Moving On (Ghost Of The Past Book 1)

by Trisha Grace

  He took out the box of eyedrops from the bag, opened it, and handed her a vile. “You’re a horrible liar.”

  “I’m not lying.”

  “You’re just avoiding my question.”

  Kate dripped a drop into each of her eyes and turned to him. “Why don’t you ask her instead?”

  He shrugged, not saying anything else.

  She sighed softly. “She didn’t tell you because she didn’t want to upset you.”

  He pulled out another box from the bag and opened the eye gel. “We should’ve used this first.”

  “It’s all right. I’ll use it now.” She took the tube of gel from him and tilted her head back. She squeezed the tube, but it simply refused to cooperate.

  Sitting by the side of her bed, Tyler took the gel from her and lifted her chin. He squeezed a dap of the gel into each side of her eyes. She blinked a few times, her brows moving to form a frown.

  “This feels weird.”

  “It’ll be fine after a while. Get some rest. I’ll leave your door open. Shout if you need anything.”

  “Ty, are you all right?”

  “Just close your eyes and rest.”

  Kate nodded. But when he was about to leave, she reached out and grabbed his arm. “He really missed you, and he wanted to see you. He just didn’t know how to. He knew it was his fault.”

  Tyler clenched his jaws, and though Kate probably couldn’t see him clearly, he turned his face away from her.

  Didn’t know how? He should’ve just shown up.

  He had waited so many years for a visit, a phone call. He had waited until his heart grew cold from disappointments, and he learned not to hope.

  “I’m not asking you to forgive him. I just want you to know that he knew the fault was all his.” She ran her finger down along the taut line of his cheek.

  Her soft touch startled him.

  His hands kept finding their way to her, and she hadn’t shrunk from his touch. But he was really aware that this was the first time Kate had done so.

  The resentment, disappointment, and hurt all melted away.

  Unconsciously, he took her hand as it fell from his face and held on tightly. He wanted to pull her into his arms to hold her, to allow her warmth to dissolve the misery he’d carried for so long.

  “I’m sorry,” she suddenly said, pulling her hand from him.

  She must have thought he was angry with her. “Don’t be.” He smiled. “I was just caught up in my own thoughts.”

  Kate chewed on her lips, and her finger twirled around her locket.

  “I’m fine.” He tapped his finger against her nose. “Vision back to normal?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did it help?”

  She blinked a few more times and answered, “It did; my eyes feels much better.”

  “All right, then. I’ll leave you to your work.”

  Once he was out of the room, Kate’s words replayed in his head.

  Instead of being caught up in the mixture of feelings that would surge through him, he remembered the tingling sensation he felt along his cheek as Kate ran her finger down his clenched jaws.

  He never allowed himself to think much of his parents or grandfather.

  Each time he had thought of them, he’d often felt as if he were sucked into an undercurrent that dragged him deep into the abyss of darkness. He would end up drowning in the overwhelming memories of the night his parents died, the funeral, and the events after.

  So he chose to shut those memories out.

  Kate’s gentle touch was like a breath of fresh air he’d so desperately needed, allowing him to break the surface of the water and simply breathe.

  The perspective changed so drastically with the fresh air.

  Everything he’d gotten himself to believe didn’t make sense. If his grandfather had truly hated him, why would his photo be upfront on his desk? Why would he tell Kate all the stories about him? Why would he use his date of birth as the password to everything that held value to him?

  Maybe things weren’t like what he’d thought.

  Maybe his will wasn’t another betrayal or punishment.

  His perspective had changed, but he still couldn’t wrap his head around the whole matter.

  In some ways, Kate had given him answers to some of his questions. But she had also confused him on things he thought he understood.

  Since he couldn’t get any answers, he dove into his own work, keeping himself occupied.

  He stayed in his room until he heard Kate’s door close and figured she was getting ready for dinner. He changed and waited for her in the living room, reading another Patricia Cornwell’s novel on his iPad.

  “You look studious,” he said when Kate came down the stairs.

  “Everyone looks studious with spectacles.”

  “Feeling better?” he asked as they got into his car.

  “Yeah.”

  “You sure?”

  “Why ask if you don’t believe me?” She narrowed her eyes at him before breaking into a smile. “I am.”

  He grinned, getting her point. “So what did you tell Evelyn?”

  “I told her I’ll be having dinner with my sister and had to head home to clean up the house.”

  “Your sister goes over for dinner often?”

  “Not really. She’s currently working on some project. She seemed excited about it, told me that she had to meet me today.”

  “What time will you be done? I’ll pick you up.”

  “Why don’t you join us for dinner? Then you won’t have to travel here and there. I’m sure Lydia won’t mind.”

  He almost asked if she was sure, but caught himself at the last moment. “Sure.”

  When Tyler entered her two-story house, his eyes made a sweep of the living room and he smiled.

  All the walls in her house were painted white, except for the largest piece of wall that had a light-blueish wallpaper with columns of white flowers.

  Three cushions, which had the same shade of blue as the wall, were positioned across her couch.

  A long table cloth lay across the middle of the dark brown dining table while a neat stack of home decor magazines sat on the coffee table.

  “Why would Evelyn believe that you need to clean up your house?”

  Grinning, Kate took in a deep breath. “She thinks I have some sort of compulsive disorder. Her house is …” She chuckled. “Is beyond messy. It’s like a tornado sweeps through her house every day.”

  Tyler scanned the area. “Your house’s like a showroom.”

  “I work hard to keep it that way. Cleaning is one excuse she’ll always believe.” She gestured toward the couch. “Sit, I’ll get you a drink.”

  Eyeing the polished black piano, he reached out and held her arm. “I don’t need anything. Why don’t you play for me?”

  Kate bit down her lips as her fingers twirled around her locket. “I’m not really good.”

  “I don’t play so I can’t judge,” he assured her. He moved toward the piano and sat on the edge of the chair.

  Kate sighed softly as she sat beside him. Pushing up the wooden cover, she said, “Don’t expect too much.”

  “Just play.”

  She removed her spectacles and placed them on top of the piano. Chewing on her lower lip, she thought for a moment before she began playing.

  He watched as her fingers grazed across the keys.

  Kate closed her eyes and filled her house with Debussy’s Clair de Lune. Her initial self-consciousness faded, and she seemed absorbed by the music.

  For him, the music fell to the back of his mind while his attention turned to her smile.

  He’d thought Evelyn was exaggerating when she said Kate played the piano every night, but Kate clearly loved it.

  It would be nice to fill the mansion with music, too. He remembered exactly where his mother’s grand piano used to be. He remembered clamoring onto her lap and watching her play. His mother had even taught him a duet so that they coul
d play it together.

  When the piece ended, Kate smiled shyly. “Did I pass?”

  “Flying colors.”

  “That’s nice.” At the same moment, the jiggling of keys turned their heads to the door. “It must be my sister.”

  “Kate! You need to see this.” Lydia came bursting in with a thin brown folder in her hand.

  Lydia looked a lot like Kate. They had the same hair color, high cheekbones, and green eyes, but Kate was at least a head taller than Lydia. And instead of the amiable character that Kate exudes, Lydia seemed to exhibit a more passionate and determined, maybe stubborn, personality.

  “Hello to you, too,” Kate said.

  “Kate, I’m serious. You need to look at this.”

  The smile on Kate’s face disappeared, and she swallowed hard.

  Initially, he didn’t know what caused her reaction. Then Lydia waved the brown folder as she moved over to the couch.

  Kate had told him how her sister had pestered their grandparents for details on their parents’ death. And judging from how excited Lydia was, she probably found the answer she’d been looking for.

  “What is it?” Kate asked, her voice thick with dread.

  Tyler strode over and stood beside Kate. “Is everything all right?”

  Lydia’s eyes widened for a moment when she noticed his presence. She quickly composed herself, gave him a look over, then turned back to Kate with her brows raised.

  “Ty, this is my sister, Lydia. Lydia, this is my friend, Tyler.”

  Lydia gave him a quick nod. She wasn’t the least bit interested in him. She patted on the seat next to her and continued. “I’m working on some cold case files for my project, and guess what I found.” She slammed the thin brown folder onto the coffee table and flipped it open. “They didn’t die from an accident, Kate. That was why grandma and grandpa were always so evasive. Look at these photos.”

  Tyler stood across the table from the couch and saw Kate blanch as she peered at the pictures of her mother with her throat slit.

  Kate flipped the photos over and closed her eyes.

  Lydia opened her mouth to speak, but Tyler cut in, “That’s enough.”

  Lydia frowned and opened her mouth, only to close it again. She cast her glance between Kate and Tyler before she gasped. “You knew. You already knew, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me? All these years I kept asking, but you never said anything.”

  “I didn’t know for sure. I only began suspecting after grandma started saying stuff when she was confused.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I know how obsessed you are. Besides, does it matter? Are you happier knowing that our parents were murdered?”

  Lydia stared back at Kate, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Don’t you want to know what happened to them? To get real answers and justice? How could you go on with your life and pretend that it was nothing?” Lydia spitted out the last word with disgust.

  “What was I supposed to do? I only suspected, and digging would only reveal more questions. What’s the point of chasing after ghosts of the past?”

  “Just because you didn’t want more questions you chose to pretend?”

  “No, she chose to let go,” Tyler said. “I can assure you that no answer will satisfy you, no answer will be good enough.”

  Lydia rolled her eyes and glared at him with contempt. “What do you know? You have no idea what we went through, so keep your mouth shut.”

  “Lydia, you’re angry with me. If you want to vent, vent at me,” Kate said.

  Tyler was tempted to move between them, to put himself in front of Kate, but he was blocked by the coffee table.

  Lydia looked away. After a few moments, she sighed heavily and closed the file. “If you’re not interested in giving them justice, I will.” Lifting the folder, Lydia stormed out of the house.

  Kate lay back against the couch as the door slammed close. “Perfect.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “What a day,” Kate muttered.

  “Sorry.”

  “For what? None of this is your fault. I’m sorry about what Lydia said. I know what happened; I can’t imagine what you went through.”

  “The old man told you.”

  Her hands reached for her necklace as she nodded.

  “It happened a long time ago. I’m all right now.”

  “Do you actually believe what you just said?”

  No, he didn’t. He’d thought he was all right. He thought he had let go of the past and moved on. But if he had, being in the mansion wouldn’t have brought up all the pain and fear.

  “Are you going to help your sister?”

  “Am I being selfish if I don’t?”

  “Selfish?”

  “I kept it from her on purpose. I took extra care to make sure that I didn’t let slip anything my grandma had said. Lydia was always asking questions. Even when she got grounded and got her allowance cut, she continued trying to catch the inconsistencies in my grandparents’ stories.”

  “Why is that selfish?”

  “I was afraid; I was afraid nothing good could come of pursuing the past. And because of that, I’m not giving my parents the justice they deserved.”

  Tyler moved around the coffee table and sat on it. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his legs. “In this case, I think justice is over-rated. They’re dead; I don’t think they would care much about justice.”

  Her lips formed a small, uncertain smile.

  “Marianne used to tell me that parents just want their children to be happy.” He took the locket from her hand, pulling her closer toward him. “I’m sure all they care about is that you are happy.”

  “But Lydia has her point.”

  “I think both of you have your points, but you don’t have to decide today.” Giving her a warm smile, he released the locket and suggested, “Let’s order takeout and get some food.”

  “Food would be a nice distraction.”

  While Kate was ordering takeout, Tyler took out his phone and wallet, laying them side by side on the coffee table.

  “Getting comfortable?”

  Tyler looked over his shoulder and flashed a wide smile. “Play another song for me,” he said and strode over to the piano.

  “You need to stop ordering me around.”

  “Play another song for me, please.” His grin got wider.

  Kate laughed softly, but she stopped abruptly and turned her attention to his phone. “Your phone is ringing.” She moved over and took a glimpse of it. “It’s Dan.”

  “Ignore it. I said please, but you’re still standing there.”

  Kate shrugged her shoulders in imitation of him. Instead of moving to sit by him, she sat on the couch and picked up his phone. “Hi, Dan.”

  He shook his head and pressed random keys on the piano.

  “Dan? It’s Kate, Ty is … busy at the moment.” Kate beamed brightly when he shot her a glare over his shoulder. “His temper is that bad, huh? Does it erupt mostly at night?” Kate gave him a quick brow raise as he swiveled around to face her.

  He watched as she grimaced, then laughed and said, “It’s the irritating shrug. Mm-hmm. It’s nothing, forget about it.”

  Tyler rolled his eyes. He got off the chair, went over, and pulled the phone from her hand.

  “Oh—” Kate gasped.

  “Have you apologized?” he asked brusquely.

  “Yes.”

  Once he heard Dan’s reply, he hung up the phone and threw it back onto the table.

  “You didn’t even say goodbye.”

  “I never do.”

  Kate tilted her head to the side. “Right.” Turning her head back to him, she continued. “You hung up my call, too. That’s just rude.”

  He drew in a long, patient breath and sat beside her. “How about this? You play for me and I’ll say goodbye when I hang up your calls.”

  “You should say goodbye to everyone.”

  He grinned and shoo
k his head. “You don’t play that well.”

  Her jaw dropped in a dramatic response, then she lifted her hand to check her watch. “Oh, right. It’s night time. I forgot,” she said sarcastically.

  Tyler couldn’t remember the last time he had this much fun talking with someone. He liked to keep his sentences short and to the point. He didn’t see the point of having small talk or jesting around.

  Ryan loved it. He and Joseph could go on for hours on some asinine argument. Whenever that happened, he either tuned them out or endured it.

  Yet, he enjoyed every banter he had with Kate.

  Kate adjusted herself on the couch and leaned against her hand that was propped on the couch. “Are you really angry with Dan?”

  As though the phone was trying to remind Tyler of what had happened in the morning, it buzzed with a reminder for Kate to apply her eye gel. Reaching into his front pocket, he took out the eye gel. “Not at him. Still, he should apologize to you. I know Joanne won’t bother.”

  He twisted the cover off and tipped her chin to drip the gel into her eyes, then he handed her a piece of tissue to wipe off the residual gel.

  “So what exactly happened this morning? She was angry with me for calling you Ty?” Kate asked, not realizing it was a combination of events that led to Joanne’s outburst.

  “Before you came in, I told her to stop calling me her fiancé. I guess she was looking for a chance to throw her tantrums, and she chose to vent on the weakest link,” he answered.

  “I am the weakest link?” Kate asked, seemingly offended. “I can take care of myself.”

  He laughed when he saw the indignant expression on her face. “In the room, yes. She can’t possibly take on any of the guys. All four of us learned Judo, so unless she’s looking to be slammed onto the ground, we’re out. Then there’s Marianne, no one in their right mind will take her on.”

  Kate considered what he’d said. “I could’ve been a martial arts expert, too.”

  She seemed genuinely unhappy about being called the weakest link, so he masked his laughter in a cough. “So are you?” he asked in as serious a tone as he could muster.

  “You’ll never know.”

  He laughed and decided to drop the subject.

  When the doorbell rang, Kate opened the door without checking who it was. He was behind her in a minute and paid for the food before she could get her wallet.