Eternally Devoted (Frostbite 4)

Which only confirmed that my assumption the gun shot had been Wayde taking his own life was true. But I couldn’t think too long on that as a light shimmered around Wayde’s feet, working its way up his legs.

Wayde watched and looked mildly confused, as if he hadn’t expected a light to come but something far darker. Even I hadn’t figured out where people who did bad things went when they crossed over. Did they burn in Hell? Or did they go somewhere much more peaceful?

I suspected a soul probably received a different type of punishment, one I expected would shock me, because heck, most things in the mystical world shocked me stupid. I’d given up a long time ago trying to figure it all out, and settled on, I was just glad the job wasn’t left up to me.

As the brightness grew around Wayde, becoming the piercing white light, I wondered what to say. Usually, with most ghosts, I would wish them well. Instead, I realized I wasn’t the one who needed to say anything and as the light grew brighter, I turned to Amelia. “Wayde’s leaving now.”

Amelia rushed to my side and, shocking the hell out me, took my hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, Tess.” Turning to where I’d been looking and clearly intending to stare at Wayde, she added, “Jacob—find the peace, happiness, and acceptance you couldn’t find here.” Her voice lowered to a soft tone laced with sadness. “Alexander would want that for you.”

Wayde’s eyes widened at her acknowledgment of him, even if he didn’t realize she couldn’t actually see him. Or maybe what shocked him was her acknowledgement of Alexander.

His lips parted to respond, but the light flicking around his body increased and, if he had talked, it made no sound. The light turned even brighter, until poof, he vanished, with the same eerie silence around me.

When all that remained was the dark night and starry sky, I exhaled a long breath, squeezing Amelia’s hand. “He’s gone.”

Right then, another hand took up mine, holding far more firmly. I glanced sideways at Caley. She smiled at me tightly, but there were tears in her eyes, and her hand was trembling over mine.

I snorted, totally confused. “Seriously? You’re crying about Wayde?”

She shook her head, her features filling with an emotion I couldn’t understand. “Just breathe.”

My nose scrunched. “I am breathing.”

Tires squealed off in the distance and Caley glanced over my shoulder, and I followed her gaze to the driveway. One minute I stood there holding Amelia’s hand. The next, Caley was dragging me forward.

When we neared the house again and approached the driveway, I spotted the cops on the porch taking notice of the driveway, too. That’s when I caught sight of the car tearing down the laneway at excessive speeds.

Only a second later, and after another squeal of its tires, the car stopped.

Caley wrapped both her hands around my one and her voice sounded so shaky, so taut with emotion. “Breathe, Tess.”

>

“What…” My heart raced as I watched Zach, Max, and Eddie all running toward the car, screaming and yelling with elation in their voices.

Car doors opened in a swift move, and when two bodies exited, I realized why Caley had told me to keep breathing because I, in fact, didn’t hold the ability to breathe any longer.

Kipp’s brother, Brandon, strode toward Max, smiling from ear-to-ear. But he didn’t hold my focus, the man next to him was all I could see. The man who stared at me with eyes that held an emotion that currently ripped through my body, urgency.

Caley dropped my hands and I stood, motionless. I watched under the glow of the light from the porch as Kipp hugged Eddie, and then repeated the move with Max. I could hear them crying out in joy and could even see tears on all their faces.

They can see him…

He’s touching them…

Chapter Seventeen

I couldn’t move.

Yes, I knew this was happening and was real, but it seemed as if my mind couldn’t process it. I could only gape as Kipp released Max, and moved onto Zach. His eyes never left mine as he took Zach into a fierce hug. Then he glanced away for one second to say something I couldn’t hear as he clasped Zach on the shoulder.

Whatever Kipp said must’ve been funny, since Zach barked a laugh before he looked to me.

Kipp made him laugh…

Zach heard him…

He gave Zach’s shoulder another squeeze, saying something to the group, earning a few chuckles from even Brandon. Then Kipp turned all his attention on to me. Everyone and everything around me faded. Even the house, the swamp, and all the little details of the night couldn’t register in my mind as Kipp approached.