t right. Aaron was a jerk most of the time, letting his oversized ego get the best of him. But yet, my childhood crush rose up to greet me…lingering, and I needed to banish it quickly.

After the waiter came back with our drinks, Aaron lifted his glass, scrutinizing me—up and down his eyes roamed. He took a couple drinks and reached across the table to brush my cheek. “Sophia…my, my, you have grown into quite the beauty, haven’t you?” The heat rushed to color my face, and I looked down at the napkin in my lap. “I’ve lost touch with how fast you’ve grown up. You’re going to be a senior this year, aren’t you?”

“Yep, sure am. I’m ready to get the year started, so I can get it over with.” He made me nervous and shy, junior high all over again, and I tore off little pieces of the paper napkin that sat under my tea glass, the white pieces littering the table.

“What’re you planning on doing after you graduate?” His gaze clamped down on mine.

I raised the glass of tea to my lips. “I’d like to go to law school, that is, if I can afford it.” A picture of Tate’s money flashed in my mind, and sadness washed over me, making the tea glass heavy.

“A lawyer? That’s what I am. We could start our own firm together. I’m betting we’d make a great team.”

I choked on my tea, and it ran down my chin. Slapping my hand to my face, I covered my mouth and coughed—sputtering. My face became hot—embarrassed—when I couldn’t stop. “Sorry, it went down the wrong pipe.” I pounded on my chest, willing it to stop.

“Are you still a cheerleader? I still remember your luscious legs. Mm, I couldn’t keep my eyes off them.” His voice rolled out smooth, svelte, and he licked his lips in a slow, deliberate manner.

I blushed again, surprised, having no idea Aaron had felt the same way about me when he lived in Montana. “No, I…I don’t cheer in high school. My studies keep me too busy. I work to keep my grades up, hoping it’ll make college easier.”

The waiter brought our food to the table, and Aaron handed him his second empty sherry glass. “I’ll have another.” His head turned back toward me. “You’re a smart girl, Sophia. Don’t let your future slip away because of money.”

“Ha…wish it were that easy.”

The waiter brought Aaron’s sherry and he took a drink. “I’d like to say thank you, again, for what you did today. Coming to see my mom and dad, helping my mom out like that, making her think she isn’t crazy. That takes a lot of guts, you know. It’s one of the things I like about you,
always
doing the right thing.”

A piece of asparagus fell off my fork when I lifted it to my lips to take a bite. “It wasn’t easy. I only did what Aunt Bethany and Mandy wanted me to do. Just fulfilling their wishes.”

“Most people wouldn’t want to stick their necks out like that, to lay everything out on the line and expose their dignity. They’d be afraid of what people would think of them, thinking that they, themselves, must be crazy. I commend you for that.” My hands trembled. I looked down at my plate. “Especially when we all know none of it’s true.” He stared at me, his eyes hard.

“It is true, though, Aaron…everything I told you is. The note, alone, should have been proof enough.”

“Ha, you can get my dad and mom to believe it, but I know better. There’s no such thing as ghosts, and even if there was, they’re not going to come back to carry on a conversation and invite you over to their house for the summer. I don’t know who you’re trying to kid, but I don’t believe any of it.”

He sat there staring at me. I squirmed in my seat, my fork hanging limp in my hand.

Finally, he softened, throwing one leg up over the other. “Look, I’m sorry to be such a downer and accuse you of such things when I know you were trying to help my mom, but you have to see where I’m coming from. It’s all a little farfetched.”

I nodded, lying my fork down. “I know, Aaron, and I don’t blame you for not believing me. But I know the truth, and as long as I did my job of helping your mom and was able to get her out of that place, I guess that’s all that matters.”

He glided his tongue over his top teeth and lifted his glass of sherry in the air. “Cheers.” The glass tipped up, and he rested it on his lips until the last drop was gone. We both finished eating in an awkward silence, and I wished the night would hurry and end. I planned on renting a hotel room for the night and leave with Tate again in the morning. I ached to see him, needed to talk.

A
light mist
wilted my hair when we walked to Aaron’s car. I shivered and rubbed my arms. Still dressed for South Carolina weather, I wasn’t used to the cooler air that came from the higher altitude.

Aaron unlocked the car door. “Are you chilly?”

I shrugged and sniffled, just wanted to get to a hotel to unwind and relax. “No, I’m all right, it’s no big deal.” Aaron’s accusations stung, and I planned on keeping our talking down to a minimum.

“Here, put this on.” He slid out of his suitcoat and draped it around my shoulders before I took my place in the front seat of the car.

“Thanks…I told you I’d be fine, though.”

“Now, don’t argue with me, Sophia.” He chuckled and friskily grabbed my chin, trying to make up for his callous attitude from earlier. “You know you can’t win fights with me. Don’t you remember? I’m just like your big brother, Josh. We always have to win our battles.”

“I see that.” My tone edged on the sarcastic side, but I didn’t care. I turned my face toward the window. He put the car in gear.

We drove in silence; the squeaking of the windshield wipers reminding me of the day I left home to stay with Mandy, and the radio tuned in to some eighties, easy-listening station.

Aaron broke the silence and turned his head to look at me. “Would you like to stay the night at my apartment? It would sure beat having to pay for a hotel.”

Shifting in the seat, I shook my head and looked at him.
No way will I be staying
with him.
“No, I’d rather not. I’m leaving at four in the morning, and I wouldn’t want to disturb you. I’ll be fine.” My eyes fluttered affably, trying to end the night on a warm note.

“Alright, suit yourself. But you wouldn’t be disturbing me. I’d love to have you stay. You could catch me up on old times—feed me juicy gossip going on back home. Cascade still holds a special place in my heart, and I miss it.” He pulled up in front of a Holiday Inn. “How’s this look? Let me help you get checked in.”

“It looks fine. But I can manage.” I opened the car door, ready to barge.

“No, I’ll have none of it. You can’t go in by yourself. Never know who could be lurking out in the darkness. Do you have any bags?”

“No, it was supposed to be a quick trip. I planned on going back to South Carolina tonight, so I didn’t bring anything.”

“Well, you’re not going back tonight, so don’t even entertain that idea. In fact, I’m going to talk you into staying on for a few more days.” He smiled smugly and paid for my room, leading the way to the elevator.

We paused outside the unopened door to my room, with me silently hoping he would leave. I pulled on the collar of my blouse, readjusting the tension. “Well, I guess this is it. I can take it from here.” With the room key clutched firmly in my hand, I slid it into the lock.

“Sophia, I want to apologize for the way I came after you tonight. I didn’t mean to imply that you’re a liar. You do see my point of view, though, don’t you?”

“Yes, Aaron, anyone would feel the same way.” I looked down, then away, then down again, wishing he would just drop the subject. I faked a yawn, rubbing my hands over my face. “It’s getting late, and I need to get in and go to bed now. I’ve had a long day, and it starts even earlier tomorrow.”

He put his hands on my face and pulled it toward his. “I’m serious about being law partners. When you get done with school, I think you should consider it. It would be an instant firm that you could jump into right out of college.” His eyes darted quickly to the left before he brought his mouth down to mine, sliding his hand along the back of my neck, lifting up my hair.

The slow kiss tensed my shoulders, and I pulled back, resisting—squirming, pushing on his chest to free myself, but he held me too tight. After he released me, I pressed my lips together, wincing. “Don’t, Aaron…. That’s a long time off yet.” I brushed my fingers over my lips to wipe at the numbness the kiss left, surprised to find my heart racing and a warm feeling rising up through my body. “I still have a year of high school left. A lot of things can change in that amount of time.”

He pulled me in for another long kiss. “Just think about it. You’ll have plenty of time.”

“I have to go now.” I gulped, turning the door latch.