Shadows: A Love Ever After Series

by Amber Lacie

  “I really do. I feel in my element there.”

  “Good. That’s good.”

  We pull up into what I think is a driveway, but I’m not sure. There’s not much of a house left. I can see some bricks left from the foundation, but what catches my eyes is the stone fireplace standing alone. Overgrown grass and tall weeds surround its base, while vines crawl up it, reaching towards the sun.

  Theron steps out of the car and walks closer to where the house once stood. I watch him, as he softly sits on the ground. His expressions change like the wind. Contentment, anger, and sadness all wash over his face.

  Hesitating for just a moment, I step out of the car, quietly shutting my door so I don’t disturb him. He watches me, as I approach him, his eyes never leaving me. I sit down on the grass beside him. I am quiet for a moment, as I pick a bright yellow dandelion growing beside me. It’s too bad the weed isn’t white and full of seeds. I could use a wish right now. I spin it in my fingers, turning my head slowly to look at Theron. How can such a broken man make me feel so whole?

  “Babe, where are we?”

  He grabs a twig from the ground and starts drawing in the gravel at our feet. “This used to be my mom’s house. She grew up here. My grandparents died in a car accident a few years after my parents were married. They left my mom everything. The house was old, but it wasn’t completely run down. A little bit of love and hard work would have made it beautiful again.”

  “What happened?” Pulling petals off the dandelion, I start chewing on my cheek. Theron stares at the fireplace, and suddenly I see a lost little boy, instead of a man.

  “I was probably about seven or eight the last time my mom came here. She got into a fight with Thomas. He wanted to sell it because he felt she spent too much time here. The thing was, she very rarely came here. She just wanted to hold onto it since it was all she had left of my grandparents.” Theron takes a long breath and scratches out his drawing in the dirt.

  “There was a beautiful flower garden that wrapped around the house. She would stop by to water it and take care of the weeds. Any time spent here was time spent away from Thomas. He already hated how much time she spent with me, and the house proved to be an added distraction. He finally agreed not to sell it, since the house meant so much to her.”

  “So he just left it to rot?” I never understood Thomas’ jealousy of Theron, but to be jealous of a house seems insane.

  “Sort of. A couple weeks later, the police informed my parents that someone had burned down the house. They found an empty gasoline container and some rags, but there were no leads on who did it. My dad collected the insurance money, but never fixed the house. He kept the land, but that was it. I heard my mom crying one night, begging him to let her fix it. He told her there was no reason for her to go there ever again. He didn’t want her to become upset by the damage the fire had caused. When she argued, he told her it was easier to get rid of a house than a person. I don’t think she ever brought it up again.”

  “That’s just awful.”

  “This is why I brought you here. I wanted to show you what he is capable of. He won’t let anything stop him, and he will go to any means to get his way. He wants to destroy me. Right now, you are the only person I have left. You’re the only good thing that I have. He’s going to try to take you away from me again, and I’m afraid of what lengths he will go to. This is why I must get to him first. I’m going to finish what Gram started and take everything away from him. I’m going to leave him so broken that he will never be able to get close to you or me again.” He breaks the stick in his hand in two. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but he looks at his hands, as if he didn’t know he broke it. Shrugging his shoulders, he tosses the sticks into the tall grass.

  I’m not sure if his words should scare me or not, but all I feel his hatred for Thomas.

  “I get it.” Placing my hand on his knee, I look out at what’s left of the burnt remains. “I bet this place was beautiful.”

  “It was, especially the garden, but you’ve seen that.”

  “What?”

  “The garden was the only thing untouched by the fire. It was odd how only the house burnt, but the garden continued to thrive. I don’t think my mom ever knew the flowers made it through the fire. I used to sneak here when she was sick. My Gram followed me here one day. I was sitting in between a bunch of Gladiolas, when I saw her walking up the path. She never asked me anything. She just sat down beside me and held my hand. I remember spending that day lying in the garden with her pointing out different shapes in the clouds. It’s one of my favorite memories.” A soft smile plays on his lips, as he looks towards the house.

  “That night after dinner, Gram took me with her into the library. It was our space. Thomas hated books. Anyway, she told me how she always wanted a garden. She asked me if she could move my garden my mom left me, to her house. The way she called it my garden, made me feel like I still had a piece of my mom left. A piece Thomas had no claim to. I agreed and she hired a landscape company. Of course, she’s added to it over the years, but the flowers and the stones from my mom’s garden are still there.”

  Theron’s eyes are lost on the scenery surrounding him, and yet I’m pained by how hurtful his father was towards him.

  “It’s beautiful.” I’m sure he knows, but I decide to tell him anyways. “Your Gram loved you very much.”

  “Yeah.” Theron stands and brushes the dirt from his jeans. “On that note, we should go. Evan needs us.” He pulls me up from the ground and I follow him back to the car.

  As it turns out, Theron’s mom’s house is close to his Gram’s. When we pull up to the circled drive, I notice Evan sitting outside on the steps. Theron helps me out of the car and keeps my hand clasped in his, as we walk towards the house. We stop at the steps and he drops my hand, taking a seat next to Evan.

  Running his hand through his hair, he looks over at Evan. “Have you been out here all night?”

  “No. A little. I didn’t know where to go. I came home and the house was just too empty without her here. I couldn’t handle it, Theron. Everywhere I looked I saw her face, her smile, and I swear I heard her laughter.” His shoulders heave, as he drops his head back into his hands. “I wasn’t there. Thomas asked me to leave and I refused, but Isa told me to go. She said she would be okay. I stepped out for a minute and checked my email. The next thing I know, machines are alarming, and Thomas is being escorted out of her room. I could hear him screaming at her.”

  A sob like I have never heard in my life, escapes Evan’s throat. It’s like I can physically hear his heart being torn apart. It’s awful. His body is violently shaking, as he cries.

  “I rushed back to her, but the nurses wouldn’t let me in. I just wanted to hold her hand, to let her know that I was close, and to let her know that I loved her. Eventually, the nurses moved, and my sweet Isa was lying peacefully. I grabbed her hand, and brushed her hair out of her face.”

  Theron’s face pales, as he wipes away the tears escaping his eyes. He gently wraps his arm around Evan’s shoulder trying to offer him comfort. “Evan—”

  “I’m so sorry, Theron. I’m so sorry.” Evan cries as if he is begging for forgiveness.

  “It’s okay. You didn’t know. I would have done the same. You only did what she asked.” He squeezes Evan’s shoulder, as an offer of comfort. I stand still, with tears streaming down my face, as I watch them both break in front of me.

  Watching someone break is so surreal. Everything else fades, and I swear that if you look close enough, you can watch fragments from their soul dissipate into the air around them.

  “It’s not okay! You don’t understand. I brushed her hair out of her face, so I could look into her beautiful, bright green eyes. I wanted to see them shine back at me. I don’t know what I was looking for. Maybe it was hope that she was still here with me, or that she would be okay? I don’t know, but I know I didn’t find it.” Evan pushes Theron’s hand off his shoulder, while tears stream d
own his face.

  “I watched her beautiful emerald eyes dull in front of me. I watched as the life left her eyes. All I could do was whisper, ‘I love you,’ over and over again. I don’t even know if she heard me. What if she didn’t hear me? What if she died thinking that she was all-alone? I didn’t abandon her. Oh, God! Why did I leave her?” Evan pushes himself up from the step and walks out towards the trees growing between the houses.

  Theron doesn’t follow him. He stares blankly out into the distance. At first, I thought he was staring at me, but his gaze is empty. He’s looking right through me. I turn my head towards Evan, as I hear a loud bellow rip from his chest. My feet won’t move. I’m frozen still as I watch him pummel his fists into a tree.

  “Theron! Shit, Theron!” My voice snaps Theron back to reality. He follows my gaze and jumps to his feet.

  “What the fuck? Evan, stop it!” He takes off towards the trees. I wish I could follow him, but my mind isn’t connecting my thoughts to my feet.

  Theron runs full force into Evan, knocking him away from the tree. “What the hell are you doing?”

  Evan tries to throw a punch at Theron, but it’s messy and slow. He steps to the side, as Evan’s fist cuts through the air beside him, causing Evan to fall to his knees.

  Theron lays his hands-on Evan’s shoulder. “Stop, Evan. Please, stop.”

  “I want to die.”

  “I know.”

  “I want to go with her.”

  “I know.” Looking back toward me, Theron asks, “Eve, can you help?”

  I nod my head and will my feet to move. The skin on Evan’s knuckles is ripped, bloody, and barely hanging on. His fists are raw. Kneeling, I take my sweater off and wrap it around both of his hands.

  “Theron, we need to get him inside.”

  “I don’t want to go in there. It’s full of her.” Evan’s voice breaks and once again he falls apart, but this time in my arms.

  I look up at Theron, hoping he will have an answer, but his expression is once again vacant.

  “What if you stayed in the guesthouse? There’s an extra bedroom. He could stay with us, right?”

  Theron looks at me confused for a second before he realizes what I’m saying. “That’s a good idea. Come on, man. Let’s get you inside and cleaned up.”

  It takes both of us to get Evan standing on his feet. We walk into the guesthouse and my stomach sinks as the realization hits me that this isn’t over.

  There are now three broken people trying to hold together the pieces they have left. Thomas is responsible for two of them, and I have my own agenda with him after the stunt he pulled with Bridgette. This isn’t going to end well for him.

  Eve

  I’ve often wondered why the doctor’s office can charge you if you are late to an appointment, but if they are running late, we still have to pay them. It seems only the patients are responsible for being on time.

  I turn the page in the magazine and I’m greeted with a gorgeous blonde. According to the ad, if I use their shampoo, I can look just like her. A snort escapes me, as I roll my eyes. If I had a makeup artist, Photoshop, and airbrushing, I am sure I could look just like her. Her perfect figure, with her perfectly glossy hair is false advertising.

  There’s a gentleman sitting two seats down from me. We are the only two people in the waiting area. He’s coughing and keeps wiping his nose on the back of his hand. Why did he have to choose a seat so close to me?

  My face contorts into disgusted horror, as I watch him wipe his nose, cough, and then put back the magazine he was reading onto the table in front of us. I hold back the urge to gag, as I set down the magazine I was reading, and grab my hand sanitizer from my purse.

  Theron jokingly calls my purse luggage, but its size is suiting when I have to defend myself against plague boy, two seats down.

  I hear my name being called, so I collect my things. Plague boy gives me a little wave, as I walk past, trying to avoid brushing up against him. The nurse must understand my sense of disgust because there is a sense of sympathy in her expression.

  I am only in the room for a couple of minutes before the doctor comes in.

  “Good morning, Evelyn. How are we today?”

  “Fine, but it’s more of a good afternoon, now.”

  Glancing down at his watch, he checks the time. “Oh, I guess a good afternoon is in order. How long have you been waiting?”

  “About an hour or so.”

  “Yes, well that can happen. Some appointments take longer than others.”

  I’m not sure what appointments he’s referring to. I never saw anyone except me and plague boy the entire time I was in the waiting area. I’m curious if his appointments were due to him running late. I let out a sigh of frustration and I mentally kick myself. It’s not the doctor’s fault my patience is running thin.

  I tried to argue with Theron and Evan that they would need me today, since the wake is this afternoon at two, but they wouldn’t listen. Theron insisted that I keep my appointment, so I could get the all-clear from the doctor. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal; it was only two broken fingers.

  The doctor removes the tape and splint from my fingers. I give them a little flex, and I can move them with ease.

  “You healed up rather nicely. I’m not going to give you any restrictions or anything like that, but please be careful. No more punching. Agreed?”

  “Agreed.”

  Taking the papers he hands me, I head to the front desk to check out. As I hand the receptionist my debit card, I look out the office window and notice a note tucked under my windshield wiper blade. There’s no way it’s a ticket, I am parked in a parking lot.

  I’m barely aware of the receptionist handing me back my card and wishing me a good day. I am too distracted to give her a reply, so I just simply give her a nod of my head.

  As I push open the glass doors, stepping into the parking lot, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. My heart is thumping so hard in my chest that I’m sure if anyone were within ten feet of me they would be able to hear it. I carefully pull the note out from under the wiper blade of my car. My stomach sinks as I read the words.

  What the hell? I quickly scan the parking lot to see if I can recognize anyone, but of course, I’m alone with a bunch of empty cars. Gripping my keys tightly in my hand, I slide into my seat and immediately hit the lock button. I check my mirrors just in case, but I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for.

  “Get it together, Eve. It’s just a note. No one is out there waiting for you. This is real life, not some horror flick.”

  After my brief encouragement to myself, I wad the note up and toss it into the back seat. My drive home is clouded by thoughts of who could have left the note. My gut tells me it’s Thomas, but for some reason I can’t get the idea of Bridgette leaving me the note out of my head.

  Noticing the time as I park in front of the guesthouse, I decide it’s best to skip the shower. It’s already one thirty, and the wake starts at two. How awful of a person would I be, if I couldn’t even show up to my boyfriend’s grandmother’s wake on time?

  Making a quick change of clothes, I glance at myself in the mirror. I run my fingers through my long brown locks. My hair is still wavy from when I curled it this morning, so just a little hairspray to keep it from frizzing should do the trick.

  I’m wearing my black slacks, a charcoal gray, silk, sleeveless dress shirt, and a black short-sleeved cardigan. Sliding my feet into a pair of black ballet flats, I head out the door.

  Thankfully, when I pull into the parking lot at the funeral home, I notice that not a lot of guests have arrived yet. I take a deep breath in and brace myself for the worst, as I head inside to find Theron.

  I’m sitting with Kayla in the lounge at the funeral home. It’s a little after six, and guests are starting to leave. The minister from Isa’s church gave a lovely speech, followed by a sweet farewell from Theron. I’m tired, and my feet hurt from standing and moving back and forth be
tween Theron and Evan.

  Theron stayed in the front, with me beside him, as everyone said their goodbyes. Evan stayed in the back of the room. He sat in the chair he pulled into the corner, with his face buried in his hands during most of the wake. When it was time for the service, Evan abruptly left the room, causing some people to whisper, but they were quickly hushed when the minister began to speak.

  I hear a shrill laugh, as the front doors are propped open to allow everyone to exit comfortably. My fists clench, my jaw locks, and my entire body tenses, as the voice I recognize walks into the entryway.

  She can’t see me from where I’m sitting, but I can see her through the small doorway off the lounge. I don’t know what she’s trying to pull, but I’m not going to stand for it. Kayla grabs my wrist, distracting me from the evil thoughts playing through my mind.

  “Eve, this isn’t the place.”

  “I know.” Squeezing the bridge of my nose, I take a deep breath, trying to ease the tension. “I just can’t believe the nerve she has to show her face here.”

  “I know. If it was any other time or place, I would let you at her. However, this isn’t the right time or place. Just go find Theron. He’s going to need you when he sees her.”

  She’s right. I make my way into the viewing room, excusing myself as I quickly rush by a couple of the guests, but I’m too late. She’s beaten me into the room.

  I quickly take my place by Theron’s side. Sensing my discomfort, he wraps his arm around my waist and places a kiss on the top of my head before he gives her any recognition.

  “Theron.” Her voice is sweet like honey, but I know what kind of treacherous snake she is. Her venom is far from sweet. It has more of a bitter, vile taste to it.

  “Bridgette, do not address me so formally. You act as though you know me, or that you have a right to be here. Which, in case you weren’t aware, you don’t.” His voice is smooth and sharp like the edge of a knife blade. Any pleasantries she wished to offer are shredded, as his words cut into her.