If my cousin widened his eyes any further, they would’ve popped out of their sockets. “As in your wife?” His tone just as dubious as I felt. I nodded. “When? Where?”
“Enigma.”
“Does she work there? Patron?”
“I think she works there.” I poured another drink, this time I sipped it slowly.
“Did you speak to her? Say hello at least?”
I let out an incredulous laugh. “And say what exactly?” I stepped away from the bar and handed him a glass. “Excuse me, but are you my wife? Who, by the way, died at childbirth, seven fucking years ago?” I gritted out the last part then pulled in a frustrated breath.
“Are you planning on going back?”
“Given the shock to my system, I’d probably die from curiosity if I didn’t, but I need to play it by ear.” Did I have the courage to face a dramatic past in the making? Even as the thought left me, I still couldn’t get over seeing Krisha’s face again. I had a feeling my dreams tonight would be haunted by her face until I met that woman again. “Enough about me, how are you doing?” I downed my drink and cocked a brow at my cousin.
“I’m good.”
“I’m the last person you need to bullshit, Rayden. Have you looked in the mirror?” If anyone knew him well, it would be me. While I hadn’t retained the Princeton surname after my father divorced my mother, I was extremely close to Rayden and his family. I studied his withdrawn expression. He was a good-looking man but there was no mistaking the dark circles under his eyes or the consistent droop to his usually smiling mouth. I sighed. “Look, I know discovering your father was in love with your new girlfriend and then walking away takes guts but using your old girlfriend as an excuse to overcome the pain, isn’t—”
“I’m not.” He stared at me. I frowned. “I left the wedding because I got a call from Zena.”
“Christ, Rayden, you seriously believed that? It could’ve been a prankster—”
“I thought the same thing then I got another call from her. Fuck, Trent.” He raked a hand through his hair and I sensed his annoyance. “The desperation in her voice, it nearly killed me.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ve been working with some people to find out the truth. My gut tells me she’s alive.”
Slowly, I shook my head, wanting this news to be true just for him to smile again. “It’s a long shot, Ray, and even if she was alive, how?” I’d just seenmydead wife, I should be the last person asking that question.
He shrugged. “That’s what I’d like to know. Someone’s looking into the body that was found in the car. There’s a possibility it might’ve not been her.”
I frowned. “Say you’re right, why?”
“No fucking idea. One of the guys I know, works for the FBI, he’s checking what strings he can pull to get me some information.” He took a step toward me with a resigned sigh. “What if you were thinking about Krisha at that moment you saw that woman?”
“Why now then?” I smirked, shaking my head. “Why not the year after she died? Or last year, or the one before. I’ve thought about my wife often, why specifically now? I know what I saw.”
“Maybe you were just hallucinating.”
“And you’re chasing a fucking ghost, enough said,” I snorted. We glanced at each other and burst out laughing. “Jesus, how the hell did we end up in this fucked-up situations?”
“Who the fuck knows.” Rayden shook his head. “Maybe it’s a sign.” I cocked a brow at him. “Maybe you should consider tying the knot again.”
“Now you sound like grandma.” I widened my stance and leaned back against the bar counter. My father’s mother lived with Rayden’s family and whenever I visited, she never hesitated to remind me that I was still of marriageable age. At thirty-three, I should think so. I snorted a laugh at the thought.
“You haven’t had any serious relationships since Krisha—”
“Yeah, I’m not interested in anything serious.”
He studied me for a long moment. “Don’t you think the kids need a mother?”
“Nope.” I downed the rest of my drink. “I’m all they need.”
“Would the sight of Krisha’sghostchange that notion? Maybe it was another sign telling you that she’d want you to move on, marry again.”
I took a deep breath, one I reserved for when grandma or anyone else tried to tell me what Krisha would want me to do, and shrugged. “Life doesn’t always go according to plan. Fate is a mean motherfucker, but I’ve accepted being single. It’s best for my kids. And what the fuck is up with you and signs?”
“I’m just desperate to believe in the unbelievable right now, I guess. A month ago, we were both normal men and today we’re facing weird-ass situations that don’t make sense. Do you blame me?” Rayden laughed and I grinned. “I agree, fate is twisted but what about what’s best for you?”
I didn’t answer because it wasn’t important. Instead, I stared out the window into the darkness beyond, wondering about the impending changes I could see coming. All I wanted was for my kids to grow up knowing the love of a parent. I wasn’t interested in bringing someone home that would either pretend to love my children or worse still turn abusive toward them. It was a risk I wasn’t willing to take. The world was already full of shit, I didn’t need to add my kids’ livelihood to that pile.
