Evercrossed kbaa-4

by Элизабет Чандлер

  But another world of mauve and starlight like the one on the night Tristan had kissed her, hung in the east She felt caught between. When the fire was roaring, Kelsey and Dhanya joined the others around it.

  ʺAre we going to sing songs?ʺ Kelsey asked as everyone sat down. ʺWeʹre sharing memories of Tristan,ʺ Will answered quietly, ʺtalking about the kind of person he was and the things he did.ʺ

  ʺThatʹs kind of depressing, isnʹt it?ʺ Kelsey said, then her face brightened as she looked toward the dunes ʺOh, hello!ʺ Everyone turned to follow her gaze. Guy was walking toward them.

  ʺI got here as soon as I could,ʺ he said when he was close. ʺWho invited you?ʺ

  Will demanded. ʺI did.” Ivy replied. Guy kept his eyes on her. ʺI brought you some flowers.ʺ

  He held a bouquet wrapped in florist paper behind him, as if uncertain about offering it. Ivy smiled and stood up, holding out her hands. ʺOh!ʹ She looked from the roses to Guy, tears stinging her eyes. ʺTheyʹre lavender.ʺ

  ʺI did the wrong thing,ʺ Guy said, quickly pulling them away. Ivy reached for the flowers, her hands catching and holding his.

  ʺNo! No, theyʹre perfect.ʺ She looked into his eyes. ʺHow did you know thatthat I love lavender roses?ʺ He shrugged. ʺThey just seemed right for you.ʺ

  ʺTheyʹre beautiful. Thank you,ʺ Ivy said, cradling the flowers in her arms.

  ʺMy parents gave me lavender roses for my sixteenth birthday,ʺ Dhanya interjected. ʺI get a different color each year. And always the number of years I am.ʺ

  ʺBefore Princess Dhanya tells us the details of each of her very special birthday celebrations,ʺ Kelsey said, ʺgrab a soda, Guy. Let’s get this wake going.ʺ

  Ivy made room on her blanket. Guy sat next to her, across from Will and Beth.

  Will spoke about Tristan as a top‐rated swimmer and Ivy recalled the day Suzanne and Beth had dragged her to her first school meet to watch him compete. ʺCan I look at the pictures you brought?ʺ Dhanya asked.

  Beth passed the album, and Dhanya started turning pages. ʺHey, whoʹs this gorgeous guy?ʺ She carried the book over to Ivy, placing it on her lap and squeezing onto the blanket next to her. ʺGregory.ʺ

  Ivy heard Beth draw in her breath. Will dropped his head and stared at the fire.

  ʺThe murderer? Let me see,ʺ Kelsey said, scooting sideways and leaning over them. ʺHe doesnʹt look like a murderer.ʺ

  ʺWhat does a murderer look like?ʺ Beth replied sharply. ʺHow can anyone tell?ʺ

  ʺFor one thing,ʺ Kelsey said, ʺthere should be cruelty in either his eyes or his mouth. I canʹt see them in these little pictures.ʺ

  ʺIvy, thatʹs you — in that cheesy dress!ʺ Dhanya exclaimed. ʺTell me you didnʹt choose it.ʺ

  ʺI didnʹt. This is Tristan,ʺ Ivy said, pointing to a photo of a table of wedding guests, which Tristan happened to be passing. Guy leaned closer to study the picture, but she saw no flicker of recognition on his face. ʺThe Tristan?ʺ Dhanya asked. “But heʹs just a waiter!ʺ

  Ivy laughed and told them about her motherʹs wedding and Tristanʹs short-lived catering career. ʺI think it was love at first sight for my little brother, if not for me.ʺ

  Guy pointed to her brother in another photo. ʺPhilip. I recognize him.ʺ Ivyʹs heart skipped a beat. Then she remembered they had met at the hospital.

  ʺHeʹs a cute kid.” Kelsey said, returning to her own blanket and flopping back to stare up at the darkening sky. Dhanya turned the page. ʺBeth, your hairʹs different. I like it better now.ʺ

  Dhanya was looking at the picture of Beth, Tristan, and Ella. ʺI gave Ella to Tristan,ʺ Ivy explained to Guy. ʺI had to give her up and Tristan answered my ad. He knew nothing about cats, but he assured me heʹd take good care of hersaid heʹd ʹwashʹ and feed her.ʺ Guy smiled. ʺThat was just a ploy to see you.ʺ

  ʺYes. But he soon got attached to her,ʺ Ivy replied. ʺWhereʹs Ella now?ʺ Guy asked. ʺGregory hanged her,ʺ Beth said.

  Dhanya gasped. Kelsey let out a low whistle. Will threw a stick in the fire.

  ʺAny which way he could get you/ʹ Guy remarked.

  ʺYes, if it hadnʹt been for Will, Gregory would have succeeded. Will risked his life for me. He saved me.ʺ Will stared into the flames. Rising to her feet, Ivy went to him. Kneeling close, she put her arms around him. For a minute, he rested back against her, laying his hand over hers.

  When Ivy looked up, Guy had shut the album and was watching them from across the bonfire. Dhanya sniffled loudly.

  Kelsey sat up. ʺDhanya, youʹre crying for a cat and a guy you donʹt even know.ʺ

  ʺI know Ivy and Will,ʺ Dhanya replied.

  ʺIf somebody doesnʹt get cheerful around here,ʺ Kelsey said, ʺIʹm leaving.ʺ No one said anything cheerful. ʺAll right, boys and girls, Iʹm out of here. You coming, Dhanya?ʺ

  Dhanya shook her head no. “I’ll go with you,” Beth said, standing up. Will and Ivy looked at her surprised. ʺIt’s over. Tristan is gone.” Beth told them, tossing her bouquet of salvia into the fire.

  It flared, flames leaping skyward: far a moment, then dropped back. A shower off sparks, darkening to cinders, made Ivy think of falling stars.

  “Rest in peace, Tristan,” Will said softly.

  Twenty‐two

  WILL AND IVY BURIED THE FIRE AN HOUR LATER. IVY wished she could ride home on the back of Guyʹs motorbike, but she could see that Will was still hurting and would feel betrayed if she didnʹt return with him and Dhanya.

  All of them went to bed early, and Ivy slept solidly until three a.m., when she was jolted awake. Opening her eyes, she became instantly alert, as if someone had called to her.

  She sat up, listening intently. Beth, Dhanya, and Kelsey remained asleep. Ivy knelt by the window, pressing her face against the screen, but she neither saw nor heard anyone outside.

  Rising to her feet, she slipped on her T‐shirt and jeans, then picked up her shoes and wallet, and tiptoed down the steps. Outside the cottage the full moon was high, silvering the garden. Ivy paused only a moment to take in the quiet night, then walked to her car with purpose, as if she had planned hours ago to return to Race Point.

  She coasted in neutral with her headlights off until she reached the paved road, then flicked them on and drove. There was a part of Ivy that stood outside herself, wondering at her own actions.

  This feeling of being called — had it come from a dream? All she knew was that whatever had awakened her, it was something beyond herself.

  Ivy left her car in an empty lot at Race Point and walked toward the sea. The rich colors of sunset and bonfire had burned away. The landscape of dune and ocean, bathed in the light of the moon, seemed otherworldly. ʺI knew youʹd come.ʺ

  At the sound of Guyʹs voice. Ivyʹs heart stopped. Guy had followed her from the path through the dunes. In the moonlight his fair hair was tarnished silver.

  ʹʹDid you? How?ʺ

  ʺI couldnʹt sleep, and I kept thinking. Sheʹs going back. I have to be there.ʺ He stopped six inches from her. ʺWhat made you return?ʺ he asked.

  ʺI donʹt know. I felt like I was being called.ʺ They walked together to the fire pit.

  Ivy had left a single lavender rose on top of the buried fire. Picking it up, she touched its velvet petals with one finger. ʺHe brought you lavender roses,” Guy said. ʺYou knew that?ʺ

  ʺWhen I saw the expression on your face, I knew.ʺ Ivy dropped her eyes. ʺI was trying to help,” Guy told her. ʺIʹm sorry if I made you hurt more.ʺ

  ʺYou didnʹt. It felt like — a kind of miracle — getting those roses. It felt like… a message from Tristan.ʺ

  Guy reached for her hand. ʺCome here. I found a good place to sit.ʺ He led her to a sheltered spot between sandy knolls that rustled with beach grass. Sitting on the sand, they rested their backs against a bleached log.

  ʺWhen you and Will were talking about Tristan,ʺ Guy said, ʺI felt like I knew him.ʺ Ivy gazed into Guyʹs eyes hopefully. ʺHow did Tristan die?ʺ he asked.

  ʺGregory cut
his carʹs brake line,ʺ Ivy replied. ʺWe were driving on a winding road, and there was a deer, and another car. We couldnʹt stop. I lived. Tristan didnʹt.ʺ She searched Guyʹs face for a flicker of recognition, but he looked away before she could read his eyes. ʺWas Gregory jealous of Tristan?ʺ he asked.

  “Was Gregory in love with you?ʺ ʺNo, I was the target. I had run into Gregory the night he killed his mother and—ʺ

  ʺHis mother!ʺ

  ʺ—he thought that I knew he had done it.ʺ ʺEven so,ʺ Guy said, ʺwas Gregory in love with you?”

  ʺFor a while he pretended to care. I would wake up from terrible dreams, and he would be there. He was so gentle with me. He would hold me until I went back to sleep.ʺ ʺSo, maybe—ʺ

  ʺNo. At the end it was clear — Gregory hated me.”

  ʺLove can fuel hate,ʺ Guy observed He drew a triangle in the sand and traced it twice, frowning. ʺWhat is it?ʺ Ivy asked. He shook his head. ʺI donʹt know.

  Sometimes something seems familiar, and then I lose the thread again.”

  Ivy reached and smoothed his cheek with the backs of her fingers. ʺIʹm haunted by a past I canʹt forget, and youʹre haunted by a past you canʹt remember.ʺ

  Guy encircled her with his arms. ʺSo. let’s live in the present. Every moment I have with you feels like a gift.ʺ

  They leaned against the log, gazing up at the stars. His tender kiss became a passionate one. After a while, Guy took off his shirt and spread it on the sand, then lay back on the edge of it, leaving most of the soft fabric for Ivy. She lay down and rested against his chest.

  ʺSleep, now.” he said, holding her securely in his arms. ʺWeʹre together now.

  Sleep.ʺ

  IVY AWOKE TO A SKY STREAKED WITH PEACH AND pink in the east. Guyʹs arms were still around her, his eyes closed. She slid onto her side and propped herself up on one elbow, studying his face, the golden lashes and rough beard.

  With one finger she traced the shape of his lips. His eyes opened. ʺGood morning,” he said softly. ʺHowʹd you sleep?ʺ

  ʺGreat. I found a good pillow. How about you?ʺ

  He raised himself far enough to kiss her shoulder. *I found a sleep mate who doesnʹt have fleas.ʺ She shoved him down, laughing. ʺWhat time do you have to be at work?ʺ he asked. ʺWork!ʺ Ivy sat up and fumbled for her cell phone. It was dead. ʺDo you know what time it is?ʺ

  Guy pulled his phone from his pocket. ʺA little after five.ʺ

  ʺThe innʹs almost an hour away, and I start work at six thirty!ʺ

  ʺBack to reality,ʺ Guy said, rising to his feet, then extending a hand to her. She picked up his shirt and shook it clean.

  Guy, who had parked his motorbike by the visitorsʹ center, caught up with Ivy and followed her down Route 6. By the time they arrived at the Seabright’s lot, the sun was shooting yellow rays through gaps in the dark scrub pine. Climbing off his bike, Guy checked his phone again. ʺFive fifty‐eight,” he told her.

  Ivy leaned against her car, reluctant to say good‐bye. ʺYou know, Beth has always said that cars are like clothes — details that develop a storyʹs character.”

  ʺAnd?ʺ

  ʺWhat kind of car would you like to drive?ʺ she asked. ʺSomething with a lot of horsepower that looks good with dents.ʺ Ivy grinned. Hand in hand, they walked the path toward the cottage. “What do you think you did drive?ʺ

  ʺProbably somebody elseʹs old car. Like my parentsʹ or — I donʹt even know—ʺ

  His voice cracked. ʺI donʹt even know if I have parents.ʺ

  ʺWhat kind of parents would you want to have? How about a mother whoʹs a doctor?ʺ Ivy felt Guy pull back. ʺThatʹs dangerous. Ivy.ʺ ʺWhat is?ʺ she asked defensively. ʹImagining things about me. I donʹt want to get confused. I donʹt want to mix up what really happened with the things that I wantʺ—he hesitated

  —ʺthat I want so badly to be true.ʺ

  What do you want to be true? Ivy was about to ask, then she saw him turn his head toward the cottage.

  Beth sat on the swing. Will on the doorstep, both of them with arms folded.

  ʺWhere have you been?ʺ Beth asked, her voice hard.

  ʺRace Point,ʺ Ivy replied.

  ʺWhy did you go back? Why did he?ʺ Ivy bit back anger at Bethʹs reference to Guy in the third person. ʺWe wanted to.ʺ

  Will stood up abruptly and strode away without a word. Beth rose from the swing. At the same time Kelsey appeared at the cottageʹs door, still wearing her satin nightie.

  ʺWell, well, well,” she said, holding open the screen door. ʺIvy, the good girl, whoʹd never sneak off on a midnight adventure, returns at dawn.” Kelsey winked at Guy. ʺLooks to me like Ivy had a lot better night than we did.ʺ

  Beth pushed her way past Kelsey, entering the cottage. Kelsey glanced over her shoulder, then said, ʺYou owe me, Ivy, for not letting Beth run to Aunt Cindy, getting you in a heap of trouble. And you owe me and Dhanya for a lost hour of sleep Beth was hysterical.”

  Ivy turned to Guy. ʺYou had better go,ʺ she said softly. ʺTalk to you later, okay?ʺ He squeezed her hand and silently headed back to the lot. A half hour later, Ivy was the last one to arrive at the innʹs kitchen, dressed for work.

  It must have been obvious from Willʹs grim expression, Bethʹs stiffness, the gleam in Kelseyʹs eye, and the furtive glances from Dhanya that something had occurred overnight. Aunt Cindy quickly assessed them, and instead of assigning jobs said, ʺToday Iʹll need one of you in the garden, one with me for breakfast, one cleaning the room that was vacated late, and two to wash down the porch.

  Figure it out.ʺ Then she left them to make her usual pot of high‐powered coffee.

  Ivy, wanting to be away from the others, chose the least favorite job, cleaning the room. With work light that morning, all of them finished up early. Ivy headed for the beach below the inn. She walked halfway down the fifty‐two wood steps that descended the bluff and sat for a few minutes on the landing with the benches.

  She wanted to think about Guy, to remember each sweet moment with him, to run through every sign mat Tristan had come back to her. After a while, she descended the remainder of the steps and walked by the water.

  Darker thoughts began to creep into her mind. What if Lacey was right, Ivy wondered, and Tristan had done something forbidden when he saved her? If he was hiding inside of Guy, could her loving Guy damn Tristanʹs soul forever?

  At last she returned to the inn and climbed the steps, deep in thought.

  “Ivy.”

  Lifting her head, she saw Beth and Will standing on the landing. Grim‐faced, shoulder to shoulder, they made Ivy think of sword‐bearing angels forbidding Adam and Eveʹs return to Eden.

  ʺExcuse me,ʺ Ivy said, trying to get past them. They blocked her way. ʺWe need to talk,ʺ Will said. ʺThings have gone too far.ʺ Ivy blinked. ʺWhat is this, an intervention?ʺ ʺCall it whatever you want,ʺ he replied. ʺWeʹre doing it because we care. Ivy, youʹre not making good decisions.ʺ

  ʺYouʹre taking huge risks/ʹ Beth said. ʺIʹm taking the same risk as anyone who has ever loved a person.ʺ Beth shook her head. ʺBut you donʹt know who Guy is.ʺ

  ʺActually, I believe I know Guy better than he knows himself.ʺ

  ʺWhich,ʺ Will reminded her, ʺis just what you said about Gregory when his mother was found dead. You felt sorry for him and made excuses for his reckless ways. You said that living with him, you understood him. Now youʹre making excuses for Guy.ʺ

  ʺYouʹre making excuses for a person who canʹt remember why he was in a fight brutal enough to kill him,ʺ Beth added. ʺFor all you know,” Will said, ʺGuy could have killed someone and been beaten up in the process.ʺ

  ʺThatʹs crazy!ʺ Ivy exclaimed. ʺAs crazy as thinking Guy was the driver who ran Beth and me off the road!ʺ

  ʺIvy, heʹs pretending he canʹt remember. Why are you so gullible?ʺ Will cried.

  ʺAnd why are you so ready to think the worst of someone?ʺ she countered.

  ʺI got an e‐mail from Suzanne/ʹ Beth sai
d quietly.

  ʺYou did?ʺ Ivy leaned against the railing, feeling suddenly worn down by the arguing. ʺSheʹs been dreaming about Gregory.ʺ Ivy thought for a moment.

  ʺThatʹs not surprising.ʺ

  ʺSheʹs been dreaming about him for the last two weeks.ʺ

  ʺBeth, all of us have been thinking about Gregory and Tristan for the last two weeks,ʺ Ivy pointed out. ʺI read the e‐mails,ʺ Will said. ʺSuzanne canʹt remember the dreams — she just knows sheʹs talking to Gregory.ʺ

  ʺIn the dreams, you mean,ʺ Ivy responded. ʺSheʹs reliving past scenes.ʺ

  Will clenched his fists with impatience. ʺI said she canʹt remember the dreams.

  But she feels like he is haunting her.ʺ

  Ivy looked from one to the other. Willʹs forehead was beaded with perspiration.

  Bethʹs fingers pinched her amethyst so hard, their tips had turned bloodless white.

  ʺIt was bound to happen,ʺ Ivy reasoned. ʺWhen Gregory died and the truth came out, Suzanne handled it ʹbeautifullyʹ as everyone said. But thereʹs no way a person can handle that kind of situation ʹbeautifully.ʹ It’s a nightmare and it will produce nightmares, and it will not go away until it has. There is no shortcut to healing from it. Suzanne is finally doing that now.ʺ

  ʺNo. Gregory is back,ʺ Beth insisted, taking two steps down to Ivy. She laid a cold hand on her arm. ʺIvy, you almost lost your life two weeks ago — in a car accident, just like the one Gregory caused last year. What will it take for you to believe me?ʺ

  Ivy pulled her arm free and slipped through the gap between her friends. ʺYour imaginationʹs running away with you, Beth. You and Will have made up your minds, and youʹre not even trying to listen to me.ʺ

  ʺIʹm listening,ʺ Beth called over her shoulder. “And I hear things that you cannot.”