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I got up from the table on my patio and started pacing back and forth.
“Are you still there?” Macie asked.
“Yep, I’m still here. Just pissed off now.”
“Rhys, there was nothing to Riley and Chad.”
“Not on her part. His is a different story, though. That son of a bitch is a manipulator and plays on Riley’s good heart.”
“He may have tried that, but it didn’t work.”
“Then why is Riley upset?”
“Because she wants to tell you what happened but doesn’t want you to get pissed off like you are at the moment.”
I picked up my glass of whiskey off the table and downed what was left in it. “Wouldn’t you be if you were in my shoes?”
“Yes. But there’s nothing that you can do about Chad living in the same city as Riley and being a patient of the dentist she works for. They were bound to run into each other sooner or later. Riley handled it, too.”
“Yeah, but she couldn’t handle telling me about it.”
“And you know why.”
“Her not being transparent about everything is a big trigger for me. It’s a déjà vu of when she hid her desire to start her life over without me. I had no idea she wanted to until she told me two weeks before her planned move to Fort Worth, which happened to be when I’d planned to propose to her.”
“I know, Rhys, and I’m sorry.”
“What am I supposed to do with all of this?”
“Process it and then let it go as best as you can. Riley may very well end up telling you about what happened with Chad. Just give her some time. She’s been through a lot in the past two weeks.”
“Okay.”
“If she tells me anything more about Chad, I’ll let you know.”
Macie and I hung up, and I went inside my house to pour myself another glass of whiskey. After downing it, I walked back outside, dove into the lake fully clothed, and swam to the same spot where Riley and I swam to and held each other after I’d taken her kayaking.
Floating on my back and looking up at the sky, I prayed to God to place angels around Riley to protect her. Then, I prayed for the protection of our relationship. As strong as it seemed, I knew it was still vulnerable.
Sitting in my living room now, watching the news on TV and waiting for Riley’s call before she fell asleep, I heard a light knock on my front door. When I opened it, no one was there.
I stepped outside and looked up and down the porch, still not seeing anyone. Suddenly, I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye to my left, and I took off running in its direction.
When I reached the back of my house, I immediately stopped because a glowing image of a woman was there, and she was looking at me. I rubbed my eyes to be sure I wasn’t imagining her. No, she was real—a real ghost.
She pointed at the sky, placed her hands together as if praying, and nodded at me. Then I heard her say, “We’re with you, Rhys, and your one true love, Riley,” although her mouth never moved. Seconds later, she disappeared, and I sat down where I’d been standing, unable to believe what had just happened.
Once my head stopped spinning, I grabbed my cellphone out of my pocket and opened the Google app, searching for pictures. I was staring at one in particular when Riley called me.
“I know who our ghosts are,” I said, answering my phone.
“Ghosts?”
“Yes. They’re Joseph and Rosalie Hamilton. Rosalie is with me, and Joseph is with you. They’re protecting us.”
CH 37 - #name
Riley
