by Mya O'Malley
“Hold on a second.” Naomi reached for her jacket and giggled. Ryan was already helping her into it.
“Stay.” Naomi knew commands were meant for dogs, but she believed that cats were every bit as capable as a dog when it came to learning, even smarter in some ways. They were just stubborn. With the chill of late autumn in the air, Naomi shivered slightly until Ryan’s large arms closed around her, warming her. With a contented sigh, she took in the scenery around her property as they walked. Technically, the graveyard was not on her land, but for all intents and purposes, it might as well be since her yard extended right onto the first set of gravestones.
“Look at this,” Ryan gushed as he bent to clear leaves from the headstone. “1706. Isn’t that amazing?”
It was, but it kind of gave her the creeps, too. “Yes, let’s keep walking.” She hugged her arms around her torso. He reached for her once more, but all of his attention was focused on the property before them.
Hand in hand, they walked until she couldn’t stand to see one more grave. The reaction surprised her. Yes, she was looking forward to researching the history here, but a sense of sadness overwhelmed her. She couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. His enthusiasm didn’t fade however.
“Let’s take a picture to remember today,” Ryan said, a broad smile on his face.
A selfie in the graveyard? Fine. She would take their picture. Fumbling to grab her cell from her coat pocket, they posed with the headstones behind them.
Ryan reached for her cell and checked out the picture. He had a wide grin plastered on his face while Naomi’s half smile showed her distaste for the setting of the photo.
“Great picture, but you should have smiled.”
She opened her mouth to respond but then thought better of it.
“Ryan, let’s head back, huh?”
“Okay, but only because I want to explore more of your house.”
Well, then.
“Don’t we have dinner reservations?”
“Ah, we have plenty of time. What is it; are you scared?” He gazed down at her, mischief playing in his dark eyes.
“No, it’s not that. This is fun, really.”
Fun? Probably not the best description for this outing, but it was wonderful walking arm in arm with him. Apprehension plagued her again as they headed back, trudging past one headstone after the next.
Naomi could see Zelda pacing back and forth through the dining room window inside the house. The sight didn’t ease her anxiety.
Once they were settled back in her warm kitchen, Ryan grabbed her hand and moved forward into the living room. “Look at the architecture. They don’t build them like this anymore. Can I see upstairs?”
“Yeah, I guess.” It was a good thing she had tidied up around here before he arrived, although she hadn’t expected him to go upstairs.
“Wow, these stairs… I can almost imagine ghosts of the past, men, women, and children walking up these very stairs. “ She could see it now, too. The narrow stairway upon which children may have run up and down, mothers bringing laundry up the stairs, fathers walking down to breakfast.
“Let’s hope the men weren’t as tall as I am,” Ryan commented as he ducked slightly at the sight of the low ceiling ahead. He made his way through the bedrooms which were narrow by today’s standards.
“This house is freaking spectacular.” He stood, hands raking through his dark hair. Without warning, Ryan reached over and pulled her in close.
“Oh!” His lips met hers. Once the initial shock of his actions wore off, she lost herself in the sensation of his kiss. Kissing various men wasn’t something she had an awful lot of experience with, but she’d kissed enough men to know this was different. Different from Nick and amazing. She didn’t care if she needed to come up for air. She could kiss him all night. His energy was contagious.
“That was also spectacular.” Ryan chuckled as he moved a strand of hair from her eyes.
“Um, yes, I would have to agree.”
“Hey, we’d better get going, or we’ll be late for dinner,” he stated, leading her down the steps.
“Careful,” she warned as his head touched the ceiling.
“Ouch.” He spun around, laughing at himself. Naomi followed him down the stairs, thinking that Ryan exuded a ton of spirit and energy; she just might have found her match.
“TELL ME HOW a stunning girl like you happens to sit right next to me at the bar, and you end up being single? How does that even happen?” He buttered a piece of pumpernickel bread. For such a fit man, he certainly liked to eat. Each time they had met in a restaurant, coffee house included, his appetite was insatiable. Must be all that energy he had. She didn’t dare eat that way. She would have loved to, but she had become health conscious lately. Exercise and everything in moderation; boring, but necessary.
Truth be told, she was wondering how she had lucked out, meeting up with him as well. The circumstances upon which they had met were unlikely. “I don’t know, I guess the timing was right?”
“I’m very lucky to have met you.” He leaned in and kissed her quickly on the cheek. “But seriously, tell me about how whoever you were with could just let you go.”
How did he figure that? She wasn’t entirely comfortable speaking about Nick. Not yet. The hurt was too recent, too raw. “I guess it just didn’t work out. How about you?”
“Oh no, you’re not getting off that easily. Talk to me, Naomi. Tell me something you’ve never told anyone else.”
Intense.
Yes, that would be the word she would use to describe him. Intense, energetic, curious, but there was also a gentle, generous side to him that made her wish to spill everything about her ex-boyfriend, from the verbal abuse to the fear and even the good times they had once shared in the beginning. But her story with Nick had faded to an ugly gray in time.
“I can’t believe I’m going to talk to you about this, but his name was Nick.” Shaking her head, she swallowed. “I guess you could say that I thought we had fallen in love. That is, until I witnessed his other side.” A faint sheen of sweat formed on her lower back.
“I’m listening,” Ryan moved in closer, taking her hand in his own large palm for support.
“Jealousy. About everything, including what I wore, to who I was with and every little thing in between.” She sighed deeply, her hands shaking.
“You don’t have to do this; we can stop.” His dark blue eyes were serious. There was the intensity again.
“No…I want to. This is something I should have done long before today. It feels good to open up to someone.” Even Amy hadn’t been privy to most of the finer details of her relationship with Nick. She supposed she had been filled with shame at the thought of finding herself trapped in a situation she truly thought would end in disaster. It was a textbook case. How could an intelligent woman have ended up with such a man?
“I could go on and on, but let’s suffice it to say that things got pretty bad before it ended.” It was as if he understood her, the way he encouraged but then backed away, sensing that she needed to tell this story in her own time.
“How about we skip to the last part? How did you finally break away?” He studied her with his piercing eyes.
That particular question gave her pause. “It’s strange, but it just kind of faded away, not at all what I had expected of our relationship. He was staying at my old apartment almost every night; he had practically moved in. We had a fight. I guess you could say it was the fight of all fights…” Her mind drifted back, back to that late summer evening, when they went out on a double date with his buddy John and John’s girlfriend. Why were you looking at him all night? Do you find John attractive or something? A feeling deep in the pit of her stomach almost made her gag.
“It just…ended. I yelled at him to get out. He came back the next day and grabbed his stuff.”
Naomi paused a moment, feeling a release of emotions. “We argued once more, but then he took everything. He threatened that I had
n’t heard the last from him. That he would never let me go.”
“And?” He studied her face, rubbing small circles on her hand with his thumb.
“And… a few text messages; some nasty, some apologetic. Then nothing. I haven’t heard from him in weeks.” Her mind drifted back to his dark threats. Naomi shook her head.
Ryan placed his hand on his chin and gazed at her. “That’s surprising from what you tell me. Do you think something could have happened to him? You haven’t heard from him at all?”
“No. Like I said, not for weeks now.”
It wasn’t something she had considered before. Could something have happened to him? How many times had she heard Nick threaten that he would never let her get away, no matter the circumstances? It didn’t make sense that he would give up so easily.
“Well, then. It seems he’s moved on. Good.” Ryan kissed her cheek tenderly.
“I suppose.” Naomi bit her lip and shifted in her seat.
The release she had initially felt at spilling her story about Nick was now replaced with creeping apprehension. She was fooling herself. Nick never gave up, but he just may be clever enough to have Naomi believe he had let her go.
Chapter Three
Naomi
LITTLE THINGS. IT was all about the little things. How could she have even predicted what would set him off, make him angry with her? At first, she found herself apologizing for the slightest misstep, always trying to keep the peace. She still loved him then; at least, she thought she did. If only he weren’t so angry with her all the time. Moments of tenderness would almost erase the pain.
Almost.
But then it was as if someone lit a flame under their relationship. Companionship and love had deteriorated before her eyes, causing her to wonder how much of it she could have changed if she’d just tried harder. Now, she knew better.
Now that she was away from the relationship, Naomi could see clearly. Whatever had gone wrong between them had been caused by Nick’s irrational behavior, which was, she found out later, deep-rooted. Nick had suffered from rejection throughout his childhood. He was raised by his aunt and uncle after his father passed away. Nick’s mother had died when he was a small boy and his father’s death occurred when Nick was just twelve years old. His aunt and uncle weren’t prepared to deal with the emotions of a young pre-teen, so they punished him and worse. The neglect he spoke of was heartbreaking. They never bonded with him, and from what Nick shared, it was a constant battle in his house until he went out into a cold world alone at the age of eighteen. Sad, it was a sad story, and Naomi had urged him to seek help. Problem was, Nick felt that counseling was for weak people, that he was fine. Denial was one of his major issues. Denying his own bad behavior had become more problematic as their relationship progressed.
Past issues, past hurt. She needed to leave it all behind and take it as a learning experience. Never again would she ignore the red flags that signaled relationship disaster. Considering herself lucky to be out of the situation, she took a deep breath. Ryan was different. She was sure of it, as sure as the sky above her was clear blue today. Surely that meant good things, right? Starting her day off with a walk in the park with Amy and a date later that night with Ryan, she figured she was on her way to forgetting and healing.
Writer’s block had become more and more of an issue the past few days as Nick had plagued her mind, dragging her down. Deciding that she would move past this unfortunate relationship and grow from it, she sat by her computer. Words usually flowed from her fingertips; her characters often spoke to her. Yes, they actually communicated with her. Now they all remained ominously silent.
“Oh, the heck with this.” Brushing her journal to the side, she put her computer to sleep and paced the room. Sometimes just getting out and experiencing life got her juices flowing. Gazing out her dining room window, she bit her fingertips. Wind whipped the small branches of a nearby tree as she studied the graveyard beyond. What if one of her characters was out there in the cold outdoors, their story untold? Grabbing her jacket, she turned to leave, then thought to grab her journal and a pen. Rarely did she go out without pen and paper. She never knew when an idea would come to her and didn’t wish to forget anything.
Zelda pounced as she opened the door, sprinting ahead, racing to the edge of the property.
“Zelda!” What had gotten into her? It was no use. The cat knew how to get home and would return in her own good time. Naomi just hoped she didn’t surprise her with a bunny or other small creature as her childhood cat, Daisy, used to do.
Crunchy leaves gave way to a wide dirt path, one that extended to the headstones beyond. The unmistakable odor of burning wood came from a neighbor’s house. It would have been nice to have Ryan beside her, but quite honestly, as much as she enjoyed his company, she doubted that she would be able to concentrate with the exuberance that constantly spilled from him. When she was in her writing mode, it was best that she remain alone. A familiar chill seeped through her as she meandered through the property, stopping here and there to read a headstone. Naomi was good at brushing her fears aside, and when it came to writing, she would do anything to get her story, visiting a graveyard included.
It gave her a sense of purpose to focus her attention on these stones. If these souls wouldn’t speak to her, then she would speak to them. Leaning over, she glanced at the names and paused to mutter to some of them. Were you in love? Was it a grand story? How many children did you have? Do you hold any secrets you took with you to the grave?
Whipping out her pen, the wind flapped the pages of her journal as she steadied them with her hand. She brushed her hair from her eyes, then jotted down some names, some general observations. A peculiar sensation passed over her, as if she were being watched. Glancing around, she shuddered as she noticed the sky was darkening. It was time to get back—she would have to say good-bye to her potential muses for the time being. Off in the distance, she heard it, the unmistakable cry that could only belong to Zelda. Where was that little devil? Bounding toward her at full speed, Zelda howled and stopped short of Naomi. “Why you little…”
Scooping to grab the fickle feline, Zelda swerved out of reach and headed back in the direction of her house. There was no rhyme or reason to the recent actions of her crazy cat. Following in Zelda’s footsteps, she sighed as she trudged back through the empty cemetery. What was Zelda doing up ahead? Naomi squinted, taking in the bizarre behavior. Zelda was pouncing over a grave, wailing and rubbing her black furry body over the stone. Eeriness crept upon her, this time the sensation even stronger. Chills coursed through her as she jumped at the sound of a squirrel romping through the nearby woods. Clutching her chest, she released a pent-up breath. Upon closer inspection, the cat remained planted on the spot. Naomi bent over, seizing the opportunity to grab her cat, but the name on the headstone caught her eye.
Maggie T. Field. Maggie. She took in the dates of her birth and her death.
The poor thing had only been twenty-six years old. How very sad. Without thinking, she opened her notepad and she scribbled madly. Questions, questions, questions. Zelda brought her here for a darn good reason.
Maggie had a story to tell.
It felt right. With a chill running through her bones once more, at last Naomi knew she had found her muse.
“I CANNOT BELIEVE you went out there without me.” Ryan attempted to pout, but then cracked a smile. It seemed he was never in a sour mood.
The comment brought a smile to her face. Ryan was slowly becoming her partner in crime. Since the area was so rich in history, she figured they had plenty of time to investigate together. He seemed to read her mind as she gazed out the window once more. His gaze was directed on the old church with the high tower across the street.
“Next time, we should go over to the church. It’s been ages since I’ve visited. The church dates back to the 1700s. Rumor has it that it was used as a prison and hospital. I believe it was rebuilt sometime in the 1800s. Just like your property
, soldiers from the American Revolutionary War are buried there.”
Naomi’s scalp prickled. He had referred to the cemetery outside her window as her property. It gave her the creeps. It wasn’t her property.
Not technically, anyhow.
Ryan was certainly employed in the correct field. She smiled, unable to imagine him in any other occupation other than teaching.
“I’d like to visit. I’m sure it will be very interesting.”
Ryan rubbed his hands together, approaching her. She felt his arms surround her. It felt warm and nice. Very nice.
“I’m sorry. I hope you don’t feel like I’m neglecting you.”
“No, that’s silly.”
How do you compete with history in the eyes of a man such as Ryan? Naomi had relished the fact that he had both drive and purpose. It was actually refreshing.
“If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you if you lived in an ordinary apartment building, my focus would be entirely on you.”
Somehow that didn’t make her feel better. It was okay, though, this preoccupation Ryan had with her house and the surrounding area. Someone to share her interests with was never a bad thing.
“I’m fine. I enjoy your enthusiasm over this kind of stuff. Maybe you could become a writer one day.”
Minds such as his were priceless in the writing field. He would surely delve into the research with glee.
“Writing? Nah. I think I’ll leave that up to you. Teaching is what I enjoy best. But enough of this for now.” His warm lips met hers. With a sigh, she felt herself give in to the sensation of Ryan. He made her feel safe, protected.
“What do you say we head out for dinner?”
Dinner? Yes, they had dinner plans. He never rushed her or pushed her too far. Right now they were just getting to know one another, no pressure for anything heavy. She respected him for that. Not many men that she had known would be satisfied with just a kiss. It was kind of cool how different Ryan was. The more she got to know him, the more he surprised her.