“Are you sure you didn’t imagine it because you really wanted her to be the real deal?” Nina asks in a placating tone. “Because I know how badly you need closure. I just don’t want this to eat at you.”
I went into the night with an open mind, and though I really hoped Garrett might show up, it figures that he didn’t. Those kinds of moments might happen for others, but not me. Closure is something I’m unlikely to get in this lifetime. But the events that occurred were real. I didn’t imagine them. Corinne’s reaction only validates that truth for me.
“There’s no way I imagined it. You saw Corinne’s face. She felt it too.”
“Which has me questioning things even further,” Nina admits. “I believe you, but I wouldn’t put anything past Corinne. She could’ve been messing with you.”
Nina’s gaze cuts back to Lanie for support, or possibly for confirmation that Corinne isn’t above staging things, but Lanie just stares forward, lost in thought.
The wind settles as I say, “It was real. I know it.”
My eyes close and the vision I saw comes to me easily.
Bright lights.
A streak of red.
Garrett hovering over me.
I inhale sharply, my eyes flying open.
Nina pulls her bottom lip into her mouth and remains quiet. I know she’s preventing herself from saying any more. She doesn’t want to push me, but it’s too late.
My body shakes with laughter and an edge of hysteria. All I wanted for the rest of tonight was to have fun with my friends after a nearly two-year-long hiatus.
But the night went to shit, and here we are, still contemplating the likelihood of a nail salon medium being authentic, and whetherI imagined being practically electrocuted by her touch. And worst of all? The cabernet is—gag me—awful.
Nina’s hands raise, likely misunderstanding my pinched expression and feeling the need to make things better.
“I’m sorry. Please look at me,” she begs. “I’m just struggling because I touched her too and I felt nothing. No visions. No memories. Nothing. This is a me issue, Alyssa.”
I shake my head, trying to signal for her to stop, but Lanie chimes in.
“Maybe it’s because Alyssa was the one who asked for the connection,” she offers as an explanation.
“Possible. What do I know about this stuff?” Nina says, head bouncing. “I’m the skeptic.”
I can’t be upset if either of them doubts what I experienced. They didn’t feel the shocks or see the visions, and when it comes to unexplainable things, people tend to want to concoct reasons why the supernatural can’t be real. I’d probably be doing the same if the roles were reversed. But itdidhappen, and I alone can unravel the aftereffects.
“I’m still not over the fact that neither of you seemed to find her eccentric behavior batshit crazy,” I say, trying to get us back on solid ground and onto a lighter topic.
Nina snorts. “I just figured it was part of the act.”
“I don’t think she was acting,” I say mostly to myself.
I grab the bottle from between Nina’s legs, bring it to my mouth, and chug. My throat bobs as the liquid slides down, heating my insides.
“Okay. That’s enough,” Nina scolds, prying the bottle from my tight grip. “You’ve had enough for one night.”
“I don’t need you to mother me, Nina. I’m fine,” I snip.
Nina looks to Lanie, and when neither of them say what they’re thinking, I crack.
“Whatisthat?” I say, motioning between them. “You two have done that all night. I’m not gonna break.” My voice rises, and I have to ball my hands into fists to calm myself. Taking two deep breaths and willing my racing heart to slow, I start again. “I’m not fragile. You can say what you want. I can handle it.”
“Okay,” Lanie says, folding her hands and leaning forward. “You’renotall right. No one who relives a tragic accident on their birthday, in which the love of their life was killed, is all right,” she emphasizes. “It’s not healthy, Ally, and there has to be something that Dr.Lara, or some other psychiatrist, can do to help. You’re never going to move on if you keep reliving that night.”
Nina’s hand rests on top of my knee. “She’s right, love. Chasing after closure when there’s likely none to be found isn’t healthy, and I take responsibility for that. We never should’ve encouraged you.”
