Moving On (Ghost Of The Past Book 1)

by Trisha Grace

  Eventually, the guys learned to stop asking questions. Marianne, on the other hand, wouldn’t stop bugging him about it.

  Perhaps that was how real mothers behaved. He couldn’t be sure. His own mother was always more concerned about herself and his younger sister. To him, Marianne was more of a mother than his parents ever were. Despite that, it didn’t change the fact that her questions were getting on his nerves.

  Sometimes, he wished he had an answer for Marianne.

  Despite Evelyn’s straightforward personality, there was plenty that he didn’t understand about her.

  For one, he didn’t understand why Evelyn always isolated herself and pretended that she didn’t care about anyone else. He was sure Evelyn wasn’t such a person, and the kitchen he was sitting in proved it.

  He looked up from his food and turned to the newly renovated kitchen.

  The cherry wood cabinets that had been in the house for nearly three decades had been removed and was now furnished with dark brown cabinets. The wooden countertop had also been replaced with a light gray slab of granite. Those were the basic designs that Kate had chosen, but the degree that Evelyn went to customize it for Marianne showed how much she cared.

  Every cabinet was designed specifically to suit Marianne’s needs.

  Instead of the standard shelf height, Evelyn had noted down all the things that Marianne had placed in the different cabinets and adjusted the height of the new shelves to fit those needs. She even solved Marianne’s problem of having too many spices and not enough places to store them by completely revamping one of the cabinets into a multi-layered turning tray that allowed Marianne to store and reach her spices easily.

  Evelyn had noted every complaint that Marianne ever had about the kitchen and designed the new cabinets to suit her needs. And she did all of that without even having to ask Marianne.

  “Ryan and Joseph working?” Kate asked, bringing his thoughts back to reality.

  Though Dan was glad that Kate wasn’t harping on the problem between him and Evelyn, he was hoping that he didn’t have to be the one to break the bad news.

  He looked over at Marianne then back to Kate. “Joseph’s working while Ryan’s in the hospital.”

  Kate’s eyes widened, and Tyler finally took his gaze away from his beloved wife.

  “He got injured at work; part of a wall fell on him,” Marianne clarified. “He’s recovering now, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

  “How is he? When did that happen? Why didn’t you guys tell us earlier?”

  “He’s fine, around a week ago, and we didn’t want to disturb your honeymoon. We knew you’d want to return immediately if we had told you,” Dan answered and flashed a bright smile at Kate.

  Kate narrowed her eyes at his condescending answer. “I called Eve so many times, and not once did she think to tell me what happened.”

  “She didn’t know.”

  “Huh,” Kate said, studying his expression before she continued. “We should visit him, now.”

  Tyler hesitated. “Are you sure? I thought you were tired?”

  “I’m fine. We should go see him. How bad is it?” She turned back to Dan and glared at him, warning him from lying to her.

  “Got some slight burns, dislocated his right arm from his shoulder, and tore a ligament in his leg.”

  Kate cringed.

  “There’s good news, though; for him at least,” Dan said and continued when he saw Kate frowning. “He gets to stay home for three whole months. And since Marianne didn’t want him staying in his apartment alone, he’d accepted the invitation to crash here until he recovers.” As Dan finished his sentence, he turned to look at Tyler, grinning when he saw Tyler shaking his head.

  Before Kate came into his life, the guys always made sure they gave Tyler his space. They only appeared to devour Marianne’s cooking before disappearing. Now, all of them had become semi-permanent residents of the mansion.

  Before, Tyler had no qualms about chasing them out of his house, but Kate loved their presence in the mansion and he loved seeing her smile.

  “I can’t believe you’re joking about his injuries. It sounds serious; we should visit him right away.”

  Tyler smiled and stood, stretching out his hand for Kate.

  “I’ll drive,” Dan volunteered. He didn’t want to be left behind in the house, where he was certain Marianne would ask him over and over again if he was serious about Evelyn and why hadn’t he taken a stand on the relationship he wanted them to have.

  He trailed out of the mansion along with Kate and Tyler, watching Tyler run his fingers down Kate’s hair.

  When Tyler met Kate, his personality changed so drastically that it made Dan believed it was possible for things to turn around with Evelyn, too.

  Kate had once told him that Evelyn treated him differently, and it was something she hadn’t seen before; just like how Tyler treated Kate entirely different from everyone else. Dan had come to believe that he would be different enough for Evelyn to break free from the mysterious shadow of her past.

  The secretive past that Kate refused to talk about, even to her dear husband.

  The two women were like sisters, and Kate guarded Evelyn’s secret fiercely.

  Dan understood Kate’s reason; it wasn’t her story to tell. Still, it didn’t change the fact that the whole secrecy around it was simply frustrating.

  Tempted as he was to ask Evelyn, Dan hadn’t dared to step over that particular boundary. Each time he’d pushed Evelyn into taking a step closer, he’d only succeeded in pushing her further away. He had an inkling that if he did push Evelyn on this particular subject, she would close her door to him completely.

  Looking up at the genuine smile on Tyler’s face, a smile that was non-existent until Kate appeared in his life, Dan felt a sense of jealousy surging through him. In spite of the many things Tyler had, Dan never coveted any of them except for what he now had; someone whom he could love, someone who would reflect the joy that he had, and someone who only had eyes for him.

  “Are you all right?” Kate asked when they got into his car.

  Dan’s face blanked, and he stared back at her. He had missed her question.

  “What happened this time?”

  She didn’t have to elaborate; Dan knew exactly what she meant. Though she was the newest member to his group of friends, Kate was the only one Dan had spoken to about Evelyn. Perhaps he was hoping that Kate’s understanding of Evelyn would help shed some light on what he was doing wrong.

  “I don’t know. I swear I didn’t push her this time.” He thought back on the last time they met. “She had this strange look after picking up a call, then she hurried away. After that, she just cut me off,” he said. “Maybe she’s seeing someone else.”

  Kate nodded. “She’s acting weird over the phone, but I’m sure she isn’t dating someone. She would’ve told me.”

  He didn’t make any comment. He didn’t believe Evelyn would hide such a detail from Kate, but based on her behavior, he couldn’t help thinking otherwise.

  Evelyn was clearly secretive when it came to those calls, even Kate wasn’t allowed to answer her phone.

  “I’m sorry, I wish I could help. It’s just that she’s really touchy when it comes to relationships. I love her, but I hate to see you like this. Maybe you should stop running around in circles with her.”

  Dan sighed heavily. Of course he’d thought about that. Basic logic told him that they weren’t going anywhere and he should put a stop to the crazy cycles. Yet whenever she called, his logic and reasoning would leave him.

  Whenever they were in the cold stages, he couldn’t stop checking his phone to make sure that he hadn’t missed her call; and when she did call, he couldn’t help but feel relieved. “I tried.” I really did.

  He heard Kate sighing softly before she changed the subject. “So when is Ryan getting discharged from the hospital? He’ll need someone to help him up and down the stairs. And his clothes? Anyone helping him to b
ring them over?”

  He grinned and looked at Kate through the rear-view mirror.

  Since Kate entered their lives, she had become the linchpin that held all of them closely together. With Kate, they’d all become a family, all except Evelyn.

  He wasn’t sure if it was the way she refused to reveal information about herself or the formality with which she treated everyone, but there always seemed to be a wall between her and everyone else.

  Refusing to dwell on thoughts of Evelyn, Dan shook his head and returned his focus to the conversation. “Marianne already brought his stuff over. He’ll be staying with her in the other wing.”

  “Why? That’s quite a long walk from the kitchen, and we all know how much he loves the kitchen.” Kate looked up and grinned at Tyler.

  Tyler beamed back in return and said, “There’s a guest room near ours. He can stay there.”

  “Marianne says it’s easier for her to take care of him. Plus, there’s a room right on the first floor, so he won’t have to climb the stairs.” He kept his eyes on the road and smiled to himself. That was the exact reason Marianne had told them, though they all knew Marianne just didn’t want anyone disturbing the newlyweds.

  When they got to the hospital, Dan and Tyler gave a nonchalant “hi” to Ryan before settling on the couch while Kate went to fuss over him.

  Among all the guys, Ryan was the muscular one. His shirt fitted him so snugly that the contours of the muscles were easily seen through the stretched T-shirts.

  Dan knew Kate would be shocked to see their own giant lying in bed with a heavy cast on his arm and a huge brace on his leg.

  “Gosh, I’m so sorry we didn’t visit you earlier,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “Don’t be. I was in on the decision of not telling you guys. Where’s my present?” Ryan asked with his boyish grin and usual upbeat tone.

  “Back at the mansion. Don’t worry, she knows you love her. She won’t forget your present,” Tyler answered from the couch.

  Dan laughed when he heard how disgruntled Tyler was.

  Besides being the strongest among all of them, Ryan was also the friendliest. His initial friendliness toward Kate had bothered Tyler, especially when Ryan openly professed how he loved her. Tyler knew Ryan had spoken jokingly, but he simply refused to let it go.

  “How are you doing?” Kate asked after shaking her head at Tyler’s childish behavior.

  “Great, especially since I get to stay at the mansion for three whole months. I’ll get to eat Marianne’s food for three whole months!”

  Kate laughed softly at Ryan’s equally childish answer. “You guys deserve each other.”

  Dan joined in the laughter. “I think he won’t mind being paralyzed if you tell him that he’ll get to enjoy Marianne’s food for the rest of his life.”

  Tyler grinned at Dan’s words.

  “When will you be discharged? We’ll come and get you,” Tyler said.

  “You can take him back now if you want.”

  Everyone turned toward the door as Joseph entered. Kate got up from Ryan’s bed and gave him a hug. “Are you coming with us? We can wait for your shift to end.”

  “That’s still hours away. You guys must be tired from your flight. Go back and rest. How are your eyes?”

  After much pushing, Kate finally found time to get her Lasik surgery done before the wedding. In the beginning, she had complained that her eyes felt dry rather easily, so Tyler had bugged Joseph on checking her eyes whenever he was at the mansion.

  “Fine. I still can’t believe that I have perfect eyesight. Sometimes I go to bed thinking I should remove my contacts.”

  Tyler walked up to his wife and ran his fingers through her hair. In reaction, Kate gazed up at him and leaned against the length of his arm.

  Again, the simple intimacy they displayed reminded Dan of the ache in his heart. “I’ll get the papers settled while Kate fills him in on Marianne’s menu for the night.” He stood and walked out without a second look at the rest of them.

  “Hey,” Joseph said as he followed him. “Evelyn again?”

  “I’m fine.” There wasn’t much he could say. How was he supposed to explain to his friends that Kate’s best friend was driving him crazy, but he couldn’t get himself to stay away from her?

  “Ryan may be quitting his job,” Joseph said after a moment of silence.

  “Really? I thought he loved being a fireman.”

  “Actually, after the fire at Kate’s house, he started having second thoughts. Then this accident.”

  “So what is he going to do?”

  Joseph shrugged. “I don’t think he’s put much thought into it yet.”

  Chapter 3

  “Good morning,” Evelyn said as she entered the kitchen. The kitchen was crowded with the entire gang, everyone sitting at their respective seats around the dining table. Only plates and utensils were on the table, but the aroma from the food was already making her stomach growl.

  Evelyn’s brows flitted up when she saw Joanne sitting next to Dan.

  Since the fire, Evelyn had been working with Joanne on her application for an interior design course. They had looked at dozens of schools, narrowed them, prepared her portfolio, and submitted applications.

  Helping Joanne was another secret that Evelyn had been keeping from Dan.

  Initially, she was surprised that Joanne came to her for advice. She wasn’t the kind of person whom people looked to for help, but she couldn’t turn Joanne down. She knew Dan had hoped that Joanne would grow up and stop behaving like his mother. He wanted Joanne to have a life of her own, to have her own ambitions and desires beyond having Tyler as her boyfriend.

  Evelyn smiled as she thought about the series of debacles that Joanne had resorted to when Kate first moved in.

  Things were different now. Joanne was no longer creating problems for Kate and was serious about finding a future for herself.

  Evelyn was glad to help. She was certain Dan would be elated to know that his sister was finally ready to start living her own life.

  She pulled out the chair between Kate and Dan, joining the rest of the gang around the crowded table.

  The mansion was now the focal point of their lives. Even with the crazy work schedules that Ryan and Joseph had, they always came over whenever they had the time. If they couldn’t make it for dinner, they’d turn up for breakfast or lunch, or even just to chat with Kate and Marianne for a while before heading to crash in the guest rooms.

  Evelyn didn’t stay over like the guys. She didn’t like staying anywhere except her own house; a place where she was used to, a place where the noises at night wouldn’t startle her, and a place where she could lock her bedroom door without having to explain why.

  “Hey! The food will be ready soon,” Ryan said.

  “How are you feeling? Kate told me what happened.”

  “Good. Still in one piece.”

  Evelyn smiled and stole a glimpse of Dan as she pulled her chair closer to the table, slightly disappointed that he wasn’t looking at her.

  She had no right to be, but she was.

  She knew what Dan wanted; relationship, marriage, family. Everything that she couldn’t give him. Everything that he wouldn’t want from her if he found out about her past.

  But when she wasn’t with him, all she could think about was him. When she tried seeing other guys, all she could see was how they failed to compare to him. When she told herself that she wasn’t going to keep Dan in her craziness and that it was time to bring things to a complete end, she’d have an overwhelming urge to see him.

  Her hands would then betray her, picking up the phone and calling Dan before she could stop herself.

  Dan would turn up; he always did, and they would have as much fun as they always had. They’d laugh and flirt. Dan would lean in close, push her hair back, then skim his finger down her cheek.

  His soft touch, along with his warm and clear emerald eyes gazing into hers, never failed t
o capture her heart. His gentleness with her spoke of more affection than any words ever did. Selfishly, she didn’t want to let that feeling go, so she persuaded herself into believing that they could always remain the way they were.

  But what she wanted wasn’t good enough for Dan. He’d always push her into formalizing their relationship, and she would take a thousand steps back away from him.

  She didn’t do that to punish him or to prove her point; she needed to stay away from him to remind herself that she wasn’t girlfriend or wife material. She was damaged beyond repair; it was impossible to fix her.

  Things that are impossible to men are possible with God.

  Evelyn shook Kate’s voice out of her head.

  She had to remind herself that she and Dan were only meant to be friends, and she had to stay away to make sure she got her perspective right.

  When she was with him, she sometimes fell into the daydream on the possibility of a future together with Dan. She’d allow herself to play with the thought for a few minutes, just a few minutes.

  She wasn’t the naive sort of person.

  No one would ever want someone like her as his girlfriend or wife.

  As if the universe were reminding her of why she could never be in a relationship, her phone buzzed and she jumped from the shock of the vibration. She checked her phone, then dropped it back onto the table when she saw that it was just an advertisement.

  The reminder of the blackmail took her mind into a dark turn.

  What had she done to God to make Him abandon her and be so cruel to her?

  She didn’t doubt that a God existed.

  He existed for Kate. He protected Kate when she was in trouble. But He had never bothered with her. If He did, He shouldn’t have allowed her to go through what she did.

  Unconsciously, her hand moved toward her left shoulder and her finger grazed across her shirt, over where the scar was located.

  Who would be interested in a woman with such a dark history?

  “Ryan, Joe said you’re thinking of quitting your job?” Dan asked.

  Dan’s voice easily cut through her thoughts, capturing her attention. Realizing where her hand was, she immediately dropped her arm back onto her legs.