by Trisha Grace
She laughed and looped her arm around Evelyn’s. “He won’t hurt me. I’m sure there will be times when we’ll quarrel, and I’m sure there will be times when I’ll feel like killing him. But I know he’ll always love me. We’ll be happy. And I hope that someday, you’ll find someone you believe will love you no matter what. And don’t say you’ve got me. You know what I’m talking about.”
“What’s that?” Evelyn snapped upright at a small thud on the window.
“What?” Kate sat up. She frowned when she heard another thud on Evelyn’s window. She got off the bed and moved toward the window, gingerly pushing the curtains aside. Evelyn was right beside her when she slid the window up and peered out.
The ground outside the window was completely covered with pink and purple tulips. In the middle of it stood Tyler, dressed in an impeccable suit. Kate gasped and broke into the widest grin.
Evelyn scrambled to take her phone, recording the scene below as a video.
Just as Evelyn got back to the window, Joseph, Ryan, and Dan appeared at a corner, holding a large piece of white paper with the words ‘ASK: By whose direction foundest thou out this place?’
Kate chuckled at the absurdity of three grown men waving the mega piece of paper over their heads, but complied anyway. “By whose direction foundest thou out this place?”
“By love, that first did prompt me to inquire. He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes. I am no pilot. Yet, wert thou as far as that vast shore washed with the farthest sea, I would adventure for such merchandise. Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow, that tips with silver all these fruit tree tops …”
Kate laughed and shook her head.
She couldn’t believe that Tyler would memorize the words from Romeo and Juliet and display such silliness in front of their friends.
Movements from where the guys were standing caught her attention, and she turned, seeing the words that Juliet spoke next written on the paper.
She didn’t need help; she already knew the words by heart. Taking a deep breath, she quelled her laughter and continued. “O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon that monthly changes in her circle orb. Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.” She wondered how he was going to continue for she was sure Evelyn wouldn’t join in as the maid screaming for Juliet to get back into the house.
“Then I swear with my life that I love you with all my heart and soul; that I truly will go to the ends of the world for you, with you.”
She laughed and sniffed, wiping the drop of tear hanging by the corner of her eye.
Another round of movements made her turn to the guys. This time, they held another line from further down the scene.
“A thousand times goodnight.”
“A thousand times the worse to want thy light. Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books. But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.”
“Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night, till it be morrow,” Kate said before the guys could bring up the lines.
Tyler grinned. “Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast. Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest.”
She sighed softly, then blew him a kiss.
“Goodnight, my love,” Tyler said and gave a dramatic bow.
The guys in the corner followed, bowing like true gentlemen.
Kate laughed and gave a curtsy.
A round of cheers erupted as Tyler left with the rest of the guys. When they were out of sight, Evelyn stopped the recording and laughed as she gave Kate a hug.
“He must be crazy in love to do that. But it’s so sweet. He didn’t take out any paper, so he memorized it. And he actually did it in front of all of us.”
“I love him.”
And with Tyler’s voice speaking Romeo lines, Kate fell asleep with a smile on her face, looking forward to a new chapter in her life with Tyler.
Note to Reader
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed reading this book. This book was originally released as a romance/thriller book, but I’ve reworked it into a Christian-based book.
My friends and fiancé had advised me to move on and work on other books, but I couldn’t let it go.
When I first got into writing, I had (and still have) it in my heart to incorporate God’s words into my story so that I could do my little part in spreading God’s love.
Right from the start, I’ve wanted to write this book as a Christian book. But as it was a series, I wasn’t sure how I could incorporate God’s words into the second book.
Once I knew how, the desire to change the book burnt in my heart.
As with the testimony of Kate’s near-accident with the car that swerved past her (which really did happen to me in real life), the message in this book is that God loves you, and He is always there protecting you.
What you thought was an evil day filled with horrible events, may be God’s way of keeping you from harm.
Now, in the world we live in, there are many dangers out there. But God has promised His children that no weapons formed against us shall prosper and that He is our place of safety.
I pray that the promises in Psalms 91 will keep you from all harm.
That’s all for now. I would love to hear what you think about the book. Feel free to drop me an email at [email protected].
Thanks for reading my book.
God bless!
Trisha Grace
http://www.trishagracenovels.com
P.S. Honest reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are always appreciated. And you can leave your review on Amazon right here: http://ow.ly/xvFl2
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About Author
Trisha Grace graduated from Bradford University with an Accounting and Finance degree. She has always been an avid reader and has a passion for writing. After being a tutor for over six years, she finally sat down and penned her own novels.
More Books
Look for these titles by Trisha Grace
Now available:
Ghost of the Past Book 1 - Moving On
Ghost of the Past Book 2 - Closing Books
A Fresh Start
Coming Soon:
Ghost of the Past Book 3 - Growing Up
Done Being Friends
Closing Books
© 2012 Trisha Grace
The traditional role of man and woman becomes twisted with Dan and Evelyn.
Dan wasn't a playboy. He didn't have any commitment issues. In fact, he wanted it all. Relationship and family. Only problem? He wanted it with someone who didn't want anything to do with him.
Evelyn didn't fool around in relationships because she had never been in one. She was certain that things like love and happily-ever-afters weren't meant for people like her. There was simply too much darkness in her past.
A past she thought she'd buried.
But she was wrong.
After more than a decade, her nightmare returned to haunt her, forcing her to face up to memories she couldn't seem to shake.
Could she ever close the books to her past and let go of the horrors she had been through? Could she ever learn to trust again?
Enjoy the following excerpt for Closing Books (Ghost of the Past Book 2):
Prologue
Evelyn and Dan strolled through the park. The light pink cherry blossoms hanging low above them. She took off her coat, folding it over her arm.
Spring was warmer than usual this year.
Children were already out in full force, running around in T-shirts and jeans.
She glanced toward the playground and smiled ruefully as she saw the huge grins plastered on the children’s faces.
She loved watching children at playgrounds. She loved listening to the high-pitch, carefree laughter and shrieks of joy as they ran spiritedly, flailing their hands about.
“I used to love playing at the playground until my parents forced me to take my sister along,” Dan suddenly said.
She shook her head with a grin, but didn’t say anything. She felt Dan’s eyes on her, waiting, she supposed, for her to share an anecdote of her own.
But she didn’t like to think about the past—no, she didn’t allow herself to think of the past.
“Do you want to head over to the mansion for dinner tonight? Or would you rather we go somewhere else?” Dan asked after a moment.
She turned her head back to him and pursed her lips. It felt weird going over to Kate’s house when she wasn’t around. “Somewhere else.”
“Are you going to stay away from the mansion until they come back from their honeymoon?”
One of her shoulders inched up, giving him a nonchalant shrug.
“You can still head over even though she isn’t around, you know?”
“I know.” She smiled, then continued. “Where do you want to go for dinner?”
She was glad that Kate’s wedding had resulted in the need for Dan and her to work together. She was reluctant at first, thinking it was better that she stayed away from him.
Things between them were complicated.
They were good together, but they weren’t meant to be.
She wasn’t meant to be someone’s girlfriend; she wasn’t meant to be in a relationship.
She wished things between them could remain like this forever—simple. Just two friends hanging out together.
“How about—” Dan looked down toward the floor.
A young girl wearing a bright-pink dress printed with large blue flowers ran right into Dan’s legs, fell back, and landed heavily on her bum.
Dan immediately knelt down and lifted the young girl to her feet.
The young girl stared at him with wide, frightened eyes, seemingly ready to burst into tears.
Even being down on his knee, Dan towered over the girl.
“Are you all right?” Dan asked with a small smile and a light pat on her head.
The girl nodded slowly, her lips curling to reflect Dan’s.
“Are you hurt?”
“No,” the young girl replied.
“Abi!” A woman wearing a light purple top came running over. “I’m so sorry, she never looks where she’s going,” the woman said as she scooped the young girl into her arms.
“It’s okay,” Dan said, grinning at the girl. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Bye,” the young girl grinned and waved as her mother carried her back toward the playground.
Evelyn watched Dan return the girl’s wave.
Dan would make a great father.
The kind of father who would be there for their children. The kind of father a kid would be proud to have.
He was responsible and extremely patient.
She had worked with him and seen how he was with his staff. When things went wrong, he never lost his temper. He focused on solving the problem, gave a stern warning that such mistakes should be avoided, and never brought it up again.
And with her, even after all that she’d put him through, he would always turn up whenever she needed him.
“Cute girl,” Dan commented.
“You think every child is cute.”
He grinned and shrugged.
“You’d be a great father.”
“I sure hope so, I’ve been babysitting Joanne forever,” he said. “And I’m sure you would be a great mother.”
She hitched her handbag higher up against her shoulder.
“You don’t want to have a family?”
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag.
This was why they weren’t meant to be. They were so different. “I know you do.”
“Yeah, and you don’t?”
Again, she adjusted the strap on her shoulder. “I already have a family. I have Kate.”
Though Kate wasn’t related to her, they were closer than most sisters were. Kate would probably be the only family that Evelyn would ever have.
His head bobbed up and down as he stared ahead.
They continued strolling through the park, walking side by side, neither saying anything.
Evelyn gazed at a mother walking past them. The young mother held a baby in her arms, rocking gently as she cooed the baby back to sleep.
She turned her head from the mother and child.
She wouldn’t know how to be a mother anyway. She didn’t know a single lullaby. She didn’t know how to bake cookies. She didn’t even know what a normal childhood was.
It was better that someone like her didn’t have children.
“So what do you want to have for dinner?” Dan asked.
Dan deserved better. He shouldn’t be wasting time on someone who could never give him what he wanted.
Pressing her lips into a thin line, she turned to him. “Actually …” She paused as she felt the vibrations in her bag. “One minute.”
She pulled out her phone and frowned at the unfamiliar number. “Hello?”
“Hi, Mandy.”
Evelyn’s face blanked. “You got the wrong number,” she said and ended the call.
“Everything all right?”
She forced a smile as she looked up at Dan. “Yeah, but I’ve got to go.”
“Now?”
“Yeah.” She turned and walked away from Dan without another word.
“And dinner?”
She drew in a deep breath and turned back to him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Eve—”
“I really have to go.”
She spun around and strode toward the parking lot, still clenching the phone in her hand.
Chapter 1
Evelyn stared at the numbers on her vibrating cell phone. The originally unfamiliar number had become a source of fear and probably the cause of the migraine she had been suffering from.
She buried her face in her hands and let the phone vibrate a few more times before sighing and picking it up.
“I thought you were going to ignore my call,” the monotonous voice said.
Tightening her grip on the phone, Evelyn clenched her jaws. She took in a deep breath and quietly cleared her throat of the frustration that had lodged itself there before replying. “What do you want?”
“Money, of course. I’ve run out.”
“I’m not your bank.”
“You can always say no. But I can’t say you’ll like what follows.”
Evelyn shut her eyes and reminded herself to take slow, deep breaths. All she wanted to do was to smash her phone into the wall and leave, to disappear to a place where no one knew her.
If only life was that easy.
“How much do you want?”
“Three thousand. Six o’clock, same place.”
Evelyn ended the call without another word. Leaning back against the chair, she shut her eyes and swallowed hard. Crying wouldn’t solve the problem. She needed a solution, she needed to think.
She had contemplated on making a police report, but that meant revealing the secret she’d so adamantly refused to speak of. She had thought of changing her phone number so that she could live in denial. Perhaps things would simply return to normal as long as she could no longer be reached.
But as much as she tried to convince herself, she knew things wouldn’t just vanish by feigning ignorance.
Since receiving the first call less than a month ago, Evelyn’s bank account had been set back by over six thousand dollars, and there didn’t seem to be an end to it.
Straightening herself, she stared at the photos playing as the default screensaver on her laptop; photos taken on her best friend’s weddi
ng. She stared blankly at the pictures from Kate’s wedding, seeing smile after smile, until a photo of Dan and her appeared.
Evelyn tilted her head back and took in a deep breath, but tears still went tumbling down her cheeks. Tears stemmed from the nostalgia of joy she’d felt in the picture; a joy that seemed so far away and unattainable at the moment.
Life had been good since she got out of the foster system. She had worked hard, and now she had a successful career and a great life.
She had thought that if she were to keep her past a secret, she could bury it deep enough that someday, she’d completely forget about it.
Thus far, time had proven her theory to be entirely wrong. Ghosts of the past had a way of haunting one no matter how much one had changed.
After so many years, Evelyn thought her past was so far behind that the only remnant of it was in her mind.
Again, she was wrong.
She was beginning to doubt if she would ever be free from the past she couldn’t shake.
There was a simple solution, and she knew it.
All she had to do was to spill the beans. If everyone knew what had happened to her before, the blackmailer would have nothing to threaten her with.
It should have been an easy thing to do.
All those things happened so many years ago. But even after a decade, it was difficult for her to open up and talk about what had happened to her or what she had done.
Kate was the only one who knew her secret, and Evelyn was sure that Kate would never reveal it to anyone unless she allowed it.
Before, she had kept it a secret because she didn’t want to talk about it. She didn’t want to discuss it with anyone and relive her nightmare.
