The Second Life of Everly Beck: The Tethered Soul Series Book 2

by Laura C. Reden

Brooklyn picked her candy, and James took his time digging through the salty and sweet for the perfect choice. I ran my hands through my hair, closing my eyes. It was all too clear that I was stressed. It was a slip-up, and I hadn’t meant to show it.

  Of course, Brooklyn would catch the one time I let my act fall for a brief breath in silence. “It’s OK. I get scared too. I brought some shots. Let’s take one now, so takeoff won’t be so bad—because that’s the worst part. Well, that and landing,” Brooklyn said.

  Even though fear of flying was not my issue, a shot may still be the fix.

  “That sounds great. Thanks.” A little something to take the edge off was exactly what I needed.

  Brooklyn pulled out six shots. When the flight attendant turned her back, I passed three over to Nolan.

  “Bottoms up!” James said and downed his shot. Brooklyn smiled an encouraging smile and wished me a happy birthday before she gulped half of the clear liquid, shaking her head a multitude of times before going at it again. I swallowed mine whole.

  I wasn’t much of a drinker. Not in this life, and not in most before. There was a time—a life—when I tried desperately to escape my cyclical, never-ending existence. But the drinking never fixed the loneliness, and to be honest, it just made me an asshole. That life went by in a blur. I was a burden on society, the worst part of many people’s day. And then it ended. I died recklessly, just as I had lived. And then I started anew. When I looked back on that life, I always came up with the same question: what was the point? Since then, I’d rather feel the pain and be able to live with myself at the end of the day.

  “Oh, God! It’s so bad! How did you guys drink the whole thing like that?” Brooklyn stomped her feet against the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. Her twenty years of age were reflected in her acquired taste that was yet to be. It wasn’t until a shiver ripped through her body that I laughed at her, lifting my mood. The warm liquid chased away the worry that I carried onto the plane with me, and I was so grateful that I asked for another.

  James, Brooklyn, and I took another shot, this time not sharing with the other three. Brooklyn buried her face in the crook of her elbow and coughed as James and I laughed. No matter what happened on this trip, I was along for the ride; and for the first time since being invited, I was OK with that.

  Chapter 10

  The plane took off, throwing us back against our seats. Brooklyn grabbed hold of my wrist and then James’s too. She scrunched her eyes closed tight, and I tried to comfort her the only way I knew how. I rattled off statistics.

  “The chance of this plane crashing is only one in five-point-four million. You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning or mauled by a wombat. Just take a deep breath . . . and maybe another shot. Before you know it, we’ll be in Vegas.” While I may have included some of my own statistics, I was sure she wasn’t listening to me either way.

  Brooklyn took several deep breaths, and sometime after her third and fourth shot, she relaxed. Her body was heavy and her lips loose. She leaned in and divulged secrets about her friends. I soaked up every word like a sponge while James snored against the window.

  “Payton’s always had a thing for Nolan, even after they broke up in high school. She just can’t seem to let him go. She won’t admit it, of course, because Becca is her friend, so she pretends to be happy for them, but really, she’s jealous as shit!” The smell of vodka lingered on her breath as the truth spilled out.

  “So, is Beck serious with Nolan?” I asked.

  Brooklyn sighed and looked up to the ceiling of the cabin. “Um, I mean, it’s complicated. They’re not like exclusive, if you will, but”—she took a moment to pop a Spree in her mouth and mull it over in her head—“I honestly think Beck likes him more than he likes her.”

  As much as I was happy that their bond was breakable, I still ached for Beck that she’d not been loved properly.

  “I mean, look at him. He’s gorgeous. Who wouldn’t fall all over his feet?”

  I looked in their direction, and a pang of jealousy drifted over me. “Do you like him, too?” I asked.

  “Me?” Brooklyn pointed at the remainder of the Sprees, an extension of her finger, to her chest. “I wouldn’t. He’s not my type. He’s . . . well, maybe? I mean, no! No, I don’t like him. I like to look at him, but that’s not the same thing. Huh, I’m saying too much aren’t I?”

  “No, you are saying just the right amount, actually.”

  We laughed, and I could tell she wasn’t worried about me keeping her secrets.

  “Can I tell you something?” I said. After much deliberation, I concluded Brooklyn put a lot of weight on trust. And though she was spilling everyone’s secrets at the moment, I could tell it was more to do with the occupation of keeping her mind off the plane crashing than the alcohol erasing her inhibitions. Plus, the gossip was child’s play compared to the secrets she really held dear. Her soul was buried at the depths of the ocean, and I wondered what had put it there. A trauma was my guess, but I wouldn’t pry, as it was none of my business. The way to her heart was trust, and I knew how to be loyal. Brooklyn sensed as much, and I assumed some of that was why she’d chosen to open up to me.

  “Anything!” Her eyebrows lifted in curiosity.

  “Don’t tell anyone, but”—her eyes focused on mine, the gold glimmer warm and inviting—“I always felt deep down in my gut that Beck was my soulmate. And one day, I plan to marry her,” I said, all acting aside. As if two marriages weren’t enough, I wanted a third. A traditional one.

  Brooklyn sighed at the depth of my seriousness. “Oh my god! I got chills! I totally believe in that kind of stuff!” She lifted her arm between us, and it was covered in tiny goosebumps. “You know, I see it. It all makes sense. So much sense.” She scratched her head, smiling off into the distance. “Now, can I tell you a secret?”

  I leaned in, all ears. “What?”

  “She’s the missing piece to your puzzle.” My brows pulled together, not understanding. Brooklyn pointed at Beck. “It’s her. She’s your missing piece,” Brooklyn said in a whisper with a slight lisp, then gazed off in Beck’s direction.

  I followed her line of sight, and watching as Nolan lowered his head to Beck’s. I was grateful that I could only see the back of her chair. Her soft giggle lifted into the air, and my stomach dipped, knowing that I’d not been the one to make her laugh. Still, through the pain, I enjoyed the sound.

  Just as I was about to ask Brooklyn to elaborate, she turned to me, announcing she needed to use the restroom. I pressed my knees together and shifted to the side as Brooklyn straddled me ungracefully and crawled out of the row, making her way to the back of the plane.

  I closed the hotel door behind me, thankful that Beck’s room was adjacent to mine but more than a little disturbed that she was sharing it with Nolan. Brooklyn and Payton were placed in a room down the hall, and James was on the first floor, which suited his need to be amongst the bustling casino guests and flashing lights.

  I unpacked, trying not to think about all the things Nolan was doing to Beck at the very moment, and I couldn’t be more grateful that we didn’t end up with adjoining rooms. Sharing a wall would be my new nightmare, making the boulder pale in comparison.

  I tried to dispel the thoughts and unwelcome images with a shower. This couldn’t really be my second life with Beck? I had amounted to nothing more than supporting best friend. Her birthday twin. Her old neighbor. Did she really not remember me? Our entire life before this?

  I willed myself to remember my second life. It was a long time ago, and while I remembered that it was more difficult to understand the situation I had come upon then, I didn’t have the clarity I needed to assess Beck’s situation. I didn’t know how to uncover the hidden memories because I had forgotten what it was like.

  I dressed and spent a few extra moments messing with my hair. When it protested, I gave up. It didn’t matter anyway. My eyes searched the mirror, looking for answers regarding how I ended up her
e and how I could find my way out. But the reflection only mocked me with unruly hair and dark shadows under my eyes. I was startled by the loud knock on my hotel door, and I left the man in the mirror for another time.

  “Ooh! Don’t you look handsome!” Brooklyn said as she stumbled into my room on the arm of Payton.

  Payton was a cute girl with an athletic body; short and muscular. Her hair was long and mousy brown. It was thin and dry, and despite her toned body, I could tell that she didn’t take care of herself.

  “Where is Ev . . . Beck?” I asked the girls.

  “She’s probably in pound town right about now,” Payton said, rolling her eyes.

  Brooklyn backhanded her shoulder a little harder than I think she meant to, and I could see that my secret was already out by the way Payton responded with wide regretful eyes.

  I turned away from the girls as they made themselves comfortable on my bed, and I stared out the window to the streets below. The people were like ants swarming the city. The girls talked about their plans for the night, and I only half-listened while the other half of me was with the people out my window. It was easier to think about them than “pound town.” I ran my hand through my hair, disheveling it further.

  Much more time passed than I would have liked before Beck and Nolan appeared. His hair was ruffled and his shirt wrinkled. The sight of him made my throat restrict, and I wondered how I would possibly make it through an entire weekend away with these lust birds. My prior resolve to settle in for the ride faded away with the buzz I had long ago, leaving me with a much more sober and somber tone.

  “Let’s get some drinks at the bar and do a little gambling while we wait for James. I’ve been dying to play the slots,” Beck said as she swiped through her phone. My eyes trailed from her silver earrings swinging by her neck down to the curves of her thigh before darting away the moment her gaze lifted.

  “Why don’t we go to the buffet? Ribs, shrimp, pizza, all on one plate!” Nolan said holding his arms out as if there were no possible way anyone could refuse the thought of a heaping plate of mismatched food. I couldn’t help it when the image of him hunching over a plate of meat scraps crossed my mind. How could she possibly be attracted to him? And now Payton and Brooklyn too? I watched him, my jaw slightly dropping as I scrambled to find the answers to his appeal, and finally resolved to the idea that his lure was not meant for me to see.

  “OK, well, you do you . . . I’m going to get a margarita at the bar. We can meet up later.” Payton threw her hands up in the air and walked out of the room. Brooklyn laughed and stumbled behind her, leaving Beck, Nolan, and I in an uncomfortable circle of awkward silence. Not soon enough, Nolan answered a phone call, taking several steps away. It wasn’t much, but I felt the privacy between Beck and I return.

  “How do you want to spend your twenty-first birthday?” I asked.

  Beck slid her phone into her bag and took a seat on the edge of my bed. “I don’t know. I just want to order a drink at a bar. At a pool. At a club. I’m going to be so mad if they don’t card me! That’s all I really want, to be carded. I want to flash my ID as much as possible this weekend.” She leaned back onto her elbows, exposing an inch of flesh and the crevice of her belly button. My heart lurched, and I forced my gaze up to the ceiling.

  “I’ll make sure that they card you. Everyone in this forsaken city will think you’re a minor, if that’s what you want for your birthday,” I said, avoiding the length of her body on top of my bed. Beck laughed, eyeing me suspiciously.

  “What about you, birthday boy? How do you want to spend your twenty-first birthday?”

  I wanted to spend it with her. Just as she was now. A smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes. I wanted her to remember me. I wanted Nolan to be no more than history, and I wanted my future promised with a ring on her finger. “I . . . I want to try my hand at poker,” I said as I felt the weight of my shallow lie. Though, it would be nice to pocket some cash for the weekend.

  “Do you know how to play?”

  “I used to play with my . . . grandpa.” And for a moment I was back in the bar playing poker with Clyde and his drunken buddies. His foul mouth would always run, and his tough exterior never wavered, but the times that he laughed so hard he slapped the poker table and the chips would rumble were enough to keep me coming back time and time again. My lips twitched with a smile.

  “Maybe you could teach me?” Beck’s eyebrows raised, and the smile spread well beyond my face.

  Nolan ended his call and informed Beck they were going to the buffet. Beck invited me, but I didn’t need to look at Nolan to feel the radiating disapproval from him. I settled, promising to teach Beck how to gamble after their dinner.

  We split after the elevator, and I made my way to the casino floor. The room was buzzing with cigarette smoke and high stakes. Most were drowning in the disappointment of lost wages, leaving few with chips in their pockets or optimism in their hearts. I spotted Brooklyn and Payton at the bar talking to a couple of men; I’d leave them to it.

  After evaluating several tables, I found one to my liking and pulled up a seat. Three players, all men, and a dealer who was probably in her late sixties, early seventies. She wore a short skirt and a revealing top as part of her uniform. Her lips puckered with the wrinkles that only a long-time smoker earned in due time.

  “Yes, pull up a seat, hon,” she said in a splintered voice.

  I joined the table, and the dealer counted me in. Two of the men eyed me, and the third didn’t notice me at all. I was pretty good at poker because of my ability to read people, but I cursed myself for never taking the time to learn how to count cards. As the game began, I committed to learning in this lifetime, starting with this very game.

  Time was lost as if in an alternate universe. It was a phenomenon that happened only to gamblers, and as I sat at that table, I was not immune to its powers. That’s why I was surprised when Beck placed her hand on my shoulder some three hours later.

  “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!”

  “You have?” I looked around. I was nearly four thousand dollars up, and there was a new player at the table.

  “Yeah, we finished dinner a while ago and we’ve all been at the bar.”

  I looked back as far as my eyes could stretch. There in the bar was a small group of people gathered around James as he told a lavish story with so much animation, he had an open ring around him further than his arms could reach. I returned my attention to the table and reaped my winnings, thanking the dealer with a tip.

  “Wow, you’re really good!”

  “Oh, just beginner’s luck,” I said. Beck’s brows knitted as I pocketed my chips. We started back to her friends, but before we got far, she asked if I knew how to play the slots.

  “I don’t play, but I’m sure we could figure it out together. Sit down, let’s see,” I said.

  Beck took a seat at a nearby mermaid slot machine. It was her third serious consideration, and I poked fun of her every time she switched machines. She cracked every knuckle on both of her hands before shaking them out. The stress radiated off of her in sheets.

  “Are you OK?”

  “Yeah! I’m just getting ready,” Beck said.

  I laughed at her theatrics. “Alright then. If you’re ready to lose some money, put the coin in, and pull the lever.”

  Beck looked at me like I was deceiving her. “Is that it?” she asked.

  I shrugged, “Um, maybe push one of these buttons?”

  “Oh my god! You don’t even know how to use this thing!” Beck swatted at me, and I jumped backward when all I really wanted was to dive in close. Our playful banter was like a small sense of recognition. Her welcoming an old friend back into her life. The closer I got to her, the more I craved it. We messed around on the slots for a little while until Beck was sick of losing her money. Then, we took some of my winnings, and I taught her how to play roulette.

  “Make sure you card this one. I don’t think she�
��s old enough to be here!” I said to the man in charge of the roulette.

  He looked at me, unamused. “I’ll need to see both of your IDs.” Beck sucked in a quick breath and snickered into my shoulder. We handed our IDs to the man, who was twice my size. He gave them back with slight annoyance.

  “Sir, I think your hair is on fleak!” Beck said. My eyes widened as I looked back to the man’s head of thinning hair. Though I couldn’t see the top, I was still sure that there would be a round balding patch. He frowned, causing Beck’s cheeks to turn crimson.

  “I thought it was a compliment. It was supposed to make him feel good. It doesn’t work for me. It never has,” Beck whispered, turning her face away from the man. Beck didn’t know that she was still loud enough for him to hear, but he and I did.

  I smiled an apologetic smile and handed him our bet. At least some things were still there hidden within Beck, and I briefly wondered if the alcohol would be the key that unlocked even more yet. After much deliberation, Beck chose black, and I think she enjoyed it more than pulling the lever on the slots. It was something in the way her eyes sparkled that made me want to reach out behind the nape of her neck and kiss her long and deep. But when I realized I couldn’t, my smile began to fade as my eyes lingered on her lips.

  Beck looked up at me after we lost, catching the desire in my eyes. She bit her lip, meeting my gaze before breaking. “Come on, let’s get back to the others. I don’t think you can afford to teach me any more games,” Beck said as she grabbed my arm and led me away.

  I followed her back to her friends, leaning into her arm, and when she stumbled, I was there to catch her. If I hadn’t expected to see Nolan around the corner, I would have kept my hand wrapped around her tight; but that wasn’t the case. The small group in the bar had downsized, and only James and a petite but equally outgoing girl remained. Several empty shot glasses fell over and rolled around on the table when James brought his fist down in a fit of laughter. My brows shot up as I counted.