Keeping Secrets (Book 1)

Chapter 23: Apology

I sat up, making Travis roll off me. "Babe?" he asked. "What's going? Someone here?"

I ignored him, pulling the blanket that was laying on the edge of the bed over both of our laps. "Death. Yeah, I've been wanting to talk to you. Um... excuse the lack of clothing at the moment. We weren't... expecting company."

"Death?" Travis whispered next to me. "You're going to talk to him now?"

I looked at him. "Sorry, Trav. This is really important." Then I looked back Death. I didn't really know how to begin apologizing for everything, but some of what Nina had said to me had stuck. I just started talking and hoped the right words would come out.

"Look, I screwed up. Big time. I am so sorry for causing so much trouble for you. I never meant for that to happen. All I wanted was to save my sister and my grandma. I realize now how selfish that was, but I did it because I felt like I had no other choice. After the accident, I had nobody. Sure, I had a few family members, my boyfriend, but all my friends walked away. My father hated me. And my sister was dead. Being able to see ghosts after the accident was practically a miracle. I met my grandmother and really got to know her. I talked to Jenny, who was still trying to convince me that her death wasn't my fault. Then you took them. Jenny came to me, bleeding and asking - begging - for me to help her. I did what I thought I needed to do, not understanding any of what was going on. I confronted you when I shouldn't have. I tried to break some of the ghosts out of that holding pen you have them in. I caused so much trouble for you and I didn't even realize how much trouble I was causing. I just wanted my sister back. But, I realize now how stupid that was. She's dead. I can never really have her back, just like the rest of the world. The world lost Jenny that night. I lost her four months later. I know why you collected the ghosts and it wasn't an attack on me or Nina. It just felt like it at the time and we were angry. Hurt. Confused. So we reacted in the only way we knew how and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Death nodded his head slowly. "I'm surprised," he said. "I was expecting a fight out of you, not the heartfelt apologizing you were trying to get out."

"I'm being sincere," I countered. "The ghosts are your business, not mine. I never should have gotten involved. It wasn't my place."

"So... what are you going to do about your sister?"

I let out a shaky breath. "I'm going to let myself mourn. Everyone else did that months ago. It's time to finally admit to myself that she's gone."

Travis grabbed my hand and I looked over at him. I had almost forgotten he was here. I squeezed his hand gently before turning back to Death.

He spoke before I could. "And Theresa? What are you plans for her?"

Now I was confused. "Theresa?" I repeated, trying to figure out if I knew that name.

"My mom," Travis answered. That's when I realized I never actually knew her name. "She's not here, is she?"

I shook my head, but answered Death out loud. "I'm going to keep Travis safe from her, but I'm not going to go out of my way to find her or kill her or anything like that. Control over the ghosts is your jurisdiction, not mine. She can do whatever she wants, as long as she doesn't come near Travis again."

Death thought for a minute. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. I just wanted to know if my apology was enough.

"And the girl?" Death asked. "Nina? Is she still going to come after me?"

I shook my head. "No. She has pretty much given up the whole psychic business thing - you took away the only thing she could use to get customers in the door. She's not mad at you, though. I think she understood the reality of the whole situation a lot more than I did. I convinced her to help me save the ghosts. It wasn't her fault."

So maybe some of it was a bit of a stretch, but Nina was done with it all now. And she was all for confronting Death before we figured out his plan. After that, she was completely done trying.

Death nodded. "Fair enough." Then he was gone just as suddenly as he had appeared.

I breathed a sigh of relief, laying back against Travis' chest. "He's gone. I'm sorry."

Travis wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. "Is everything okay?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so. I knew I needed to apologize to him. What I did - going after Jenny like that - wasn't okay. I meant what I said to him: I was being selfish by needing her here. It's why I came here crying. I'm never going to see her again."

He placed a gentle kiss to the top of my head. "How about we talk about this later and pick up where we left off, huh?"

I smiled, rolling over so that I was looking up at him. "I'd like that."

It wasn't long before the blanket and the rest of our clothes were tossed to the side. This time, I was a whole lot happier than when we started. I don't know if it was because I was able to talk to Death or what, considering he didn't even give me anything. But I let myself give in to this moment, to Travis.

When we finished, neither of us wanted to get up. We laid there, tangled in each other's arms, not saying anything. We didn't need to say anything. Just being together like this was enough.

"Oh my god! Put on some clothes!"

I sat up so fast, staring at my sister, who was standing in the corner of the room with her hands over her eyes.