Stains on the Soul Page 5

“Was there something you wanted, or are you just trying to torture me?”

  Her sister took a deep breath to calm her giggles. “Yeah. Ted just got here…. He’s waiting downstairs.”

  The brush clattered to the dresser top as Fiona whirled around to face her sister, wincing in embarrassment when her voice caught. “H-he is?”

  “Yeah. He’s freaking hot—does he have a younger brother for me?”

  Fiona picked the brush up with the intention of running it through her locks yet again but then set it back on the dresser, more gently this time. “I don’t think so.”

  “Too bad.” She walked past Fiona to flop down on the bed. Distracted by the magazine lying in front of her, Rebecca began to flip through the pages, offering Fiona a momentary reprieve from the interrogation.

  Fiona shook her head and headed for the door. “See you later,” she called over her shoulder as she grabbed her purse and left the room. Once safely out of her sister’s view, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Okay, get over it. There is no reason to be nervous…

  * * *

  After an awkward meeting with her parents, they were on the road. “So where are we going?” She glanced over at him, curious to hear what he had planned. “I hope what I’m wearing is okay.”

  “You’re fine,” he assured her. “It’s a surprise.”

  Fiona didn’t like being surprised, but she appreciated when people took the time to try. She smiled, injecting some enthusiasm into her voice. “Great!”

  “Why don’t I believe that?”

  How did this guy know her so well? They’d only spoken for a short time, and already he could read her mind. It made her fidget in discomfort—she wasn’t used to that from someone she barely knew. Since he’d called her out, she couldn’t help but be honest. “Okay, I admit it: I’m not a huge fan of surprises.”

  He switched lanes, preparing for a right turn. “I’ll give you a couple hints: It’s not in town and it’s quiet. Trust me, you’ll like it.”

  She relaxed into her seat as her mind began to run through the possibilities. “That’s pretty vague.” There was a drive-in theater just outside of town—maybe that’s what he had in mind. Then again, this was Jeremy’s cousin, so the jock had probably directed him to every club in town. She suppressed the urge to shudder as she considered that possibility—she hoped his side of the family was a little more down-to-earth than that.

  “Just trying to keep you on your toes,” he joked, signaling another turn. This time, they went onto the freeway, and before she knew it, they arrived at a park. There were a couple of men fishing several hundred feet to their left and a few kids playing tag in the grass with a woman watching them. Other than that, the place was pretty quiet. “How’d you find this place?” she asked as she took in the scene before her. She turned her head to face him, and he leaned closer, locking eyes with her. He was so close he could kiss her right now if he wanted to. The idea sent a flutter of anticipation, or dread—she wasn’t sure which—to her belly.

  “I had to go into town for my aunt and came across it. I thought this would be a good place to hang out.”

  “I like it, but I don’t see any benches for us.” She pulled back a little and cleared her throat, swallowing the lump that was forming. This was a far more private and intimate setting than she’d anticipated. She smiled as she wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and waited for him to answer.

  He smiled. “I came prepared for that.” He unlatched his seatbelt and opened the door, climbing out while motioning for her to follow. She climbed out of the car and followed him, too distracted by his proximity to notice that he’d popped the latch while they talked. After a moment, he cleared his throat and motioned to the trunk. She snapped out of it and turned her attention back to the car.

  Inside was a blanket and a cooler. Ted picked them up and closed the trunk before pointing off to the distance. “How about over there?”

  “Looks good,” Fiona agreed. For a moment, she considered offering to carry something, but he didn’t appear to need or want any assistance. One point in his favor… He led her away from the small crowd and stopped by a tree, where he spread the blanket on the ground and placed the cooler off to the side.

  “After you.” He motioned for her to sit.

  Fiona eased herself onto the blanket, sitting with her legs bent underneath her while Ted sat Indian-style beside her, his body only inches from hers. The closeness filled her with a sense of warmth while also setting her nerves on edge. She pictured him reaching out to touch her cheek and shivered a little.

  “This is nice.” She looked toward the water, watching a duck and its young swimming to the opposite end. “I might need to re-think the whole surprise thing.”

  A deep laugh rose up from his throat. “Good.” He opened the cooler, pulled out a soda, and then offered it to her.

  After accepting the cold can and flicking water droplets off the top to open the tab, Fiona took a sip of the drink, allowing the fizzy liquid to soothe her dry throat. She set the can down and nodded to the cooler. “So, what else have you got in there?”

  “Just some sandwiches and stuff like that. Something told me you’d like a picnic.”

  She laughed in disbelief. This guy is really something. She studied his face a moment before asking in a suspicious tone, “Are you psychic or something? You’re pretty good at reading me.” It didn’t seem possible a strange man could know her that well or inspire the excitement and dread he stirred in her. Fiona barely breathed as she waited for his response, a tingling sensation flowing throughout her entire body.

  “Something like that…” His expression turned serious a minute, and his eyes locked on hers.

  She felt her breath catch, surprised by the tone in his voice. “Is that a joke?”

  “Would it weird you out if I said no?”

  His words weighed heavy on her mind. It was another coincidence in what was becoming a long list of them. She struggled to answer. “Are you sure you’re not just messing with me?”

  “I’m completely serious. I’ve got great instincts.”

  She couldn’t resist asking, “So what do your instincts say about me?”

  “That I had to get to know you.” He said it without a hint of hesitation. When she didn’t respond right away, he reached out and gently brushed her hand. “You okay?”

  Fiona couldn’t breathe for a moment as his skin came into contact with hers. She couldn’t get over how familiar it felt, how comfortable. “Yeah, I was just thinking.”

  “About?”

  “That you seemed familiar somehow.” Fiona surprised herself with her answer. She hadn’t planned on saying anything that even remotely hinted at her dreams—not to him, not to anyone.

  He smiled and took her hand in his. The feeling of familiarity only increased as his hand tightened around hers, along with a slight sense of discomfort in her stomach she couldn’t place. Was it just nerves? Guilt over Sloane? A warning? Whatever it was, she didn’t want to think about it at the moment. His hand was rough but not too rough. At the same time, his touch was light and inviting. Never before had holding a guy’s hand felt so…right. They sat talking for hours, watching the moon rise in the sky. Finally, a yawn escaped her lips, and Ted suggested it was time to call it a night. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment, along with a sense of relief. There was something about his presence and the tone of their conversation that disturbed her. It was too…natural. Too easy.

  * * *

  He pulled up outside her house and walked her to the door. She was glad to see the house was dark as they stood on the porch. She wasn’t in the mood for an interrogation from Rebecca at the moment. Fiona had no idea what she’d say about the date; she was still trying to get her thoughts clear in her own mind. “Sorry about having to call it a night so soon. It’s been a long day.”

  “No problem. Wouldn’t want to wear you out too bad the first time I take you out…”

  Th
e first time I take you out… His bold words hung in the air between them as she fidgeted. Maybe he did have a touch of his cousin’s arrogance. Then again, maybe he was just reading her mind once more. She couldn’t help but hope he’d ask again.

  “I had a great time tonight.”

  “So did I...” He hesitated a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “So, what are the chances of me seeing you again?”

  “I’d say they’re pretty good…”

  He reached out and took her hand, drawing her closer. They stood only inches apart, looking into each other’s eyes. He leaned in, his lips meeting hers, and the world stopped for a minute. “How about now?”

  The chills that ran through her were more than just the excitement of a first kiss. Images of her recent dreams flooded her consciousness, and there wasn’t a doubt in her mind. She did know him, and she didn’t care how. “I’d say they just got upgraded to excellent.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “I don’t know about this, Amy…” The following afternoon, Fiona and her friend were standing outside of a building with the words Psychic Reader printed on the doorway. Despite what she’d thought about Ted last night, her mind changed in the light of day. It somehow made the unexplainable seem far more unlikely. Amy knew Fiona was struggling with something she didn’t want to talk about, so she insisted on a trip to one of her favorite shops.

  “Oh, come on! We already drove all this way. Why not check it out? Are you afraid of what you might hear?”

  Her friend’s words were harsh, but Fiona couldn’t deny the truth in them. She was afraid this person was going to confirm every suspicion that had echoed in her mind since the dreams started. It was a terrifying prospect, that at least some of the dreams she’d had recently were real. The very idea she’d been in this world more than once flew in the face of everything she’d ever learned as a kid in Sunday school and was a bit intimidating, despite her openness to the strange things her friend loved. Coincidences and strong intuition were one thing; hard proof was another entirely. If she’d been known by other names and had other faces before, who was she really? Why was she here and would she suffer the fate her former selves had? She didn’t want to admit to being scared though, so she stood up a little straighter and took on a defiant tone. “I’m not scared.”

  “Good,” Amy replied, nodding at the door. “Then lead the way.”

  Fiona marched to the door and entered the shop, heading directly for the counter. The bright and spacious store reeked of various types of incense and candles, but somehow the smell wasn’t offensive. If anything, it put her at ease just a little. She stopped in front of a small wooden desk housing a variety of crystals and bottles filled with liquid.

  “May I help you?” A kindly older man with a soft voice stood before her. He reminded her a bit of Santa Claus; he had the long white beard and a sparkle in his eyes.

  “My friend’s here for a reading,” Amy answered from behind her.

  Clearly her friend didn’t want to give Fiona even a second to back out. She was torn between wanting to thank her or kill her.

  “Ah,” the old man responded, “wait here a moment and I’ll see if Beatrice is available.” He disappeared behind the door, returning moments later with a young woman that was not at all what Fiona expected. Years of movies and TV shows featuring fortune tellers had conditioned her to expect an older woman with a turban on her head and flashy clothing. Instead, she wore a simple pair of jeans and a button-down fitted pink shirt. On her feet was a pair of old sneakers, and her hair was held in a bun with a small pink clip.

  “Hello.” She zeroed in on Fiona, studying her in silence a moment before saying anything further. “Follow me.”

  Fiona nodded and looked back for her friend. Amy was already busy checking out all the store had to offer; she probably wouldn’t even notice Fiona had left. She turned back to Beatrice and followed her into the back room. To Fiona’s surprise, there wasn’t a table with a crystal ball inside. Instead, there was a small couch with a coffee table in front of it. The room was bright with some crystals hanging in the windows and from the ceiling. Fiona thought she recognized amethyst, her birthstone. She didn’t know what significance the jewels had and decided not to ask. The woman took a seat on the couch and waited for Fiona to sit down as well before saying anything.

  “You’ve been having disturbing dreams.”

  The woman said it so matter-of-factly it took Fiona by surprise. She wondered if Amy had told someone in advance why they were coming. Fiona nodded, determined not to say much while here. She wanted to see how much this woman would come up with without any input from her.

  Beatrice closed her eyes a second, appearing to listen to someone before saying, “I see fire and someone tied to a post. No wonder you’ve always been scared of flames.”

  Fiona fought hard not to react physically and give Beatrice confirmation, but inside she was having a mini panic attack. How on earth does she know that?

  “Let go of that; it’s not doing you any good. There’s no reason for you to worry about that anyway.” The reader’s eyes closed a minute before she continued, “I see you sitting at a table. You’re writing a letter, one that is going to change everything once it’s found.”

  “That was just a dream I had.” How did the woman know this? Fiona’s heart was pounding so hard she wouldn’t be surprised if Beatrice was able to hear it.

  The reader shook her head. “You were seeing your past.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Fiona was still trying to hang on to any hope that all of this was only in her head.

  “I never kid in a reading, Fiona. I’m telling you exactly what I see.”

  Fiona almost fell out of her seat at the use of her name. Since the woman had started talking as soon as they sat down, she hadn’t had the chance to introduce herself. “How’d you know my name?”

  Beatrice smiled; obviously she’d been trying to make a statement by putting the young girl’s name out there. “I just do. Just like I know that these dreams you’re having are real and they’re not going to stop. At least, not yet.”

  “So what can I do to get rid of them? They’re kind of making me crazy right now.”

  The reader shook her head. “You’re not supposed to make them go away. The dreams are coming for a reason, and you’ve got to figure out what they’re trying to tell you.”

  “Isn’t that why I’m coming to you?” Fiona couldn’t believe that the woman could know this much and wasn’t able to tell more.

  “You want me to give you an easy answer to make it all go away, but life just doesn’t work that way. People, situations…they come into our lives for a purpose. It’s our job to learn from these things. I can point you in a direction, but you’ve got to learn the lesson yourself.”

  Well, that felt like a real gyp. She’d been hoping to get answers and now she was getting told to find them herself? What good was the psychic then? Wasn’t that what she was here for?

  “Here, I have something for you.” The reader opened the little drawer and pulled a stone out. It looked like the ones hanging all over the room.

  Fiona accepted the stone, turning it over in her hands. “What’s this for?”

  “That’s an amethyst. You can either wear it on a chain or carry it in your pocket. It’s got several properties, but the one you want to focus on is enhancing intuition and psychic power.”

  “Are you serious? I’m so far from psychic I’m not even on the same continent.”

  Once again, the woman shook her head, and a smile spread across her face. “That’s not true, and you know that. There’s a strong intuitive side to you, and you can make it even stronger if you work more at it.”

  Fiona opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself. The woman was uncannily accurate, and they both knew it. It was time to start dealing with whatever was going on. Maybe she’d get some peace.

  Fiona thanked the woman for her time and returned to the main roo
m of the shop where she found Amy browsing the tarot cards.

  “How’d it go?”

  Fiona took her friend’s arm and led her to the front door. “It went. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Fiona sat on the floor of the bookstore’s storage room, sorting through a pile of new arrivals. She yawned and placed one of the books in the center pile as she tried not to think about the dream she’d had the night before.

  It was as if going to see that reader the other day opened up a floodgate. She’d been having dreams ever since, and it was beginning to wear her down. Fiona blinked to clear her vision as she tried to focus on the title of the book in her hand. That’s it. She slammed the book she’d been holding on top of its proper stack. There was only one thing to do now. No matter how much it scared her, she was going to have to quit stalling and get the answers she needed.

  As soon as I get out of here, I’m going to do it. A shiver ran through her as soon as she thought about continuing with her search, but she didn’t care. It was either face whatever it was she was so scared of or go insane. Fiona took a deep breath, feeling a small burst of energy return. The sensation was freeing, and she almost couldn’t wait to go home.

  When she had nearly finished sorting the piles, the door to the storeroom opened. “Fiona? Sloane’s out there waiting for you. Why don’t you go ahead and take a break?”

  Damn. Fiona smiled as she stood and brushed off her jeans. “Thanks.” She supposed this is what she got for being too chicken to ask him to keep his distance while she thought things through.

  She walked into the main room and spotted Sloane browsing one of the shelves. “Hey! What are you doing here?”

  He turned around and walked over to her, giving her a hug when he reached her. “I just wanted to see if I could talk you into going somewhere later on. Maybe a movie?”

  Fiona frowned as he hugged her, feeling as though she were being suffocated. She knew she promised she’d think about what he’d said, but she still wasn’t sure what her answer was going to be. Plus, there was something else she needed to do that night. “I’m sorry… I kind of have plans already.” She could see the question forming in his mind, so she added, “I’ve got some stuff to take care of at home.”