Magnificent Ruin (Everlasting Series Book 2)

by Alison Foster

  “That’s a relief. At least something good came out of this mess.”

  “She has asked for you,” Grace says, hugging me again. “She will never forget you, Taylor.”

  “I won’t forget her either,” I say, tears rolling down my cheeks.

  “Finally,” Grace says. “You have to let it all out, honey. Don’t keep it bottled up.”

  “What have I done, Gracie?” I cry into her shoulder.

  “What have you done? The most courageous, badass shit ever. I don’t even know how. All I know is, you’re my new hero.”

  “Really?” I say, with a smile through my tears. “What about Nathan?”

  “Pft, he knows nothing next to you.”

  “The man who saved you in about fifty different ways?” I remind her.

  “I still choose you. He’s unfairly aided by muscles and testosterone”

  “I just got lucky, Grace.”

  “I have some info,” Nathan says, hugging me upon his return. “It seems De Luca has fled the island. Greek Police are swarming his villa. Authorities in NY have been notified. They’ll be waiting for him if he’s stupid enough to ever show his face.”

  I nod, not sure if this is good or bad. I’m not sure about anything under the sun. Maybe this means De Luca won’t rest until he gets to us. Or maybe it means he’ll run off to some South American country and never come back.

  Nathan studies me. “We need to talk, Taylor.”

  Grace nods. “Go ahead,” she says. “I’ll stay in case they bring him back.”

  Nathan takes me down the corridor and out to a balcony overlooking the metro station. People walk about the platform in the early morning, phones in hand. It’s the same scene you might see anywhere in the world.

  “You’re not to repeat what I’m about to tell you,” Nathan says with a face that’s dead serious. “Do you understand?”

  I nod, reluctantly. The last thing I need is more secrets. If he’s about to reveal something shady or illegal about Tomas’s past, I’d rather not know. But I can’t say no to him. Not now.

  “Okay,” he says, taking a deep breath in. “I didn’t hear any of this from Tomas. In fact, he doesn’t even know I know.”

  “What is it?” I say, getting more and more impatient and wary. I’m still trying to recover from last night’s mayhem.

  “Tomas had a severe brain injury when he was nineteen. A bad car crash that came very close to claiming his life.”

  “I had no idea,” I mutter as I’m hit with the shock. “But why is it a secret?”

  Nathan locks his eyes on mine. “He lost his memory,” he says. “At least a good chunk of it. Retrograde amnesia it’s called if I remember well. You can look it up. He lost almost two years’ worth of memories just prior to the accident.”

  “That’s terrible,” I say, feeling cold all of a sudden. No words seem to be adequate right now. What must it do to a human being to go through something so traumatic?

  “It was,” Nathan agrees. “Especially because during those two years he forgot, he had fallen in love with a girl that meant the world to him. When he woke up from his surgery, he could not remember her. It was as if she had never existed.”

  My knees get a little shaky and words are still nowhere to be found. My brain is suspended in a vacuum, empty and confused. “He was in love?” is all I manage to say. But I know the answer. Tomas told me himself in his own way.

  Nathan nods. “His brother is the one who filled me in on the story, Taylor.”

  “He has a brother,” I whisper. “He never even told me that.”

  “Tomas doesn’t confide in people,” Nathan says. “He has never even confided in me. Sure, he has no problem sharing all the meaningless stuff, but the heavy shit never gets out. And this was too heavy even for him.”

  “What was? The fact that he forgot a girl he had been in love with?”

  “The fact that he watched her visit him at the hospital day after day with tears in her eyes and that he could not feel a thing for her. Again and again, he had to listen to her recounting how they met, how they kissed for the first time, how he had told her he loved her. How he was her first lover, how he had told her he wanted to spend his life with her. She showed him pictures of the two of them together, skiing, swimming, kissing, dreaming of a life together and he could not remember a thing. She cried so much it broke his heart. He did the only thing he could do: he sent her away.”

  I try to imagine all that but it’s hard. “What are you saying, Nathan? That he hasn’t been able to love since because he’s afraid something like that might happen again?”

  “I’m not trying to analyze him, Taylor. I’m just telling you what happened. Months after he told that girl she should move on, he started to get bits and pieces of his lost memories back until he recovered most parts of those two years he had forgotten.”

  “He remembered her,” I say, the truth finally dawning on me.

  “He did. And with that, all his feelings for her resurfaced more intense than ever.”

  I lower my head, not sure how I want this story to end. “Did he tell her?”

  Nathan considers my words for a second before he answers me. “He went to her and told her he remembered who she was and he remembered all the promises and all the plans they had—that he loved her still.”

  “And?” I say with quivering lips.

  “It was too late. She had already moved on with another guy like he had asked her to. She had listened to him and built a new life for herself that didn’t include him. Tomas was never the same after that.”

  Tears sting my eyes as I finally get it. Tomas isn’t running away from feelings or ties. He’s running away from ghosts.

  “I thought you should know,” Nathan says. “I should have probably told you on the phone the moment Grace said she suspected you were falling in love with Tomas.”

  “She said that?” I say, smiling. “I can’t hide anything from her.”

  “Why do you think I let her drag me all the way here? She said you needed her even if you didn’t know it.”

  “I knew I did,” I say, hugging him. “You are both terrific friends and I love you so much.”

  Nathan kisses my forehead. “He’s strong like a bull, he’ll be fine,” he says. “And you’ll have to take it from there.”

  I have to believe he’s right because I have no idea how I’m going to live with myself if Tomas never wakes up; if I never get to tell him I love him. I could live with anything else. Even if he doesn’t love me back, even if the second head injury will lead to a new bout of amnesia and he forgets all about me. I just need to let him know.

  Grace rushes through the door to find Nathan and me in an embrace.

  “It took forever to find you,” she says, out of breath.

  “What’s wrong?” I say, fearing for the worst.

  “Nothing’s wrong. He’s awake.”

  My heart leaps out of my chest but I’m still cautious. “Tomas is awake? What do you mean?”

  “He’s conscious,” Grace says, “and responsive to what the doctors tell him to do.”

  I just about shove her out of the way as I start running down corridors, totally oblivious to the fact that I’m running in a hospital. I reach the door of his room in the ICU and slow down just in time to step inside.

  There’s his doctor writing something down on a pad he’s holding, a nurse inviting me in with her hand, and a strange, tall, good-looking man in a light colored suit by the window that eyes me curiously.

  Tomas is propped up on the bed with two pillows, his eyes half open underneath the bruising. He gives me a smile as soon as he sees me but then he closes his eyes.

  “What happened?” I ask the doctor, terrified.

  “He’s tired and heavily drugged,” the doctor says, looking at the machine that’s monitoring Tomas’s vitals. “Everything looks normal.”

  “Will he be okay?” I ask, scared to expect too much. My house of cards could come tumbling down a
t any moment.

  “He will,” the doctor reassures me with a smile. “The scans are good and he responds to the medicines. You can’t stay too long. He needs rest.”

  “Thank you so much,” I say, squeezing his hands. I’d kiss the doctor but even I can realize it’d be totally inappropriate.

  “He will be happy his wife is here,” the nurse says as she goes.

  I process her words trying to determine whether something’s lost in the translation or not.

  “I told her that,” the strange man says. He’s American. I forgot all about him. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  Staring at him like an idiot, I try to process what he just said.

  “I thought it fair that you should have a part in whatever decisions might need to be made—more than me, frankly.” He extends his hand to me. “Jesse Keller.”

  Could that be the brother? The resemblance is definitely there and it is what threw me off when I first saw him. His colors are darker but the shape of the eyes and nose, even the way he grins, are uncannily similar to Tomas.

  “I’m sorry,” I say after a few seconds, “you must think I don’t know how to speak. Are you Tomas’s brother?”

  He nods. “I haven’t seen him in years. I got on a plane as soon as Nathan called.”

  Nathan. He thinks of everything. “You flew all the way from the States?” I say, dumbfounded. Even if he lives on the East Coast, it should have taken at least twelve hours to get here.

  “No, I live in Paris,” he says. “I had no idea Tomas was in Europe again. We Keller boys like to travel.”

  Tomas opens his eyes again, raising a hand to invite me over. I want to touch him all over but the only part of him I can see that’s not ravaged with injuries are his fingers.

  I wrap my own fingers around his and lift them to my lips.

  “Welcome back to the land of the gods,” I say.

  “And goddesses,” he says, almost in a whisper. “Aphrodite.”

  Jesse steps in next to me. “You finally found your match, eh, bro?” he says.

  Tomas turns his gaze on him, unbelieving. “I thought I was in heaven,” he says. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Good to see you, too,” Jesse says, taking his other hand.

  I lean over Tomas, getting my mouth next to his ear. “Both Amelia and Irina are safe,” I say. “They will be going home soon.”

  He can barely move the muscles on his face but he manages to produce an expression of total bewilderment. “How?” he says, gripping my hand.

  “It’s a long story with a happy ending,” I say. “We have all the time in the world to go over it.”

  Talking starts to get difficult for him. “I couldn’t say anything because Irina was in danger,” he says, as if apologizing. “I had to save her first. They would have killed her.”

  “Stop talking, you big goof. I know all that. You did the right thing even though you should have trusted me.”

  “You need to take it easy,” Jesse says. “From what I’ve been told, you tried to take on an entire mob organization on your own.”

  “Rumors of my bravery are greatly exaggerated,” Tomas says, coughing.

  I grab a cup of water with a straw and bring it to his lips. He sips some water and then lies back on the pillows.

  “Tomas,” Jesse says, “the only reason you’re alive is because you still have the protection of some powerful people. But, man, it’s time to get out. Fucking walk away. You never belonged with that crowd.”

  Tomas glances at me. “That’s my baby brother,” he says. “A year younger. He’s a genius.”

  “If you won’t do it for you, do it for her,” Jesse goes on, ignoring all that Tomas is saying. He looks at me, “I’m sorry, I forget your name.”

  Tomas laughs so loud, the bed shakes. “Not so much of a genius at times.”

  “Hey,” I say. “Your head might explode if you keep this up.” I glance up at Jesse. “Doc said we can’t stay long. And I’m Taylor.”

  Jesse nods. “Where are you staying, Taylor?”

  “Staying? Right here at the hospital.”

  “That’s unacceptable,” Jesse says. “We’ll have to get you a hotel room. You need rest, too.”

  I can’t even imagine how terrible I must look. I haven’t even brushed my hair down or taken off my makeup. I steal a glance at Tomas who’s already dozing off.

  As we leave the room, I exhale long and loud. Only now do I realize how exhausted I am myself. On the brink of collapsing really.

  Standing next to Jesse Keller who looks so much like Tomas and yet so different at the same time with his brown hair and eyes and his refined manners is too much to take right now.

  “I’m going to find my friends,” I say. “I’m glad you were able to come.”

  I extend my hand to him but instead of taking it, he gives me a quick, emotional hug. “You have broken through some serious barriers with that bulldog in there,” he says. “I’m the one who’s glad.”

  He walks with me and I don’t know how to escape his company or even if I want to. We find Nathan and Grace at the cafeteria, leaning against each other, their eyes heavy with fatigue.

  “How’s everything?” Nathan says.

  “It all looks good,” I say. “He’s asleep.”

  “You should all get some sleep,” Jesse says. “I will stay with him.”

  “Are you sure?” Nathan says. “He gave us all a good scare.”

  “I’m sure,” Jesse says. “We have some catching up to do.” He takes a card out of his pocket. “There’s an affordable motel right off the metro station. My agent got me a room. You could crash there for now.”

  We shake hands before we leave him to get to the motel. The street is busy with traffic, pedestrians and street vendors selling everything from donuts to jewelry to pirated CDs. We wait patiently for the green light to walk across to the motel.

  “Isn’t Jesse hot?” Grace says out of the blue.

  “Yo, I’m right here,” Nathan says, slapping her butt gently.

  Grace ignores him completely. “He is single,” she says, all excited.

  “But you’re not?” I say, confused.

  “You’re as dumb as Nathan. I was thinking of Ashley.”

  Well, that was unexpected. Ashley and Grace used to butt heads all the time at the aromatherapy shop. “Ashley? Since when are you two such besties?”

  “Since we were held at gunpoint?” Grace says, rolling her eyes. “A thing like that kind of changes your priorities.”

  “Okay, my bad. There’s this small inconvenience. Jesse lives in Paris?”

  Grace’s eyes get revived at the sound of my words. “That’s the best part. He said he’ll come back to LA to spend some time with Tomas and visit old friends,” she says, rubbing her hands like an excited little girl. “It’s perfect.”

  It would be perfect if Jesse and Ashley fell in love on cue because Grace suggests it. Grace has turned into a mushy dreamer. Although, who knows? Love has done stranger things in this world. I’m living proof.

  “He’s a painter, by the way,” Grace goes on. “He has his own studio and has done tons of exhibitions in Europe.”

  “He’s also a hermit of sorts,” Nathan tries to warn her but Grace is too happy and scheming for such trivialities. Fatigue works on her in reverse. It becomes a stimulating tonic.

  The hotel is cozy with old fashioned décor and furniture. It possesses a strong scent of lavender and aloe soap.

  “Want me to share a room with you?” Grace says. That girl is too sweet.

  “You’re such a doll,” I say. “Don’t be silly. Stay with your poor man. I’ll be asleep the moment I hit the pillow.”

  But I don’t fall asleep so easily. I keep replaying all the shit that went down during the last twenty-four hours. It all feels so unreal. It’s a mystery even to me that I found the courage not only to go to De Luca’s villa by myself but to sneak in and somehow get Irina out.

  Grace insisted we ca
ll the police. We had no other play, Nathan said.

  I turn to my side with a sigh. It’s not done yet, not by a long shot. Tomas will survive physically but I’m not so sure about the emotional part. I know that he’s been self-destructive for a long time. How easy is it to alter that cycle? And how do I help him?

  Giving way slowly to exhaustion one question obsesses me. How do I take his hand in mine and step out of all his chaos and into happiness?

  Chapter 25

  Walking into the hospital room doesn’t feel so bad anymore. Tomorrow will be a week since Tomas was rushed in on a helicopter, fighting for his life as the doctors feared he was slipping into a coma. Tomorrow he will be released and we can finally make plans to go back home. But today is the last day I’m visiting him here and I come bringing coffee, donuts and fresh strawberries.

  Every day is a good day now.

  I find him standing by the window, dressed in a blue robe, the IV stand next to him. His eyes sparkle when he sees me. “There are fifty stray cats and kittens roaming the area,” he says. “I’ve been counting them every day. The number never changes.”

  “You could say you’re old acquaintances by now,” I say, placing the coffee and food on the table. It’s the first time I’ve found him standing on his own since his head injury. No more wheelchair. If I don’t watch it, he’ll notice how emotional that makes me. Today has to be all about him.

  “Wait,” he says, “I think that’s a new one.”

  I go to the window to glance at the kitty cats below. “Which one?”

  “That black and white one. I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”

  “It’s a he?”

  “Absolutely. See how long and lean his body is?”

  “How’s the dizziness?” I say, taking his hand and resting my head on his shoulder.

  “Almost gone. I was even able to pee standing this morning.”

  “Wow, that’s a good boy,” I say, messing with his hair.

  He walks back to the bed and lies on top of the blanket. I sit on the edge, offering him a cup of coffee. All swelling is gone from his face now, the bruises and lacerations fading little by little.

  Tomas takes the coffee cup but makes no attempt to drink. “Nathan told me something a while ago,” he says.