Still, it hurt to see them together, and Ethan turned to slink off in the direction he’d just come. David called his name, drawing him back. “Come meet my girlfriend.”
Jessica held out her hand, and Ethan reluctantly took it. “I’ve heard so much about you,” she said. “David talks about you all of the time.”
With her long face and prominent teeth, she’d never be a beauty, but there was a sun-kissed freshness to her. She was the sweet and innocent girl next door. Ethan was ashamed for hating her, but the sight of David’s arm around her waist made his vision go red. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said stiffly.
“I was just about to give Ethan a tour of the house,” David told Jessica. “Care to join us?”
Ethan wanted to yank Jessica out of David’s arms and throw himself at David. So much for sitting back and being a friend. He’d been fooling himself to think that he could be so patient with the man he was still deeply in love with. “It’s okay,” Ethan said. “We can do it later. I’m supposed to sign some papers for Jeremy anyway.”
David put his hand on Ethan’s arm. “I was going to take Jessica to town for dinner tonight. There’s a tavern there, and a Redwings game will be on. Care to join us?”
Jessica gave an uncomfortable laugh. “I kind of wanted to have you all to myself tonight. It’s been months since I’ve seen you.” She shrugged apologetically.
“But I can’t let Ethan stay all by himself in this God awful place,” David protested. “That wouldn’t be right. After all, he drove a long ways to get here.”
Jessica was barely hanging onto her smile. “I drove a long ways, too.”
“It’s fine,” Ethan said. “I’ll keep Tessa company tonight.”
Jessica closed her eyes and sighed. “No, David’s right. You should come, too. Besides, I would like to get to know David’s best friend better. You’re all he ever talks about.”
Ethan blinked. Best friend? Did David still consider him that even though they hadn’t spoken in years? He tried to catch David’s eye, but David wouldn’t look at him. “So will you come?” David asked.
Saying no was tempting, but Ethan wanted to see David and Jessica together. He had to know if they were really the happy couple they appeared to be. Besides, it would be better than moping around a creepy, old house. He forced a smile. “Sure.”
“Terrific!” David said. His smile had a pleading quality, as if he were silently begging Ethan for his blessing. “I’ll come find you at six.”
Can’t wait, Ethan thought as he went up the steps and into the house.
Once inside, Ethan wasn’t sure where to begin looking for Jeremy. He decided to start with Grant’s office. Even if Jeremy wasn’t there, Grant should know where he was. Unfortunately, Ethan wasn’t sure where the office was. He had come into the manor through a side door and had lost his orientation. Was he nearer to the music room or the kitchen? He would just have to wander around until he got his bearings.
The first room he encountered was a drawing room furnished in antiques in such poor repair that the velvet seats on the chairs had gone shiny with use. There were several, enormous portraits of people staring into the distance. Ethan paused by one of a teenaged girl holding a small, white dog. The girl wore a navy-blue suit and a matching ribbon in her hair. A subtle smile touched her lips. Could this be the girl who was buried outside the graveyard’s fence? She looked to be the right age. Ethan put one hand on the heavy, gilt frame and closed his eyes. Using his inner senses, he reached out, straining to find another presence in the room with him.
The room’s temperature fell as a cold wind picked up. Ethan’s eyes popped open. Behind him came a ghostly sigh. He spun around to see a flutter of drapes. “Hello?” he called. “Who’s there?” As if replying the house groaned as the storm outside beat against it. “Hello?” Ethan called again. He had the feeling that he wasn’t alone.
Chapter Eight
Ethan held his breath for several seconds, reaching out with his inner senses to find the spirit. The room, however, remained empty. Still, he felt the cold draft. Keeping on alert, he followed the cold air until he reached the fireplace. Ethan sighed, disappointed. The draft was coming from the chimney. No doubt someone had forgotten to close the flue.
He jumped when something buzzed in his pocket. His cell phone with an incoming text. Surprised, he noted that he had a signal. Temperamental technology! At least there was one room in the house where he could reconnect with the outside world.
The text was from Cara asking how he was. But there were several missed calls as well, all of them local. He dialed the number and reached a garage in Groveland. Grant had come through as promised. To Ethan’s relief, the damage to his car wasn’t as bad as he had feared. Though, it would take almost a week to get everything back to normal.
The business with the car settled, Ethan called Cara to check in. She answered on the second ring. “Ethan! How are you?”
“Marooned.” He sank into one of the chairs as he told her about the accident the night before. “But the accident isn’t the only thing that happened. David’s here as well.”
“David? He’s the one from college, isn’t he? You two were a thing for a while.”
“For a while,” he agreed miserably. “Now he has a girlfriend, and she’s up here as well.”
He pictured Cara tugging on her ponytail as she always did when she was fretting over something. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. You still care about him, don’t you?”
Care about? Try love. Deeply, madly love. Ethan fingered the material of the sweatshirt David had loaned him. He had worn David’s clothes before, back when they’d been together. Back then, it had been such an intimate gesture, yet now, it meant nothing. Blackness surged over him like surf. He’d never get to feel those arms around him again. “I shouldn’t have come up here,” he said miserably.
“What about his sister? Didn’t he say that she needed you?”
Ethan sighed. “Yes, she does need me. She’s hearing voices, and I’m pretty sure that they’re paranormal ones. Although, they have her so drugged up, it’s hard to tell.”
“Is the place haunted?” Cara’s voice held a note of expectancy. She had always been fascinated by Ethan’s connection to the otherworld and constantly dragged him to this graveyard or that old house to see if there were any spirits lurking about.
“Yes, it’s haunted all right.” He told her about the apparition he’d witnessed earlier that morning. “There’s an uneasiness here that I can’t explain. I mean, it’s an old, creepy house, but it’s more than that. It’s shrouded in negative energy.”
“Any idea why?”
“Not yet. I’m still getting the feel of it. But I suspect that someone drowned near here at one time.”
“How sad! I wish I was up there with you. I’d love to help you figure this stuff out. Plus, I could pretend to be your girlfriend and make David jealous.”
Ethan smiled despite his gloom. Cara was a friend worth having. “I’ll keep you posted,” he promised. “I want to settle this thing and get out of here.” The sooner he was away from David, the better.
Ethan felt much better after talking to Cara. It was nice to know that someone was rooting for him. Whatever happened with David, at least he had one friend whom he could count on.
His stomach rumbled, a reminder that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Hoping that he hadn’t missed lunch, Ethan made his way towards the dining room. He was relieved when he finally found it. Maybe he was getting the hang of the place after all.
The dining room was empty. No food was in sight; although, a dirty soup bowl sat by Grant’s place at the head of the table. A fragrant aroma came from the side door leading through the butler’s pantry and into the kitchen. Someone was still cooking.
Ethan followed the mouth-watering scent into the kitchen. To his surprise, Dr. Rosenbaum stood at the stove, stirring a pot of soup. She’d put on an apron over her yellow pantsuit and taken off her many rings.
“You’re a cook as well as a musician?” Ethan teased.
She quirked a smile. “I’m interested in my patient’s diet. It’s part of my plan for her recovery.”
“You take the job very seriously. How long have you worked for Grant and Tessa?”
Dr. Rosenbaum stirred the pot. “I started when Tessa was in her second trimester. She wanted a home birth, but Grant wouldn’t hear of it. He insisted that she have the baby in a hospital. Eventually, she won him over, but he refused to allow a home birth unless there was a doctor present.”
“You delivered Faith?”
“That’s right. I’ve been their physician ever since.”
“So you were here the night the baby died,” Ethan said.
She stopped stirring. “Yes. I’ve wished over and over again that I would have detected the flaw that made Faith’s lungs give out, but I didn’t. I failed on that account,” she said softly.
“Didn’t the baby ever go to the hospital?” Ethan asked, surprised. “Or see another doctor?”
“Are you implying that I’m not qualified to take care of a child and her mother?” Dr. Rosenbaum asked.
“It’s not that,” Ethan said quickly.
“Tessa didn’t need to see another doctor,” Rosenbaum said. “She and the baby were both healthy. There were no complications to the delivery. Nothing to worry about at all.”
Ethan tried to imagine this woman working in a real hospital or doctor’s office and couldn’t do it. The flamboyant clothing and the pouf of red hair didn’t fit his image of a stereotypical physician. “Maybe she should see a psychologist,” he suggested. “Her grief is killing her.”
“I agree,” the doctor said. “And I see how these tragedies are hurting Grant as well. The very worst pain that we endure comes from watching our loved ones suffer. Nothing on earth is more excruciating than that.” Her eyes glittered.
She was right. Watching David suffer through his crisis had been worse than if Ethan had been enduring it himself.
Ethan’s stomach rumbled once more. “Do you mind if I have some of that soup?” Ethan asked. “I’m starving.”
“This is Tessa’s lunch,” Dr. Rosenbaum said. “I make it special for her. It’s very bland. You wouldn’t like it.”
“It smells good, though. Besides, I can always add salt.”
She frowned at him from over the tops of her glasses. “You should watch your sodium intake. Even young people like yourself can get hypertension.” She ladled Ethan a bowl of soup. Diced carrots and peas floated in a watery broth. “You may add some lemon juice if you want to.”
Ethan took the bowl over to the table. He took a bite of the soup and nearly spit it out. How could anything that smelled so good taste so terrible? Dr. Rosenbaum was right; the soup was bland. In fact, it was downright inedible. No wonder Tessa looked thin. No one could maintain their weight eating something so nasty. Dr. Rosenbaum smiled before turning away, as if she liked that he’d found the soup appalling.
A kettle on the stove began to whistle, and the doctor turned off the burner. “I make a lot of Tessa’s food,” she said. “Her brother can’t be trusted to stick to the diet. I found out that he brought her coffee this morning.” Her shoulders tightened. “Coffee! Even after I told him that his sister was not to have any stimulants.”
Ethan pushed his soup bowl aside. No way was he taking another bite. He’d raid the refrigerator after the doctor left the kitchen.
Dr. Rosenbaum dropped a small, cloth bag into a teacup and added boiling water from the kettle. As the tea steeped, a mildly unpleasant smell filled the room. “What is that stuff?” Ethan asked.
“Tea that I make especially for Tessa. She drinks it five times a day.”
“What does it do for her?” Ethan asked.
“It quiets her mind and purifies her body.”
“How?”
“My patient’s health is a private matter between her and me,” the doctor said stiffly. “You have no right asking questions.”
Maybe not. But there was something about Dr. Rosenbaum that didn’t sit right. Outlandish clothing aside, Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t a real doctor. Although, he doubted that Grant would allow just anyone to look after his wife and child. Still, Dr. Rosenbaum was very protective of her secret, and it made Ethan curious. “Can I taste it? I’ve been anxious ever since I came to this place.” Not a lie. He was as edgy as a cat in a dog pound.
The doctor’s lips thinned. “It wouldn’t do you any good. It’s made especially for Tessa.”
“What’s it made of?” Ethan pressed.
“I won’t share my secret.”
A whisper of doubt touched Ethan’s mind. Could the doctor be hurting Tessa? Could those odd ingredients cause delusions? But what purpose would the doctor have for poisoning Tessa?
“I can see you suspect me of something.” Color had risen to the doctor’s cheeks. She placed the teacup on the table in front of Ethan. “Here. Drink it if you’re so worried.” She put her hands on her hips and stared down at him.
Ethan hesitated. What was he getting himself into? Did he dare taste what might be a poisonous draught? Still, if he didn’t dare drink it, then neither should Tessa.
Seeing his reluctance, Dr. Rosenbaum smiled mirthlessly. She grabbed the teacup and took a sip. Then, blowing away the steam, she took another swallow. “See?” she said nastily. “It’s fine.” She turned on her heel and dumped the rest of the tea down the sink. “Now, I’ll have to make more,” she complained.
Ethan, humbled, rose from the table. He’d come back to the kitchen for a snack later on. Before he could walk out the door, Dr. Rosenbaum said, “I’ve sworn the Hippocratic oath,” she said. “I would never harm my patient.” Then, in a lower voice, she added, “No matter how I feel about her husband.”
Ethan was heading back to his room when he heard a pair of voices in the music room. They came from David and Jessica, who were having a private discussion. Eavesdropping was wrong, but Ethan couldn’t help but be drawn in. He had to know what was going on between them. Did David really love her? Did Jessica suspect that David was gay?
Ethan stepped up to the music room door, as quiet as a cat. Jessica’s voice, which had been a soft murmur, rose to an outraged squawk. “You’re awful! How could you?”
Ethan’s heart tripped over itself. A lovers’ spat! It was an answer to prayer. But his hopes were dashed as he heard the woman’s laughter. “You are such a devil,” she said with a giggle. “Dr. Rosenbaum is going to be pissed.”
“Exactly,” David said.
Ethan put an eye to the crack in the door. Jessica and David stood by the piano. David had opened the lid and was placing two, long boards inside. When he finished, he pressed one of the piano’s keys, nothing happened. Jessica shook her head in amusement and kissed him on the cheek.
Seeing the two of them so cozy together, Ethan’s spirits plummeted. He had thought he’d detected an awkwardness between the two of them, but here they were, acting as cute as a couple could. When David slipped his arm around Jessica’s waist, Ethan backed away from the door and retreated up the stairs, down the hall, and into his room.
He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. Jealousy was doing a slow burn in his gut. Seeing David again had stirred up so many of his old emotions that it was hard to keep his head straight. He’d tried to remain above the situation, but he just couldn’t do it. David was like a part of his soul, and Ethan knew he couldn’t live without that part and remain a whole person.
For the past three years, he’d tried to carry on with his life as if nothing had happened to him, but the truth was that he’d been gutted. The year that he and David had been together was the best year of his life. He’d do anything to have that back again.
Once again, Ethan turned to his guitar. Only this time, he ignored the instrument and slid his fingers beneath the black, satin lining of the case. Inside was a slip of paper. He hadn’t looked at it in over
a year, but he kept it close to him. It was the only, solid reminder he had of the time that he and David had spent together.
It was a love note that David had written him not long after the two of them had become a couple. David had slipped it under Ethan’s pillow one night, and Ethan had woken to find it. It was a memory so sweet that it seemed to paint everything in gold.
Ethan, I wish I had the words to tell you how happy I am with you. Everything about you makes me smile. It’s like you added the colors to my black-and-white life, and I never want to be without you. I love you.
I love you.
Ethan’s heart clenched like a fist. How could the same man who had written him that note be the one who turned on him so viciously a year later? How could the words ‘I love you’ co-exist with the cruel labels of ‘fag’ and ‘homo’?
Ethan wanted nothing more than to rush back down the stairs and take David in his arms. There was still a connection there! He’d felt it ever since the day that the two of them had met. David had to feel it as well. It went deeper than physical longing. Ethan was empty without his best friend to fill him up.
Brimming with emotion, Ethan ran his fingers through his hair. Being around something he couldn’t have was destroying him. After David had left him, it had taken Ethan years to build up his defenses. Now, David was disassembling them brick by brick. Even if he didn’t know it. Even if he didn’t mean to.
Ethan considered the note in his hand. Hanging onto the memory wasn’t doing him any good. He needed to get rid of it and face facts. David might still love him, but he would never be able to separate himself from his religious beliefs to do anything about it. They were too much a part of him.
Ethan tore the note up into tiny pieces and flushed it down the toilet. It was better for him to let this go. It was better for David, too. Let them live their own separate lives. What had Cara told him? That he would find another man to love. Deep in his heart, Ethan supposed that was true, but he didn’t want it to be. He didn’t want another man. He wanted David.
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