In one quick search, I found Skye’s profile picture online. She is leaning into what I assume to be her boyfriend, wearing denim shorts and a tiny spaghetti-strap tank. Her boyfriend is standing next to her in baggy pants and an oversized Led Zeppelin T-shirt. Both are blissfully smiling in front of an amphitheater.
“Wow, she was gorgeous.”
“I know,” Skye says, standing a little straighter, looking over Lena’s shoulder in pure pride.
“And here’s her obituary…”
And Skye sighs so loudly, it’s the human equivalent of a tiny violin.
“How did you know she was a ghost and not just some voice in your head?” Lena asks.
I stand up, looking Skye over from head to toe, wearing a new outfit she’s manifested onto her body. Daisy Dukes and a yellow crochet top with thick wedges, a beachy look for her.
“I knew when all the signs that would happen any time before she would arrive just kept happening. The wind. The whispers. The shadows. It was like she was slowly telling me that she was there until I couldn’t ignore it anymore.”
Lena grabs a fist full of popcorn from my bowl. Every crunch she makes gnaws at me.
“I probably sound crazy to you, don’t I?”
“Oddly enough, I think I believe you?” She says.
I spent the next hour telling her about the last two months of my life. And I think at this moment that we might actually be real friends—not just work friends, but real-life friends. I leap into her arms for a hug and hold on to her, a hug that I know she clearly is trying to get out of, but she has no choice, because she has no idea how much this means to me.
Lena pushes me off with a smile remaining on her face.
“So, what are you gonna do about Aidan and Holden?” Lena says, biting her lower lip.
And I know exactly what I need to do.
“Well, since you asked, I did have a favor I wanted to ask.”
Her eyes go wide and for the first time in years, I am able to call the shots.
Chapter twenty-six
Preparation Is Key
As I walk into the pitch-black auditorium, I catch a spotlight on the stage showcasing a girl. I inch closer, getting a good look as she appears to be delivering a monologue, throwing her hands in the air, evoking so much emotion. Each purposeful pause at the end of every sentence makes me even more immersed in her presence.
Her emerald-green fitted bodice hugs every curve as the rest of the material cascades to the floor. With puffed sleeves and a square neckline, it is a dress made for a queen.
Her jet-black hair is swaying across the stage as if she has been there her whole life. I catch her British accent more clearly as I move to the front row.
“I’m foolish for being near him. The way I long to be in his presence. The way the trappings of my mind are consumed by my longing for him. Nay, I can’t stop. And even though I’mbetrothed to another man… I know my deepest desire doesn’t lie with him, but another.”
Her hazel eyes look on the verge of forming a tear before she rushes away behind the curtain.
A blinding light is peeking through to the crowd. The light grows larger, closing in on me until I can’t see anything in front of me.
Duas almas incompletas.
Duas almas incompletas.
Duas almas incompletas.
The phrase slithers in my ears in a set of three, hissing at me until another voice chimes in.
“Good morning, sweetie.”
