He shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know. She said that there was something special about you that allowed her to take over. I think it has to do with your heart.”
“Because of what Madeline said?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me everything.”
****
She felt violated. Like all of her basic human rights had been tossed aside. It was rape of the soul. Numbness settled over her body. How did something like this happen in real life? She rubbed her arms, and waited for Oliver to return from paying the bill. The thought of her being guided around like a puppet on strings scared the piss out of her. This time the ghost had chosen to taunt Oliver, but what would she choose to do next time?
“You ready to go?” Oliver asked. She nodded, stood from the table and followed him out of the building. She operated on autopilot as her mind ran through a dozen chilling scenarios. When did her life become so close to fiction it was unbelievable? The moment you met Oliver. The thought was a sobering one.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
“See what we can find out about the transplant donor. All roads seem to lead back to that.”
“It’s not public record. I can send a message via the hospital that did the procedure, and they’ll forward it to the family. Whether or not they respond to me at all is up to them entirely.”
“You’ve looked into
this?”
“Yes, I just never followed through because it seemed … intrusive. I was lucky enough to have them donate the organ and have it be my match. The last thing I want to do is repay them by dredging up painful memories.”
“I think it’d make them feel good to know that a part of their loved one lives on in a person gracious and kind enough to pen them a letter.”
“I hope so,” she whispered. Regardless of her personal feelings, the decision had been taken out of her hands.
Right now the bottom had dropped out from the world she’d created for herself. Oliver had always claimed she was his anchor, keeping him in the light and chasing away the shadows and negativity. Now that role was reversed. She had always faced things head on, but this was a mystery she wasn’t sure how to solve. Her body felt heavy and her mind taxed as they stopped in front of his black sedan. She smiled her thanks at him when he opened her car door, and realized the fatigue was probably a result of the body high-jack she’d just experienced. The bitch is even stealing my energy.
Annoyance and anger replaced fear as she forced herself to sit up straight in the seat, and dig into her reserves for energy. This was combat, and despite having lost the first battle she’d be damn sure she won the war. It wasn’t in her to lie down and take what she was given. It had to be another aftereffect of possession. My life has become a fucking horror movie!
Chapter Twelve
“What the hell?” he whispered.
Oliver was perplexed when he pulled an all too familiar envelope out of the mailbox. Why did he have this? Had they confused the paperwork and mixed up the address the inquiry was sent from with the address it was meant to go to? He opened the envelope and froze as the words registered. His hands shook as he re-read the information typed out on the hospital letterhead. Oliver wanted to believe it wasn’t true, but the time for denial as over. He should’ve seen this coming. It all lined up. The ghost was Hannah.
Hannah’s actions made his blood run cold. This wasn’t the woman he married. She’d always had a bleeding heart. It’d been her best quality and her worst fault. How had she grown so bitter and angry? Why had she stayed? How the fuck was he going to tell Juni? The letter fluttered to the ground as it slipped from his fingers and he dashed toward the restroom. His knees protested the harsh treatment as he fell onto the hard ground in front of the porcelain toilet. Oliver’s body shook as his lunch made a re-appearance. Was everything he had with Juni a lie? Had Hannah led him to that café and made them drop their inhibitions? The thought made his head spin and his heart fracture. A resurgence of bile made its way up his throat as he pictured Juniper’s face. This would devastate her. The last thing he’d ever wanted to do was hurt her. Yet, this whole thing was his fault.
A selfish part of him wanted to keep the secret to himself. It would be the best of both worlds. The two women he loved in one body. Except, every day he’d noticed a bit less of Juniper was present. The fact that he’d entertained the thought for even a second sickened him. He choked back down the bile that threatened to rise as his stomach protested once more. Oliver closed the lid, pulled down the silver handle to flush, and rested his heated face against the cool marble of the sink beside him. Shame washed over him as a new comprehension dawned. His nightmares had nothing to do with his subconscious. Hannah blamed him for her death and wanted him to suffer.
Tears filled his eyes as his heart ached for the love had turned sour, and the sweet woman caught in the crossfire. He couldn’t imagine life without Juniper. Oliver closed his eyes as the salty liquid spilled over and trailed down his heated face. The black hole that Juniper had managed to pull him from threatened to open and swallow him whole. There was no way to recover from this gracefully. Hell, he’d be lucky to come out of this with her not hating his guts. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and stood on shaky feet. He turned on the water, rinsed out his mouth, splashed his face, and slicked his hair back from his forehead. God, he looked pale, haggard, and worn as if he’d aged years in a matter of minutes.
Oliver’s body tensed as his breath became visible in a white cloud. Goose bumps broke out over his flesh, and the mirror fogged.
“I know you’re here, Hannah.”
The lights flickered and objects on the counter of the sink vibrated. He clenched his fists, determined to stand his ground.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
“Did you know for the past two years I’ve walked around feeling like I was one step away from jumping off the bridge our car went over? Do you really hate me that much?”
His eyes widened as he watched writing appear on the mirror. I stayed for you.
The thought of her living in the shadows, siphoning energy from him like a leech gave him mixed emotions. It had to be a lonely, miserable existence. Just like the one he’d lived until he met Juni. His heart felt like it was being tugged in two different directions. Hannah was his first love, but Juni was his present. How could he turn his back on one for the other when it was clear Hannah needed help?