CHAPTER 15
He floated out of the room and onto the beach. The breeze picked up as he waited there, and soon two more ghosts appeared. “He kissed her,” the female ghost enthused, clapping her hands excitedly. “Oh I wish we could have seen that.”
The young male grunted and the older male looked at him. “Trevor. You haven’t let go yet have you? Not completely. Are you not happy for Skye and the young man she has met?”
He thought for a moment, seriously. This was the moment he had dreaded, but he knew would come. “It hurts. I still love her.”
The female floated to Trevor and threw her ghostly arm around his shoulders. “Trevor my dear boy. You will always love Skye. I know how much hurt you are feeling and it isn’t fair. You both thought you would grow old together. But it wasn’t meant to be. There is someone else for Skye as there is someone else for you. Did you realise there is another waiting for you too?”
He looked at her with surprise in his eyes. “No, I didn’t. Is that right?”
“Yes. Your perfect match awaits. While you and Skye both thought you were the perfect couple, and everyone around you thought the same, you weren’t.” She saw Trevor wince at her words. “Trevor, don’t be upset by that. You and Skye shared a very special time in your lives. But your perfect match awaits you still.”
“I can’t love anyone as I loved Skye.” He said gruffly. It was inconceivable to him.
“Of course not. That was a special love, a unique love only the two of you shared. You will love the other in another way. Your unique way between the two of you. You will always love Skye but you will love her too, when you find her.”
Trevor looked sceptical. The grandfather spoke up. “And you must stay out of Skye’s life now. She is confused. She has this one barrier in her life stopping her from being happy with Brian. While we are all around, we continue to confuse her. I suggest you stay out of any more communication with her Trevor, including her dreams. And the moment we know they have professed their love for one another, we leave. Forever, as hard as that will be for us all.”
Trevor kept quiet, thinking about all that was said. “You’re right. I don’t want her to be hurting and I know Brian is the one for her. He is more special than me?” he asked plainly upset by the thought.
“Not more special Trevor, a different sort of special,” the grandmother said with gentleness in her voice. “You are always going to be special to her. But Brian is her match. Another who is special to her.” Trevor nodded. He understood. “And just think of the fun I will have matchmaking with you in Heaven,” she continued, lightening the mood.
“Ahh, my darling,” the grandfather said softly. “That won’t be necessary. Trevor will know his perfect match when he sees her.”
“I will?”
“You will. Trust me.”
Trevor nodded again, chewing his bottom lip. “I will stay out of Skye’s life now. I will promise that. She means so much to me and I want her to be happy. Brian makes her happy I have seen that. He is a good man and will love her. He IS perfect for her,” he admitted.
“Good. Then it is settled!” The grandfather said and the three floated apart. The grandparents went in the directions they had come from, Trevor following the grandmother at a safe distance. There was something he had to do before he could let go.
**********
Brian tossed in his bed as he slept. Something was bothering him. He looked around the room and saw nothing. Yes, he was still home. Well home for now at least. He felt comfortable calling this home because it was the most of a home that he had had than anywhere else in the past two years.
Then he saw him. Trevor! He was sitting quietly in the chair by the window watching out towards Skye’s house. He had no ghostly appearance and looked flesh and blood like a normal person. He hadn’t heard Brian walk in and Brian saw a tear roll down his cheek. His heart went out to him and he could feel his pain. He knew whatever it was that Trevor was about to do would benefit him, but right at that moment he wished he could take that pain away, give him back what he so badly wanted. He knew it was Skye he wanted and there was only one way that could happen, so there was no way in this world that he would allow it. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe. She meant too much to him.
“You love her don’t you?” Trevor said, not turning his head and frightening Brian.
“Y…yes I do.” Brian admitted. “Even though we have only just met, I know I love her.”
“You met her months ago. In your dreams. You know her so well already,” Trevor turned and looked at him accusingly. “You have even made love to her!”
Brian became flustered and didn’t know what to say. “Well….”
“Don’t deny it, I know you have.”
“I’m sorry Trevor. I…”
Trevor held a hand up to stop Brian talking. “Don’t apologise.” He sat still, lost in his memories. Brian didn’t know if Trevor was mad at him or happy. Then again, why would he be happy? He wanted the woman of his earthly existence. Brian sat in the chair opposite him wanting to reach out and comfort him in some way.
“I won’t pretend it hasn’t hurt. It’s been sixteen months since I have held her in my arms and all I want is to be able to hold her in my arms again. I loved her so much. We had a… unique love,” Trevor said borrowing the word from earlier. “I had known her since we were kids. Our love grew from that time and blossomed as we became teenagers and then adults. I should never have gone out that day. She hadn’t wanted me to, I could feel it even though she never said the words, but I still went. If I hadn’t gone I would still be here today.” He said and Brian frowned to himself.
Trevor looked up and smiled at Brian. “Please. I am not blaming you.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “You have come along and you’ve helped Skye. I owe you Brian, for bringing her out of her sadness. You are apparently her perfect match, not me, as much as I thought I was. I’ve been told there is another for me but I will find it hard to love again. I loved Skye completely.”
“I’m sorry you are going through this Trevor,” Brian said to him sympathetically.
“Don’t be. It was meant to be, destiny. I had to make way for you. You belong to her, and she belongs to you. As much as it is painful to admit that, I now know it is true. I won’t bother you anymore. Just promise me one thing.”
“Anything. You name it.” Brian watched Trevor as he waited.
“Just love her. Always love her and be there for her. She is a special person and deserves it all.”
“I can promise you that. I do love her already and I know it can only grow,” Brian admitted.
“Good. And one other thing. Be there for her when she is sad. Help her get through the fact that she is cutting her ties with me. Just be patient with her. When she tells you it will be hard on her. Help her.”
“I would do no less. To hurt her would be to hurt myself.”
Trevor nodded. “When you have both professed your love, we will be free. Free to leave to our place of rest. Goodbye Brian. Be good to her.”
Brian’s eyes opened and he blinked quickly to make sense of what he had just dreamt. Had it been a dream? It felt so real. He looked around and saw he was still in the bedroom, lying in his bed. He thought back. His conversation with Trevor had been so normal, so very much like two guys would have about the girl they loved. He stopped short. Did he love her? He’d like to. Boy would he like to, but with his complicated lifestyle he knew that would be difficult. How could he get around that hurdle? He wanted to love her, but he couldn’t bear to hurt her, or worse still leave her behind.
Just then a knock came at the door. Brian sat up with a start and wondered who it could be at this time of the morning. He looked over at the clock on the bedside table and groaned when he realised it was already 10am. He jumped out of bed, pulling his jeans on as he ran to the door. He flung the door open and stood wide-eyed looking at Skye standing in front of him.
“Hello Brian,” she said almost timidly. She looked as beautiful as he remembered and he smiled at her.
“Skye! Come in. Sorry, I was just getting up,” he said to her to explain his semi dressed state.
“That’s okay Brian. I’m sorry I’m so early.”
Brian shrugged self-consciously. “It’s not early. I slept in,” he explained, thinking of his dream. Was now the time she would tell him about Trevor? He hoped it was and that they could then move on.
“I wanted to apologise, for last night. I….” She struggled for the words.
“Look, come on in. Make yourself comfortable while I go get dressed. Then we can talk, okay?”
She nodded and he left to get a shirt on, returning only moments later. “Would you like a coffee?” he asked, needing one to wake himself up. Skye nodded and Brian set about making two coffees for them and cooking some toast for himself. They settled at the kitchen table and remained quiet while Brian ate. He felt she was a little uncomfortable, watching her hands twist nervously as he ate, so motioned for them to go into the living room, to sit in the comfort of the lounge.
“Brian. I need to apologise to you,” she began.
“What on earth for Skye?” he asked. He had felt like he had been the one to ruin the evening for mentioning Trevor.
“Because of the way I acted last night. I should have put you first. It was our first date after all.”
“Hey,” Brian said sitting up straighter and turning to face her. “Please don’t feel you need to apologise. Something I said upset you and I’m sorry about that.”
“But I want to explain, tell you what happened.” Skye looked distressed and Brian didn’t know if she was ready for this.
“Take your time Skye. If you want to tell me, then go ahead, but if it is too hard don’t. I think I can guess some of what you are going through.”
“You can?” He nodded. “Trevor. The man in the photo you pointed out. He was my fiancé.”
“What happened Skye?” He wanted to pull her into his arms, to comfort her but felt it wasn’t what she needed right now.
“He was killed, in a boating accident.” She was holding up fairly well up to this point and Brian could tell she was trying very hard to remain that way. “It was 16 months ago Brian and there hasn’t been a day that goes by where I haven’t thought of him.”
Brian nodded and stayed quiet, letting her go on. “We had known each other since we were kids and I imagined spending my life with him. But he was cruelly taken away. It was the worst time in my life and the ache has been with me ever since. And then I met you Brian.” Skye stopped talking and took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. “I had so many mixed emotions running through me for so long Brian, I loved him so much, meeting you added another emotion to them. I have felt so sad for so long, such a loss, anger, fear, heartache, and then when I met you I began to feel guilty.”
“Guilty? Because you met me? Skye you shouldn’t feel guilty. You have every right to move on with life, to keep on living.”
“I know. I thought I was finally getting back to normal deciding it was time to put the past behind me and move on with life, but I suddenly felt like I was betraying Trevor’s memory if I started to like another man. Jay and Daniel have both told me it was time to move on, that Trevor was not coming back, but it was easier said than done. And then you came along and even though we have only just met, I feel like I have known you for a long time and I know I like you.”
“I like you too Skye, a lot.” Brian said to her putting his hand over hers. Her fingers trembled slightly and he squeezed them a little.
“That’s just it Brian. I like you and I am ready to move on with my life. I have told myself not to feel guilty, that it isn’t my fault that Trevor left, but last night, when you asked about Trevor’s picture, it just took me by surprise. I’m sorry about the way I reacted.”
“Please Skye, don’t apologise. I understand. I may have never lost anyone like that, but I can understand how you are feeling. I’d like to help you. I’d like to help you to learn to live life again, to enjoy and share the joys of a relationship. If there is ever a time it is getting too much for you, tell me. We can slow down. We can talk. Just don’t bottle it up inside yourself. Let me help you.”
Skye smiled at him and he felt a jolt of desire rush through him. “Thank you Brian. It means a lot to me to know you understand. I want to get on with life. I will always remember Trevor, but he is my past. Hopefully you will be a part of my future,” she said trying not to sound too demanding.
Brian didn’t care. It thrilled him to hear her say those words and he would do anything he could to make them true. He lifted his hand to caress her cheek and she leaned her face into it. “I’d like that very much Skye.” He looked into her eyes. “Are you sure you are okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay Brian. If I ever need help, I’ll let you know. I think though, from now on I will be alright. I almost feel like a weight has been lifted.”
Brian leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Slowly his lips moved around and he heard a sigh behind him. Both Skye and he jumped apart slightly and seemed to look in the direction of the noise. “She’ll see us if I kiss you.” Brian said not thinking about his words.
“She Brian? Who is she? Who will see us?”
Chapter 16
Index
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