Logan arched a brow. “I’m still not sure whether I should feel threatened by him. This guy who popped up in your life right after we broke up and somehow wormed his way into best friend status.”
Jade chuckled. “He’s not my best friend. Just a good one. And I don’t think you have anything to be jealous of. I’m pretty sure he has his sights set elsewhere, as far as eligible women go.”
“Well, all right. But I might get suspicious if you start ditching me for him.”
Jade laughed. “That’s fair.” She shook her head. “You know, I never would’ve guessed that influencing the mood in a room would have this kind of effect on people.”
“I can’t speak for anyone else,” Logan said. “But you’ve helped me recover. It’s like you knew exactly what I needed to feel. I’m not totally over everything that she did to me, of course. But I’m making steps that direction. It’s as if I’ve been trapped in a dark hole, and your ability is slowly leading me toward the light, showing me a path to escape. What you do is…therapeutic. You’re better than any drug a psychiatrist could prescribe.” He squeezed her hand.
“I’m so glad. And I’m glad to have you back.”
“Hard to believe I had to talk you into giving me…us…another chance.”
“I know. I—”
He held up a hand. “Don’t apologize. You had your own stuff to work through. I understand that. Let’s just focus on what we have now.”
“That’s exactly what I want to do,” Jade said. She exhaled deeply, releasing the negative emotions and pulling in all the calm she could find. It seemed to have no limits. She felt as if she were bursting with the radiance of it, and she knew the moment she stepped into the hospital everyone inside would feel it too. “I thought today would never come. I’m really looking forward to a weekend with just me and my parents.”
Logan leaned forward to give her a peck on the cheek. “I guess I’ll have to share you for now. Give your mom my best.”
“I will.” Jade climbed out of the truck and slung her overnight bag over her shoulder. In the hospital lobby, she saw a familiar face.
“Graham! What are you doing here?”
He glanced at the couple walking with him. The tall, dashing man with gray at the temples and a clefted chin sent her a polite, dimpled smile. The petite, auburn-haired woman with the thin frame gave her a wary glance.
“Hi, Jade,” Graham said. “This is my dad and Mrs. Rousseau.”
The man gave a nod, but the woman just stared.
“This is my friend Jade,” Graham said.
“Nice to meet you,” Mr. Rousseau said.
“I’ll see you later,” Graham said, hanging back near Jade as the Rousseaus continued toward the exit. He uttered a deep exhale then looked Jade up and down and gave her a small smile. “Never fails. Seeing you always makes me feel better.”
She knew he was referring to her empathic control. “I could stop, but—”
“No.” Graham shook his head. “The mood swings can be a little weird, but it’s what I need today.” His lips tightened.
“Why? What happened?” Jade asked, suddenly concerned. Her calm began to slip, but she yanked it back into place by distancing herself from the worry.
“Today the Rousseaus finally decided to pull life support.”
“Whoa,” Jade said. She had to fight harder to control her mood, but she did it. “They didn’t want to hold out any longer?”
Graham shook his head. “It wasn’t like the last coma, where there was still brain activity. After the impact, she was declared brain dead. People rarely survive one serious head trauma. Two, and your chances go way down.”
Jade bit her lip, her mind on how much she had been a part of those events. Contemplating violence wasn’t in her vocabulary. Thinking about what she had done still made her uncomfortable. “Sometimes I think I should feel guilty.” It came out barely above a whisper. “But…I can’t. When I think of what she did to Logan—and to those other two people—”
Graham shook his head. “You shouldn’t feel guilty. It was the only way to stop her. I was going to do it—before she hijacked me.”
“I know….” Jade said.
Graham gave her a sympathetic look, and Jade knew the hesitation must still show on her face. “You tried to help her,” he said. “Coming up here every few days to check up on her…giving her doses of your emotion therapy…it’s more than you needed to do. And way more than she deserved.”
Jade shrugged. “I couldn’t not.”
“I know,” Graham said. “And that’s why you’re the person you are. You are so inherently good. Like so few other people I know.”
“I could say the same about you,” Jade said. “So…she’s gone?” Jade asked.
Graham nodded. “As of a half hour ago.”
“I bet that’s rough on the family.”
“Not the hardest part, though, with all the indictments against her, and Logan’s testimony of what all happened. I still don’t think Roxy believes Violet was guilty of the two killings. Of course, there’s no evidence to support Ras’s murder. But the forensics team found biological matter that proves Holly’s body was disposed of in Violet’s bathroom.”
Jade shuddered. “That’s so creepy.”
“You’re telling me.” He shook his head. “I think Dad knows it’s true, and that’s what’s been so hard on him. Finding out your only daughter is a murderer…then having to accept her death. It’s been a rough few weeks for them both.”
“And what about for you?” Jade asked. “How are you taking Violet’s death?” She thought of his reaction when he’d looked over the building and seen her body lying in the bushes.
“Part of me will always love her,” he said. “First she was the sister I never had. Then she was the sister I needed but couldn’t have.”
“Because she cut you out of her life?”
He nodded. “And I think part of me will always be connected to her. But there was no good end to her story. This is the way things had to be.”
Jade nodded. “Well, hang in there. And don’t hesitate to ask if you need to talk. Or, you know, a dose of good vibes.”
Graham gave her a smile. It gradually faded as his thoughts seemed to stray. “The one positive thing I can say for all this is that I finally feel like I have closure. For the past four years, part of me couldn’t give her up. I wanted what we had when we were teens, even after she practically shunned me.”
“So what in particular changed that?” Jade asked.
“Actually, I think it was Chloe.”
Jade cocked her head. “Really?”
“You’d think finding out Violet was killing people would have done it, but I meant all those things I said on the roof. I really did still want to be friends. I still wasn’t ready to let her go.”
“You didn’t want to give up on her,” Jade said. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Graham nodded. “It was when she hijacked Chloe that everything turned for me. I realized that I had to choose between them—to keep Violet and wish for friendship or to save Chloe.”
“So, no more dreams?” Jade asked.
Graham let out a relieved breath. “No more dreams about Violet. Just the usual type, where I’m performing Great Expectations in front of a huge crowd…in my underwear. Thank goodness—I wouldn’t trade those nightmares for anything.”
Jade chuckled. “So. Speaking of Chloe…how are things between you two?”
His cheeks went a slight tinge pink, and he smiled.
“Good.”
“Any details to share?” she asked.
“Our first date went well.”
“That’s great,” Jade said. “Is there going to be a second?”
“I don’t know. Since she won the design scholarship, she’s busy making plans to move to San Francisco.”
“I know,” Jade said. “It’s bittersweet. I’m going to miss her.”
Graham nodded. “Me too.”
&
nbsp; “Maybe you can work out a long-distance relationship?”
He shrugged. “I’ve never tried before, but I’d be willing. It all depends on Chloe.”
“Well, if she wants something bad enough, that girl can make it happen.”
“Oh, I know all about her stubborn streak,” Graham said.
“Well, I hope it works out between the two of you.”
“Same here. I’ll let you know when there’s more to tell.”
She smiled. “Okay. Well, I better go. They’re releasing my mom today. I bet my dad’s already with her.”
“That’s right,” Graham said. “I know you’re relieved.”
She nodded.
“You know, it’s amazing what you’ve been able to do. Figuring out how to use your gift for others…well, it’s pretty cool.”
“I never thought it was a gift. And it never did any good until now.”
“Not until you’d practiced and developed the skill. But look at what it’s done—your mom’s practically cured, all because of your ability.”
“Who’da thought emotions had so much influence on healing?”
“It’s definitely a thing,” Graham said.
“All I did was take her to my calm place.”
“You took her—and all the other patients here.”
“I get as much out of it as they do,” Jade said.
“I doubt that,” Graham said. “But I don’t fault you for wanting to do a little good in the world.”
Jade smiled, thinking how glad she was to have him in her life.
Graham gave her a soft punch in the arm. “See you at work Monday.” He turned to go, but she caught his sleeve.
“Hey.”
He arched a brow above the rim of his square glasses.
“Thanks for helping me out. With my glitch.”
“I’ll take your emotional punches whenever you need.”
“And for being my friend. You came along right when I needed someone.”
“Same’s true of you,” he said.
She squeezed his hand. “Well, I better go find Mom.”
Graham gave her a farewell smile, and she turned, happy to note that her emotional bubble of calm was still in place. She hurried down the halls to her mother’s ward.
“Miss Edwards? Is that you?” The voice of a senior woman called out.
“Oh, hello, Mrs. Cassidy,” Jade said. “How are you?”
The woman looked up from her wheelchair and held out a wrinkled hand. “Have you come to read me more of your stories?”
“Not today. I’m here to see someone else.”
“Oh?” The woman’s face clouded with confusion for a bit. “What day is it?”
“It’s Friday,” Jade said.
“Oh! Friday. I like Fridays. I get chicken fried steak for supper on Fridays.”
“Sounds tasty. Well, I’ll see you next week, Mrs. Cassidy.”
“On Monday?” the woman asked.
“On Monday.” Jade smiled and gave her a little wave. She turned and stepped right into one of the nurses. “Oh, I’m sorry, Loretta.”
The woman’s face lit up. She glanced back at Mrs. Cassidy who was wheeling herself back into her room. The nurse shook her head. “Amazing progress she’s made, since you been ’round. The others, too. One’d think yous mendin’ bones and regrowin’ organs—not just readin’ to these folks.”
Jade smiled. “Sometimes having a friend is all the support you need.” That wasn’t the whole truth, but none of the staff here knew about Jade’s ability or that she’d been using it each time she came.
“That helps, sure,” the nurse said, “but I’ma guessin’ it more likely has something to do with your stories.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Got magic in ’em, maybe.”
Jade shrugged. “I started out with the classics, but when I told Mrs. Cassidy I was studying to be a writer, she wanted to hear my stories.”
“And she told the lot,” the nurse said with a smile. “Everyone here’s talking about your stories.”
“I’m just glad I can bring some joy to their lives.”
“Well, that you have. Heaven knows I’d hate to be stuck here like some of them is.”
Jade couldn’t stifle the buoyant feelings coursing through her as she walked to her mother’s room, and she didn’t try.
A year ago, her empathic ability had been a handicap. Her struggles had been real, and her journey fraught with difficulties. But Jade had finally realized that her life, with all its messy bits and pieces, had a purpose. It was to help others.
When Jade got to her mom’s room, the door was open a crack. She pushed it inside and entered, ready to embrace this new chapter in her life.
Like the Flawed Series?
Next up is The Uniques, a spin-off of the Flawed series. The Uniques features Cameron Schuyler as he searches for a reason why he keeps running into more people with strange abilities. Cam gets more than he bargains for. Coming in 2017.
Sign up at http://BeccaJCampbell.com/nextbook to be notified when Becca’s next book is available.
Also by Becca J. Campbell
The Flawed Series
Empath
Outsider
Protector
Pulled (A Flawed Short Story)
Constricted (A Flawed Short Story)
The Father Hunt (A Flawed Story)
Foreign Identity
Gateway to Reality
About the Author
An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality, Becca J. Campbell looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story involving superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity.
You can find her at BeccaJCampbell.com.
Enchanter: The Flawed Series Book Four Page 30
