Forever His & His Ghost

Chapter 4: 9 Years Later

9 Years Later

      "Oh Skyla, I don't know about this." Marie squeals laying the last page down looking at me with tears.

       I grabbed my wine glass from the table and leaning back on the couch with a smile, "you said, real. I can't get any more real than my life." Wow, where nine years has led my life.

       "But we aren't those people anymore, this is a lot of teenage drama." She took a seat next to me with her wine glass.

        I shook my head, "It is, but since I signed the contract that mind you, I wasn't sure about, they want a back story. They want all the juicy bits and that's what I am going to give them. The ups, the downs, the love, the heartbreaks, the bullying, everything, I want to give it all to them." I graduated college as a freelance writer and one of the biggest publishing companies in New York got a hold of some of my work, I signed a contract to become one of their biggest writers for different subjects, but first they wanted a written bio on me, and they wanted everything, so what better way to make a come back into the world.

        She pointed to the paper, "But why did you start there? I mean you had a life before Red River High."

       We both laughed, she knew, "Because that's when I feel like my life really started. And that is when I learned the most lessons, from there till now."

       "Fair enough," she grabbed the bottle from the counter and poured her and I both a drink.

       We finished our drink in comfortable silence before I took another one and went to take a seat on the patio facing the mountains outside. The night was cool and crisp, and I grabbed a blanket to wrap around me as I curled up in the freestanding hammock. The night air seemed to carry its own melody, with the frogs, and locusts singing. Occasionally, you might hear an owl hooting in the distance and an occasional moo of the neighboring farm's cow.

       I moved to Montana about four years ago. I couldn't handle the hustle and bustle of the world, so I got away from it all. This was one of the smaller farms with only a hundred acres, but it was mine and it was enough for me. Plus, I didn't have to put up with any neighbors, the press, nothing. I had even gone as far as unplugging; I didn't get any internet or cell service here. I always made a point to go to the local town once a week and make my calls and check my emails. Turns out the owner of the local diner was a bestie of mine and I could go there and use the Wi-Fi anytime I wanted.

      Marie couldn't stand the thought of me moving off, so she followed me and opened her own diner in the small town. She stayed with me most of the time, but she did have her own place in town, usually when the winters got too bad, I would go stay with her, but she spent most of her time with me. We had practically been inseparable since that first day we met my sophomore year. She was my closest friend, always there to catch me when I fall, always there to be my shoulder to cry on and always seems to have enough strength to get us through the hard times.

       "Hey, you are going to catch pneumonia out here." Marie whines as she takes a seat in the lounge chair next to me. "What are you thinking about?"

       I laughed, "Everything. This book brings up memories so clear it's almost like I am there again, you know."

      "I do, I think about those times often." She coughed a little, "You know I can..."

      "Nope," I cut her off, I knew exactly what she could do. My life changed for the worse that night, and it has never been the same. I am a stone-cold woman most days.

       "Alright, well let's get to bed, your brother is flying in in the morning, and I have Marko picking him up at eight."

       "Good deal. I swear you can get that man to do anything." We both laughed, I knew her heart only belonged to my brother, but Marko had the hots for her so bad he would do anything to try and get her attention. He was my hired farm hand and lived on the back side, he was always just a golf cart ride away. "Okay, I am going in to think where I am going with the story from there, I just think I should highlight the juicy bits, what do you think?"

       "Personally, don't leave anything out. Take the readers with you on your journey and bear it all." I nodded as I made my way to my room.

       I curled up in the bed and my mind whistled through those many years ago, how my life changed and how I met the love of my life without even knowing he was it, until much later. How much life changed in nine years, in a blink I went from the nerdy schoolgirl to the blossoming college girl, to a successful freelance writer for hundreds of companies, to a now signed author. And truth be known I was scared to death, writing a book was never in the books for me I thought, well that was until mom introduced me to one of her professor friends and she talked me right into it. I finally let sleep consume me and drifted into another restless night.

       "Preston!" I squealed running down the steps and directly around my brother's neck.

       "Hey little sister," He chuckled in that now very deep manly voice. Yea I might have been older than him, but where I stopped at five foot three, he kept going until he was a foot taller than me.

       "Come on, I will show you your room," I pulled him to the other spare room with its own bathroom.

       "Seriously sis, I can get a motel in town."

       "Nonsense, my home is your home, you stay as long as you like and make yourself at home." I turned to leave but stopped, "It's really good to have you here."

        He smiled, "It's really good to be home."

        I laughed wholeheartedly, "That's right. Home!"

       "Is he here?" Marie asked as she handed me a cup of coffee when I reached the kitchen while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

        "Yep." I popped the P.

        She immediately was alert her eyes looking around, "Really?" She whispered.

       "Yea, he is in the room next to yours."

       "Crap." She whispered yelled and I couldn't help but giggle under my breath.

       "Well don't you look beautiful as always, Marie." Preston casually said as he came into the kitchen and took a seat next to me.

       "Thanks." She turned bright red and literally ran to her room and left me chuckling with a very confused looking Preston.

       "Did I say something?" He asked, he was so clueless.

        "Yea, well that's between the two of you."

        "So, I hear you signed a contract and are writing a book?"

        "I am," I ran over to the counter and grabbed the rough draft, "Here." I laid it down in front of him and we sat silent while he skimmed over my work so far.

         He laid the paper down and ran his hands up and down his face before turning to me, "Really?" I just nodded, "Why at this point?"

        "You and Marie sound just a like." I grabbed the papers and set them under my coffee cup. "Because this is when it all started, I think." I tapped my fingers on the countertop. "But I am stumped I don't know where to go from here."

       "Not telling you how to do your job, but just keep going from there." He huffed. "I hear you have a signing in a few weeks, with your rough draft being released to a select audience."

       "I do."

       "You know I can."

      "I swear you and Marie are two peas in a pod. I am telling you the same as her, no."

       "But Sky..."

       "Nope," I made sure to pop the p. "I am going to work. Make yourself at home and you and Marie play nice."

       He just chuckled as I made my way back to my office with my heart feeling heavy. For the last nine years, I have focused on making myself strong, I got so tired of the media I just walked away so I didn't have to deal with it. That night broke me, it broke me into so many pieces that even now nine years later when I think that I am all put together I find another piece that was out of place.

       I am really beginning to second guess my decisions about writing this book, it is bringing up things in my past that I thought long ago buried. Before I face that though, Preston is right I need to continue where I left off.