Where Forever Lies Read online

  “It was nice that you guys came and checked up on me, thanks,” she said, swallowing hard as she leaned over and hugged Sam.

  “Glad you’re okay,” Sam told her quietly, as he returned her hug.

  “Thanks. You both need to keep in touch, OK?”

  “We will,” they both said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed as they turned to leave.

  Paige smiled hesitantly, unsure about what had just happened, and waved good-bye to them as they walked back to their truck. Tiredly, she walked over to the accident scene where a cop, his lights flashing crazily like a strobe light, and a man with the wrecker ready to haul her totaled car away, were waiting to talk to her.

  She exchanged insurance info with the cops and the other driver, and was relieved when her mom finally pulled up. Remembering what was still hanging on her rearview mirror, she quickly ran back to her car before the wrecker could haul it away and reached inside to grab her lucky horseshoe necklace. She held it in her hand and looked it over as the memories resurfaced. Natasha had given her this necklace for her birthday last year and told her it would bring her more than just good luck. She had never asked what else it could give her, she didn’t think it mattered at the time. It was the last item that Natasha had given her before she had committed suicide and it would be something she would always hold close to her heart. She never took it out of the car that she was driving and knew this time it had kept its promise of giving her luck and keeping her safe.

  With the horseshoe necklace clutched tightly in her hand, she took one last glance back at Tyler and watched as his eyes caught hers as he talked with the cops, and then she got into her mom’s car.

  As she got in, she leaned around to the back seat and smiled brightly at her little girl, thankful this disaster wasn’t any worse than it was. She couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter losing both her parents. Kyra, wearing a pink headband with a bow and matching pink dress, gave her a mischievous grin back and then continued playing with her toy. As her mom pulled away from the accident scene, and she listened to Kyra jabber in the backseat, she didn’t think twice about the good-looking idiot who had hit her.

  “I am just so happy you are all right, are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital and get checked out?” her mom said, taking quick glances at her and trying not to wreck, herself, as she maneuvered out of the wreckage. She had both hands on the steering wheel and Paige could tell she was a nervous wreck.

  “I’m fine mom,” Paige said, just wanting to get home and take a nice hot shower. She did feel a little queasy but figured it was just her nerves. She was starting to calm down now with the adrenaline rush gone, and it hit her how lucky she really was. She was inches away from death and she felt so thankful to be here right now.

  They pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex and she gave her mom a quick hug.

  “Thanks for coming to pick me up,” Paige said as she got out and opened Kyra’s door.

  “Do you need any help getting in the door with her?”

  “No, I’ve got it, but thanks.” She set Kyra on the ground and grabbed her hand, waving bye to her mom as they walked inside.

  After getting the door opened, Kyra squealed with excitement and immediately ran to her toy pile on the rug. Paige started picking things up around the house and sighed as she thought about the last year. It had been a rough one, with Natasha dying, then Randy a month ago, and now her car was totaled and she had no transportation, and could have died herself. She felt like bad luck was looming over her. She figured things could be worse, at least she was alive and healthy and Kyra was too. She should be grateful and not be dwelling on the negative side of things. She was still grieving the friends she had lost, but knew that would heal in time.

  After a long day, nothing sounded better than sleep. She put Kyra to bed and then took a long, hot shower, hoping it would ease her already sore and aching muscles.

  Chapter 5

  “I told you I have to have a car as soon as possible so I can get to work,” Paige said as she paced irritability around her living room, trying to convey her frustration to the insurance company without blowing up at them. She didn’t want to come across as rude, but she was desperate to get a rental car. “Ugh, yeah, I’ll hold.” She was at her wit’s end and thought if they didn’t get her a rental car today she would scream.

  “Um, Ms. Griffin, it looks like the other insurance company just faxed the information over that I need and I think I have everything to get your rental this afternoon. If you go to American Rental they should have a car for you by four o’ clock.” The receptionist stated on the other end.

  “Thank you, that makes my day.” Paige hung up the phone, relieved, and dialed Kyleigh’s number to see if she could take her to the rental company. She had to get this lined out because she was tired of stressing about how she would get to work tomorrow or if she were to have an emergency. She didn’t like feeling helpless.

  Luckily, she had today off because she was a little sore and stiff and she knew she’d be uncomfortable taking care of the patients today. She hoped she’d be feeling better by tomorrow.

  An hour later, Kyleigh showed up at her door. She was perky, vibrant, and full of energy.

  “Hey, are you ready?” she asked, jiggling her keys in her hand, and grinning mischievously at her.

  “Yeah, let me grab my stuff. What’s going on with you?” Paige asked as she gave her a wary look.

  “Nothing, why?” Kyleigh said, quickly.

  “There’s something going on with you, I can tell,” Paige said, eyeing her up and down. Her shoulder length brown hair was lightly curled and her lips had a touch of faded red lipstick on them which blended well with her cream colored low cut shirt and dark denim shorts. Mascara covered her eyelashes and her eyes had a smokey hue to them. Kyleigh wasn’t one to wear makeup very often, or curl her hair. Paige studied her closely and thought she wore it all really well. She looked vibrant, beautiful and sultry. It was a little shocking, compared to how she normally looked, but Paige liked it.

  Kyleigh saw her staring and waved her off with her hand, “Oh, I’ll tell you in the car. Now, hurry up!” Kyleigh was down the hall and out the main door before Paige could get the door shut.

  Her mom had stopped by to pick up Kyra so Paige could have half the day to get some errands done once they picked up her rental car. She would need to start looking for a new one soon, even though she was dreading it. She had some money saved, but she hated to spend it. But, she also knew she couldn’t go without a car.

  She looked over at Kyleigh, “All right, spill it.”

  Kyleigh gave her a look, her eyes darting from the road to Paige and then she sucked in a breath and said, “I’ve made up my mind to leave Brad.” Kyleigh’s face scrunched up as Paige let out a loud shriek, making her ears hurt.

  “Kyleigh, that is the best news, ever!” she screamed, reaching over to hug her. “What made you decide on that?” Paige asked as she turned the radio down.

  Kyleigh sighed, and a tired look came over her. “I decided it the other night when he punched me in the side, hard,” she said quietly, keeping her eyes on the road.

  Paige felt the tension in the car escalate and she gritted her teeth, not believing that Brad Ramsey thought he could hit her. “Kyleigh, what the hell? Please tell me that’s the first time he’s done that?” Paige questioned harshly. She wasn’t able to keep the anger out of her voice.

  Kyleigh bit on her lower lip, and the pause was all Paige needed to get her answer. “Kyleigh,” she said, her voice lower now, soothing. “I’m just glad that you’re finally done with him. I wish you had told me, though.”

  A tear rolled down Kyleigh’s cheek, “I know; I’m sorry. It’s just... I was embarrassed that I let him get away with it, you know?”

  Paige touched her arm. “Kyleigh, you don’t ever have to be embarrassed around me. I’ll never judge you or make fun of you. You should know that by now.”
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br />   Kyleigh gave her a quick glance, “I know. I know you’re not like that.”

  “When do you plan on telling him?” Paige asked, wondering how he’d take the news.

  Kyleigh pursed her lips together as she thought about it, “Probably tonight. Why wait?”

  ♥♥♥

  After Kyleigh dropped her off to get her rental car, she ran her few errands and then headed to her mom’s to pick up Kyra. On the drive there, she thought about what Kyleigh had told her. She knew it was the best decision, for her to end it with Brad, but she also couldn’t help but worry about how he’d take the news. He was evidently abusive and a lot of times those types of guys were also possessive. She blew out an exasperated breath, causing a loose curl to fall across her eye. She tucked it behind her ear and drove, doing her best to only concentrate on the winding roads.

  Her mom lived in the suburbs of Sweet Haven, a thirty minute drive from her apartment in the downtown area. It was always a beautiful drive, full of fields and woods and farms, but she loved the city life. She enjoyed being around people and having plenty of things to do. She wouldn’t know what to do with herself if she ever had to live in the country. It didn’t seem like there was much going on. All she saw were big fields of nothing. But driving out here gave her time to let her mind drift and enjoy the peacefulness that comes with the country life, which was the only positive thing she got from being away from the city.

  As she drove, she glanced at the horseshoe necklace that was having a temporary home in her rental car and thought about her new life as a single mom. She had been doing some soul searching lately and figured it was time to embrace being a single mom. There was nothing she could do about it, she couldn’t bring Randy back, but she would do her damnedest to make sure Kyra was not missing love, support or anything else she needed to grow up to be a healthy little girl. She knew she could do it. A strong determination finally settled in her, instead of the scared feeling that had been hovering over her since his death. It would be hard and overwhelming at times, but she had no choice. She had her mom for support if she ever needed anything and her friends were always there for her.

  Paige pulled into her mom’s driveway and got out, making her way up the brick sidewalk and into the small ranch house. She heard Kyra and her mom in the living room, laughing as they watched cartoons. Paige stepped into the living room and couldn’t help but feel her mood lighten at the sight of her daughter laughing.

  “Lookie who’s here,” Susan said in a light hearted tone.

  Kyra’s eyes lit up when she looked up and saw her mom. She jumped up and ran up to her, throwing herself onto Paige.

  “Awe, I take it you missed me?” Paige said, lifting her up into her arms and pulling her into a bear hug. She closed her eyes as the smell of apple shampoo drifted through her nose and then heard Kyra giggle.

  “You tickling my neck mommy,” Kyra exclaimed.

  “Are you ready?” Paige asked, as she felt Kyra play with a strand of her curls.

  “Yah,” Kyra mumbled in her ear.

  “Did you get your rental car straightened out?” Susan asked, as she stumbled to get up off the floor.

  “Yeah, finally; I think I was on the phone all morning with them. I’ll have to start looking for a car soon, though.” Paige said, as she tugged Kyra’s hand out of her hair.

  “Well good. How are you feeling? Are you sore?”

  “I’m definitely sore and I’m glad I have today off. Hopefully I’ll be feeling better by tomorrow, because there’s no way I could help lift adults right now,” Paige said, as she rubbed her aching neck. She hoped she wouldn’t have any issues later on from this wreck, and figured she might regret not getting checked out, but at the time, that was the last place she had wanted to go.

  “Just make sure to keep taking some ibuprofen, honey. I hate that you’re in pain.” Susan came up beside her and patted her shoulder, making Paige smile. Her mother was just as much of a worrier as she was. She’d always known she’d inherited it from her mother. When her dad was alive, he was always the laid back one in the family, taking things as they came. Paige had always envied him for that trait, and wished she had received it, but it was something that she couldn’t dwell on.

  “I know, Mom. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

  She gave her mom one last wave as they headed down the sidewalk and to her car. Kyra kept trying to take off running ahead but Paige held tightly onto her hand.

  As she opened the door and lifted Kyra into her car seat, Paige’s hand brushed against a leafy vine that had caught on Kyra’s leg. As she stood there staring at it, her heart became heavy with anxiety as memories of the dream and the funeral came rushing back into her mind. Why did she have to keep reliving these memories? Why couldn’t it all just go away and never come back? She felt that she couldn’t escape her grief, it just kept showing up to taunt her and remind her of the past. Remind her how her life would never be the same. She choked back the tears that never seemed far away, not wanting to have a breakdown in front of Kyra.

  “Did you have fun at mamaw’s today, honey?” she asked, as she slowly pulled the vine off her leg and dropped it to the ground.

  “Yes,” Kyra said, as she tugged at the strap on her car seat, staring at her mom with wide, wondering eyes.

  After Kyra was buckled in, Paige walked around to her door, her breath hitching with emotion that she was tired of shedding. She opened the door, got behind the wheel, and took a few deep breaths as she put the key into the ignition with shaky hands. By the time she was ready to leave, she looked up in her rearview mirror to find Kyra had already drifted off to sleep in her car seat, her red curly hair hung over her eyes as her head rested to one side. Paige smiled, and finally let the tears escape, knowing that one day the pain in her heart would also be sitting in her daughter’s.

  She pulled out of her mom’s driveway and turned the music up, hoping to find some uplifting music to fill in the hollowness in her heart. As she looked in her rearview mirror, tears fell freely down her cheeks as she saw the leafy vine blowing away with the wind.

  Chapter 6

  Paige squinted against the sun as she turned into Donnelly Park. It was a little ways from her apartment in the city, but it wasn’t far from her mom’s house and she thought they both needed some fresh air and sunshine.

  The sun was out and there was a soft breeze, making it a perfect day to take Kyra to the park. She pulled into the parking spot and noticed how busy the park looked. Many kids were on the playground and some guys were playing basketball on the far court. She opened Kyra’s door and her sleepy eyes instantly brightened when she saw where she was. Paige unstrapped her car seat and once Kyra stepped out onto the blacktop, she took off racing straight for the swings as if she had never seen anything more fascinating. Paige had to jog to keep up with her and it briefly crossed her mind that it was way too hot to be running. Kyra leaped on the swing and insisted her mother push her very high. Paige pushed Kyra what she thought was high enough, but Kyra kept yelling “higher, Mommy, higher.”

  “All right, honey, but I think that’s high enough. You swing for a while and I’ll sit over there and watch you,” she told her daughter as Kyra swung back and forth giggling the whole time. Paige laid a blanket out on the ground and watched Kyra go from the swing to the jungle gym, and decided to take a chance and indulge in some rare quiet time, relaxing in the warm sun.

  ♥♥♥

  Tyler and Brandon were playing the basketball game ‘horse’ when he noticed the car pulling into the parking lot. He didn’t think anything of it, until he saw a young girl get out of the car with her daughter. The mother, he assumed, looked a little younger than he was and he thought she was pretty with her long wavy brown hair. He liked the way she carried herself and thought she was probably the type of girl who knew what she wanted out of life. The little girl was the cutest thing he had seen, with red curls bouncing above her shoulders as she ran. He watched them as they walked to the playg
round and saw the woman jogging to keep up with her excited daughter. He began to wonder what it would be like to have a little girl, someone he could refer to as ‘daddy’s little girl.’ He had wanted to have a girl and a boy, but after having his son and realizing the marriage was not working out, they ended up getting a divorce.

  Now, he had been single for six years and had been completely fine with it but he noticed a strange tug pulling at him lately, almost as if his subconscious was telling him that there was something missing in his life. He’d been feeling the loneliness creep up on him in the past several weeks, but he’d been desperately trying to push it away. He just didn’t have the time for anyone right now. Also, he didn’t want to rush into anything and make the same mistake he’d made before, so he continued to remain gun shy of getting serious.

  As he watched the young girl push her daughter on the swing, he felt a sense of sadness at the thought of not having a complete family, again. He had enjoyed being married, that wasn’t the problem that caused them to get divorced in the end; he realized he just wasn’t with the right woman. They had been completely wrong for each other and he didn’t want Brandon to grow up and see his parents argue and fight every day.

  “Hey, Dad, catch!” He heard Brandon shout at him and turned from his daze just in time to catch the ball before it blasted him in the face.