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

by Laura C. Reden

  “Wait, but you were the one who said—”

  “I’m sorry, Easton. I’ve got to run. I don’t want to be late for class. Good luck!” Brooklyn said.

  “Brooklyn, wait!” I said, catching her by the wrist. “Wait!” She spun, her eyes meeting mine. “Talk to me,” I begged.

  Brooklyn sighed, letting the fight escape with her breath. “OK. I . . . I sometimes have these dreams.”

  She stopped there, as if it were enough to answer my rising suspiciousness about her. “And?” I let her arm go, and she rubbed her wrist mindlessly.

  “And, they sometimes come true.”

  “Sometimes?” I asked.

  “All the time.”

  “Do you get these dreams often?” I asked.

  “I’ve always gotten them. But not many know, so you can’t say anything to anyone. Not even Becca.”

  “I won’t,” I promised before knowing if I was able to keep it. Brooklyn frowned. “Did you have a dream about her?”

  “I’ve had a dream about the two of you, and it didn’t end well.” Her eyes creased, and she looked to the ground.

  “And by that you mean?” I pushed her to continue.

  “I mean, you two didn’t make it.”

  “Like, we split up?” I asked, dreading the worst.

  Brooklyn let out a stunted laugh that was anything but funny. “No, like you guys died,” she said, worry lining her forehead.

  I almost burst into laughter but fought to contain myself. Here I thought that Beck wouldn’t accept my proposal, but it was only death. That, we had done before, and we would continue to do it a thousand times over. Poor Brooklyn, she had been worried about a premonition, but little did she know, it was already in the past.

  “Well, if you’re so worried about us dying, then why have you been trying to pair us up?” I asked.

  “I can’t control my dreams. They just kind of will me down a particular path, and then once I’m there, they take on a new form. I knew that she was meant to be with you. Not that asshole Nolan. But it wasn’t until more recently that I saw your death,” Brooklyn said.

  “Look, I appreciate you telling me this. But I don’t want you to worry over nothing,” I said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “It’s not nothing,” Brooklyn said.

  But I couldn’t explain it to her. She was now the one who didn’t understand. And while I thought her ability to dream of reality was neat, I had a wife to find. “Of course not. I’ll be very careful. Thank you for looking out for us. You’re a good friend.” Brooklyn bit her lip, looking like she could go on for days about her dreams. “I’ve got to go find Beck, I’ll catch you later,” I said, and she nodded reluctantly before heading to class.

  There, under the shade of the tree, I stood stranded and slightly sidetracked. I called Beck’s phone again to no avail. Where would she go if she had remembered everything? What would she do? A thought sparked, and I was on the phone calling another taxi. I had to get to the ridge of the Truly River.

  I waited for my ride in the parking lot, where I had spotted Nolan talking to a girl by his truck. She was neither Beck nor Payton, but a third prospect. Long black hair that touched her waist and highlighted her bare skin between jeans and crop top. Nolan’s stance was wide, encapsulating her between his legs. He pulled out his phone as she did hers, and I presumed they exchanged phone numbers. I wondered where his relationship stood with Payton, but when my ride rolled through the parking lot looking for the rideless, my attention fell back to my missing girl.

  I watched the perfect day pass by through the cab window and hoped my inclination was right about where Beck had run off to. When the cab pulled up to our old campsite and I saw my car parked at the mouth of the hiking trail, I finally got the relief I’d been waiting for.

  I thanked the cab driver and walked up to my car, placing a hand on the front hood. The car was cold and therefore had been parked for some time. I set off, jogging down the trail, eager to meet my bride. The pines passing by and tall damp grass nipping at my calves. A slow burn spread across my chest as my heart worked to keep up with my pace. Once I reached the clearing, I could see Beck there at the cliff’s edge. The wildflowers danced in the field between us, and Beck’s hair looked alive, set to motion by a cool gust. Every step closer was a step closer to my fate, and I could feel that I had nearly grasped the brightly burning star that I’d once wished upon so long ago.

  Chapter 24

  I walked through the field, my hand over my shirt pocket. The rings clamored together, past and present clashing. Beck turned around and offered me a slight smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my chin on top of her head. I said nothing. The view from where we stood was astonishing and grounding all at once. If you came here to look down at the Truly River not knowing who you were, you would at least leave knowing who you wanted to be.

  “You found me,” Beck said softly. I squeezed her tight. That I had.

  “You remember. Beck, I’ve waited so long for this moment. I love you. I’ve loved you through sickness and health. Through life and death and back again.” I reached into my shirt pocket and lowered down onto one knee. The ring I grabbed was the original, and it shined brightly under the ray of the sun. Beck turned around, stunned to see my intention. “Will you make me the happiest man and be my wife . . . again? Now, and forever?”

  Beck brought her hand to her mouth, leaving me to read her eyes alone. Her tears left me guessing for far too long, and my heart nearly exploded out of my chest in anticipation of her reply. “Beck, say something,” I begged.

  “It’s coming back . . . slowly. You know how you can look at a picture of yourself as a kid, and you smile and say ‘I remember that,’ only you don’t—you remember the picture? It’s like that. I read my journals, and I remember, but it’s like I only remember what I wrote. I understand how I felt, but somehow it doesn’t translate. I don’t feel that way now. It’s not the same, Easton, I was a different person then. It was—”

  “A lifetime ago?” I asked.

  “Yes. That’s exactly it.” Beck’s eyes were filled with sadness and marked with doubt. I found them to be contagious.

  My gaze dropped to the ring in my outreached hand. Had she not felt the same way about me now? Beck lowered to her knees and sat back on her heels, taking the ring from me, but not placing it on her finger. I sat down, defeated. “Beck, do you still love me?” It was the only question that mattered now.

  “That’s the thing, Easton. I do love you . . . but is that because I remember I did? Is it because I’m supposed to?” Beck ran her finger down the dent in the ring, and I watched as the sparkle of the diamond dimmed as her face fell. “I almost feel like I’m stuck between two people. I don’t know who I am anymore! But if I know one thing . . . I’m not her. I’m not Everly Beck.” Beck handed the ring back to me abruptly as if the pain of having it was too much.

  “But you do love me?”

  “Yes.” Beck grabbed my hand.

  “Say it?” I asked. “I need to hear it. I’ve waited so long to hear it.”

  “Easton, I love you. I just—”

  “Stop! That’s all I need,” I said. I couldn’t take what was coming out of her mouth next. And I still needed the first part to sink in.

  I took the other ring out of my pocket and stared down at it for a moment before handing Beck my heart of glass. I knew I was asking a lot, but I couldn’t live with the regret if she left me now. “I want to be with you. Beck. Becca . . . The first life, the tenth . . . It’s all the same to me. It’s natural to be scared. But you don’t have to do it alone anymore. I’ll be here for you whether or not you put this ring on your finger. I just want you to know that.”

  “What’s that?” Beck asked. I looked at her as she stared into my hand holding not one but two diamond rings. “Why are there two?”

  I shook my head, nearly giving up. “I’m a lost soul, Beck. What more can I say? You kn
ow, before I met you, I thought I had it all figured out. I’d go about my life, trying to make other people happier. I thought I would brighten the world one Sue at a time, and it worked for a while . . . but then you came along, and everything changed. I found balance when I found you. Everything hurt more deeply, but the love you showed me was well worth the pain, and more. You took down my walls, and I never want to build them again. You’re the center of my universe, Beck, but if you want to know who you are . . . you’re so much more than that!” I watched Beck melt before me as my words struck a chord with her, and the green in her eyes softened to match the grass. “Let me ask you this, Beck: who do you want to be?”

  Beck picked a wildflower and pinched off the purple petals one at a time, entranced in thought. “Well, I can tell you who I don’t want to be,” she said.

  “OK then . . .”

  “I don’t want to be that girl I used to be. The one who thought life was . . . cruel. But I don’t want to be the girl I am now either! The one who’s too afraid to try!”

  “Beck, you have all the time in the world to craft who you want to become. Learn the lessons you need. The hand you’ve been dealt is nothing more than chance. But it was you who chose to deal with it bravely, and that’s been a choice. Nobody can take that from you. I know you won’t believe me when I say this, but I’ve already seen incredible growth from you. I can’t wait to see the person you blossom into . . . if you let me.”

  Beck plucked her last petal. “He loves me,” she murmured. A smile spread across her face. “I’m just scared.”

  “I know.” I reached over and lifted the hem of her shirt.

  “What are you doing?” Beck squirmed.

  “Let me see it?” I asked.

  “See what?”

  “The twig.”

  Beck’s mouth fell open. “What? Why?”

  “It’s literally the epitome of your fear. Come on!” I laughed. Beck rolled her eyes and lifted her shirt, baring a cat scratch in black ink across her ribs. I covered my mouth, laughing into my hand. Beck’s eyes sparkled, and I could see that the fear no longer held her back.

  “Seriously, though, why do you have two rings?” A small amused laugh escaped her.

  “I thought . . . that the second I found you, you would bound into my arms. I’d kiss you a thousand times and when you finally let go, I would lower onto one knee and propose. I thought we would pick up right where we left off,” I shook my head at my stupidity.

  “And we lived happily ever after,” Beck smiled and flicked the flower stem away.

  “Yeah. That’s exactly what I thought.”

  “That’s so sappy!”

  I laughed at her bluntness, and the embarrassment caused my face to warm. I guess I was a hopeless romantic. I never gave it much thought. I glanced at her and she winked at me. My heart lurched in my chest. “Yeah. Pretty fucking stupid!” I said, and both Beck and I burst into laughter, letting all the tension fade between us. She shoved me and I flinched before grabbing her and pulling her into me. She fell against my side and inched lower to rest her head in my lap. Her giggles trailed off, and she looked up to the sky. I dug a palm into the grass behind me.

  “This reminds me of grey skies and rainfall . . . a slow, tender dance. And if I close my eyes tight enough, I can almost taste the champagne on my lips.” Beck smiled with her eyes sealed. The sun beamed down on her face, allowing her skin to shine almost ethereally.

  Her memory was painted not only with her words but in the smile on her face. It was almost real—like I could taste it too if I just closed my eyes. “Beck? That memory wasn’t written in your journals,” I said. Beck’s face compressed under the sun, and a stream of fresh tears ran into her hair. When she opened her eyes, she didn’t need to confess her love for me or place a ring on her finger because I could see it not only in her but all around her. Like fireflies glowing and gleaming in the air, tucked between blades of grass and tangled in her pale blond hair.

  “Easton, I don’t know what I would do without you. I may have a lot of self-discovery left to do, but I’m my best self when I’m with you. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Not only our past life. Not only this one. But the future ones too. I’m all in. It’s you and me, OK?” Beck let her tears run freely as she gazed up at me, her eyes full of love and promise.

  My heart mended back together, stronger than it was before it had broken. Beck chose me. Again. And it wasn’t because she was down and out or because she had no other choice. She chose me because I’d won her heart, and she’d have it no other way. “It’s us against the world,” I said.

  Beck snickered as the tears fell. She nodded in agreement. “You and me.” “Which ring do you want?” I asked.

  Beck sat up, placing a finger to her lips. “I want the first one—the original. It’s been through a lot, and I’m not done with that girl yet.” Beck smiled widely and held out her left hand. I glided the ring onto her finger. Despite the dent, it still fit her perfectly. She held it out for both of us to admire. I took her hand in mine and kissed it.

  “I have a safe deposit box I can send the other ring to for safekeeping.”

  “You mean, for another life?” Beck asked.

  I wiped her tears away with my thumb. “Yeah, something like that. Hey, Beck? If we’re ever separated, I think it’s important to have a meeting place.”

  “Wait? Why would we ever be sep . . . Oh.” Beck laid back down on my lap, looking at her ring.

  “May seventh. Every single May seventh at the New River Bridge. If we find ourselves starting over, I want you to meet me there as soon as you can,” I said, stressing the importance.

  “May seventh, the New River Bridge,” Beck repeated. Reassurance washed over me like a warm blanket, and Beck and I took a deep breath in unison. She looked back up to the sky and reached her hand out in front of her as I stroked her hair. At first, I thought she was admiring her ring, but then I saw her pinching at the open air. Her eyes green and wondrous, she looked in between her fingers, perplexed. “Hey, Easton?”

  “Huh?”

  “What are these?” She tried to catch another but came up short.

  I chuckled and marveled at her as she saw what love looked like for the first time. “It’s love, Beck.”

  “It’s . . . magical,” she whispered.

  Chapter 25

  Neither one of us was ready for reality. We remained in the clearing above the Truly River for hours. Beck asked questions about her cancer, and I helped fill in the missing gaps in her memory. She told me stories she’d read in her journals and picked flower petals until the sun made its voyage across the sky.

  When it was time to head back to reality, Beck and I strolled hand in hand on the trail under the pines. Beck tossed me the keys from her bag and I unlocked the car before we got inside. I pulled my seatbelt across my chest and noticed that Beck sat still and silent. She paged through her phone, which was filled with missed calls and texts. Several were undoubtedly from me, and I became insecure when Beck twisted with unease.

  “What? I was worried, you weren’t answering.”

  “It’s from Nolan. James was in an accident!” Beck said in shock. I looked away, feeling her hot gaze on me, but I was too cowardly to meet her stare. I swallowed, feeling the push and pull of bad news on a beautiful day, and I put my car into reverse and pulled out of the pines. “He’s at the St. Peterson Mercy Hospital. Do you know how to get there?” Beck asked. I did, it was the same hospital that Beck had been taken to by ambulance after her brother’s wedding. I nodded, and we were in for a shift in the tide.

  Beck stayed on phone calls between Nolan, Payton, and Brooklyn, and by the time we pulled into the hospital, there was a small group of James’s close friends huddled in the waiting room. The few I knew were from our trip to Sin City, but there were several faces I’d never seen before. Beck ran into Brooklyn’s arms, and I wondered if she’d had a dream about James, too. I took a seat, resting my elbo
ws on my knees and hanging my head, my hair flopping into my face. The dread spread throughout my chest as I waited for news that only I could know to spread to his friends.

  It was a scene I’d seen a few times too many and one I had never wanted to see again. It’s hard enough to watch someone leave this world of old age—a perfectly natural occurrence that happens every single second—but when a person is young, short-changed, and unready . . . it’s even more unfathomable. I wanted to be anywhere but in that waiting room, but I had a job, a love, and a breaking heart to protect.

  James’s friends talked amongst themselves as we waited for answers, and I gathered the bits of information that I could and pasted them together. From what I understood, James was on a job painting high on top of scaffolding when he tripped and fell. He landed in a compromising position and there was damage to his spinal cord and head. He wasn’t conscious when they brought him in, and I knew he was already gone, though monitors would most likely keep him alive for hours or even days longer. I watched his friends lean on each other, and when I saw no evidence of his parents, I asked Brooklyn where they were. “They’re out of state on vacation. Nobody has got a hold of them yet,” she said. I threw my head back and scratched my head, exasperated.

  “I can’t stay here. I need to walk. Tell Beck that I’ll be right back, OK?” I asked.

  “Absolutely. Oh, and Easton?” Brooklyn said. I looked over my shoulder as Brooklyn mouthed, “Congratulations,” with an empathetic smile. I patted my heart and turned away. It was hard to be happy in the wake of a tragedy.

  I fled the scene and made my way to the cafeteria for a coffee. Unbeknownst to me, Beck had followed. “Can I get a coffee please?” I asked.

  “Just one?”

  I looked behind me, startled to see Beck. “Two please,” she said.

  “Hey, I’m sorry, I just needed a breather,” I apologized.

  “I get it.” Beck gripped my arm tight and rested her head on my shoulder, exhausted from an emotional couple of days. We took our coffees and headed to a nearby table littered with creamer and sugar packets. It was when Beck took her lid off, that I saw her mother enter the cafeteria. As quickly as I could, I spun Beck around, shielding the visibility of her face.