Cheating Heart, A Lost Souls Novel: A Lost Souls Novel (7 page)

“He wanted your phone number,” Vienna’s mother said.  “He said he didn’t have it.  Can you believe it?”

“Wow, no.  I mean, yes, I ran into him while I was out last night.”

“He still loves you.  I can hear it in his voice.  We talked.”

“Mom!  You talked to him?” 

“Of course I talked to him.  I told him how heartbroken you’ve been and how much you loved him.
I told him that you haven’t been able to move on.  And that it was so awful what he did to you. He said he’s sorry and that it’s been hard for him, too.  Oh, Vienna, he’s still in love with you.  A mother can tell these things.  I think he really wants to work things out with you.  I can hear wedding bells.”

“You told him that I still loved him?
  That I haven’t moved on?” Vienna’s voice raised an octave.  “Mom!  How could you?”

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

“Whether it’s true or not, I didn’t want
him
to know!”  Vienna took a deep breath.  It was spot on, but she didn’t want Brandon to know anything about her feelings.  Not after what he’d done to her.  She could never go back to him after being dumped like that.  Never!

“I was only trying to help.  I’m sorry.  I guess I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Mom,” Vienna said sighing.  She felt sick inside.  She knew her mom was only trying to be helpful.  Her mother had never gotten over her divorce to Vienna’s father many years ago.  And now she lived vicariously through Vienna’s relationships because she didn’t have one of her own.  She really wished her mother would find a new husband, boyfriend, or whatever it was she was searching for.  Her mother had had many relationships over the years, but none that ended up in marriage.  And now that her father had recently remarried, her mother has been even more stifling.  “No.  It’s okay, Mom.  It’s not your fault.  I know you’re only trying to help.”

“Well, anyway, I just wanted you to know. 
I hope he begs for forgiveness.  He broke up with you what…three times to see other women?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“But I understand he’s young and still trying to figure out what he wants out of life, but that last breakup was a doozy!  We all thought you two had worked everything out.  I really thought you two were…well, anyway, that’s beside the point. He asked for your address.  Maybe he’s going to send you a card or something.”

Cringing
, Vienna yelped, “You gave Brandon my address?” She locked eyes with Kim who was shaking her head with disbelief.

“Who knows?
” her mother continued. “Maybe he’ll drop by to talk to you in person.  After all, he owes you an apology.  If he really wants to beg for forgiveness, he’d better do it in person.  I’d make him grovel at your feet.”

Vienna’s stomach clenched
at the thought.  “Yeah, maybe.  Well, Mom, I’ve gotta go.” 

“I’m so excited
for you!” her mother said.  “Call me when after you talk to him.  I can’t wait to hear how it goes!”

“
Um, yeah, I will.  Bye, Mom.”  Vienna hung up and turned her phone off so that no one else could call her.  Emotionally exhausted, she buried her face in her hands.

Vienna felt Kim’s hand on her shoulder.  “Should I start packing for the beach?”
Kim asked.

“Sure, why not?” Vienna groaned into her hands.  “Let’s just get out of here.”

“Really?” Kim asked.  “I thought you were just making up an excuse instead of seeing Kyle.”

“I was.”

“But do you really want to go to the beach?” Kim prodded.  “Seriously?  Because, if you do, I can put the plans in motion right now.  I’m totally serious.”

“
Sure, what the heck.  Call your sister and see if she can fill in for our class,” Vienna said, not lifting her head to look at her.  “And look up cheap plane tickets.  We’ll use my father’s credit card.  I need to get out of here.  The sooner, the better.”  She hated using her father’s credit card that he’d given to her when she was in college.  Since graduation, she’d been trying to prove to him that she didn’t need his help anymore.  She wanted to show him that she was independent.  But right now, she didn’t have the extra cash to pay for a last minute vacation and her father never asked for her to pay for any of her charges on the card.  He was wealthy and liked the fact that he could give her whatever she wanted when she wanted it.  She knew it gave him great satisfaction that she needed him.  But is also gave her great satisfaction when she could do things on her own.  She promised herself that she’d pay her father back like she did the last time she charged his card.  Well, she tried to pay him back, anyway.  He never cashed the check she’d sent to him and after several months went by, she ended up using the money to pay bills.

“Cheer up!” 
Kim clapped her hands and hopped up from the table.  “We’re going to have a blast!”

“Ugh!” Vienna groaned
, her forehead thumping against the tabletop.  “I’m going to go take a shower.  And whatever you do, don’t answer the door.”  She really couldn’t handle seeing or talking to Brandon right now.  A last minute dash to the beach was sounding more and more enticing.

***

Jack paced back and forth in the airport.  He felt bad maneuvering things the way he did, but he was out of options.  There was no talking directly to Vienna and she needed to make this trip.  It was important and written in her chart.  She had to do it. And without his help, he believed that Kim wouldn’t have been able to talk Vienna into it.  She was a stubborn soul and extremely hard to work with.  She had the aggravating habit of only letting him in when she wanted to. It frustrated him to no end that she never wanted to listen when he guided her.  He knew that this was a common complaint amongst spirit guides, but it didn’t make his job any easier.

Because he had to take
matters into his own hands, Jack had manipulated Vienna’s mother, Charlotte, into telling Vienna about Brandon’s phone call. Jack had triggered Vienna’s phone number that was programmed into Charlotte’s phone to dial, forcing her to talk with her daughter.  Charlotte was going to let Brandon surprise Vienna with a visit over the weekend.  She’d just ended the phone call with him, and was about to let things unfold naturally, when Jack dialed Vienna’s number.  He had watched as Vienna’s mother stared at the phone in wide-eyed horror when it dialed on its own.  The phone call was just the push that Jack needed to get Vienna to go away with Kim for the weekend, to keep her on track with her chart. 

Concerned
about Vienna’s emotional state, Jack watched as she and Kim sat waiting for their plane to arrive.  Kim was chatting excitedly to Vienna about how much fun they were going to have.  Vienna nodded from time to time, but he could see that she couldn’t get herself to smile.  Emotional distress radiated in large sobbing pulses from her energy field.  Unable to help himself, Jack kneeled down in front of her.  He knew she couldn’t see him in his astral form, but if she tried to, she could feel his energy.  He hoped that she was at least feeling his compassion.  He didn’t like seeing her like this. 

Jack
gazed into her beautiful hazel eyes.  Tears were forming.  He then glanced at her hands that were resting in her lap holding a single red rose.  He tilted his head to the side and took in her beauty.  He wished she knew just how beautiful she truly was.  Reaching out, he gently placed his hand on hers.  A wave of warmth pulsed through his astral body.  And he hoped his presence was calming her, whether she knew he was there or not.    

A lone tear escaped, rolling
down Vienna’s cheek.  Jack was tempted to take physical form to let her know he was there, but he needed to be careful.  Not only did it take a lot of energy to manifest himself physically, it was against the spirit guide rules.  And he knew he’d been pressing his luck by how often he’d been making himself physical.  The only reason the rules hadn’t been enforced with him was because of Vienna’s unique chart.  Since she was psychic, and had taken on the ability to help lost souls, the rules were a little more flexible.  Still, he didn’t want to draw attention to just how often he’d bent the rules. 

Maybe
I should make myself only visible to her
, he thought. He could still keep himself in astral form to others, but she’d be able to see him. However, in order to do that, she’d have to let him in.  And since Vienna was so engrossed in her emotional pain, she was unconsciously blocking him out.   

Jack
felt that if he’d known ahead of time how difficult the task of being her spirit guide was, he’d probably have declined.  The feelings he had for her were not appropriate, especially when he took on physical form.  He had an attraction and a love for her that he shouldn’t.  It was more than unconditional.  His feelings could greatly hinder Vienna’s life lessons. 

Jack held out his hand.  With his forefinger, he
gently wiped away the single tear that had settled on her cheek.  It glistened as the fluid merged with his own energy causing a rush of raw emotions he hadn’t experienced out of human form.  Pain gripped his heart.  Even though it’d been a long time since he himself had suffered those kinds of feelings, the pain of his last life came rushing back in a huge crashing tidal wave.  They collided with his soul sending him into a chaotic tailspin of emotions. 

***

Vienna looked at the single red rose she still held clutched in her hands.  There had been no card attached.  No sign as to who had left it on her doorstep.  But there it was, a symbol of love.  Someone’s love.  Or maybe it symbolized wanting forgiveness.  Even though she tried to play it off that the rose could easily be for Kim, she knew that wasn’t true.  Kim had rolled her eyes and told Vienna she was being impossible.  They both knew who it was from.  It was from Brandon.  What they didn’t know was what it meant.  Love?  Begging for forgiveness?  Did he want her back?  Vienna pushed that thought away.  The bigger question was what did she want the rose to mean?

The
crimson velvet petals were opening and the stem becoming slightly limp.  She wasn’t quite sure why she brought it with her to the airport.  Maybe she just needed to hold it for awhile as she sorted out her feelings.  A wave of pain gnawed at her gut and gripped her heart.  Then her hand tingled.  She blinked back her tears and hoped Kim hadn’t noticed the one that escaped.  For a moment she could’ve sworn that some of her pain subsided, but then it came rushing back. 

“Our flight!” Kim squealed
, waking Vienna from her thoughts.  “You ready?  Got your ticket?”

“Um, yeah.” 
Vienna nodded.  “I’m ready.  Let’s go,” she said, forcing herself to smile. She knew Kim was trying her best to keep the mood light and cheerful.  She was only trying to help her feel better, but it wasn’t working.  Kim’s cheerfulness was becoming a bit annoying.  Vienna cleared her throat.  She told herself to snap out of it.  She was going to have a great weekend whether she felt like it or not. 

They gathered
their purses and carryon bags from the floor next to where they’d been sitting, and then walked over to the terminal with their last minute plane tickets in hand.  Vienna stopped at a trashcan next to the doorway before boarding the plane.  She glanced at the rose one last time.  Despite her feelings, she dropped it in the can.

Chapter 6

Pulling the rental car into the driveway of a decent sized motel on Coast Highway, Vienna parked near the check-in office.

“According to GPS, this is it,” Vienna said,
picking up her phone from the console and turning off the GPS app. 

“This is going to be grea
t!” Kim beamed.  “We’re so close to the beach!”  She pulled down the visor on the passenger side and gazed into the mirror to reapply her sparkling pink lip gloss.  After a couple of swipes, she pursed her lips together as she examined them. 

“Yeah,” Vienna said.  “Except it’s a little too chilly for the beach.
”  She tapped the digital temperature gauge on the dashboard, which read 61 degrees, with her fingernail. 

“Nonsense!” Kim said, dropping the lip gloss back into her purse.
  “It’s never too chilly for the beach.  Besides, with the humidity it feels warmer.”  She ran her fingers through her long blonde locks, smoothing down any flyaway strands.  “Unfortunately it also makes my hair frizzy.”

“You look fine.”

“Steve recommended this place because we’re just down the street from the Marine base.”  Kim flipped the visor with the mirror back in place, finished with her primping.  “Later we’ll go meet up with the guys.” 

Steve was an ex-boyfriend of Kim’s from high school.  They had dated all four years and split up near the end of their senior year because he was moving away to go to college and she
stayed in Sacramento.  The two of them had agreed to stay friends, even though Kim resented him for leaving her.  Two years into his college education, Steve had decided it wasn’t for him and surprised everyone when he’d announced that he’d enlisted in the Marine Corps.  This last November Kim went as Steve’s date to the Marine Corps Ball in Las Vegas, it had been the first time they’d seen each other in person in years. And Vienna had been talked into going with Steve’s friend James.  She went on the blind date to the ball so that Kim wouldn’t have to go to Las Vegas alone.  During that time, Kim and Steve realized that the romance was no longer there and decided to keep things on a friendship level.  As for Vienna and James, there actually was a deep attraction.  But they also decided to keep things on a friendship level because it was easier than long distance dating.  Regardless, there was quite a bit of online flirting that’d developed between the two of them over the last few months. 

“Oh
, God,” Vienna groaned, getting out of the car.  “Steve will probably tell James I’m here, and then James will wonder why I never told him myself.  The last thing I need is for him to think I was trying to avoid him.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Kim said.  “
I told Steve that it was a last minute vacation.  James can’t hold that against you, especially since I talked you into it.”

“Yeah, right,” Vienna sighed.  The last thing she
wanted right now was another man thrown into her mix of crazy emotions.  “Men are so confusing.”

“
Tell me about it,” Kim laughed.  “And they say
we’re
the confusing ones.” 

***

Later that evening, they met the guys at the pier.  A cool breeze picked up and blew Vienna’s hair away from her face.  She was surprised by how happy James was to see her.  And was so thankful that he didn’t seem to mind her last minute decision to fly out to Oceanside unannounced.  Her worst fear was that he’d be angry she hadn’t mentioned it to him beforehand.  Another fear suddenly took hold of her.  What if he thought she was interested in more than friendship?  They’d been doing a lot of online flirting.  She decided not to worry about it right now.  She had too many other worries back home.  One named Brandon, and the other named Kyle.  She hadn’t yet decided what to do about either of them.  Maybe Kim was right.  She just needed to let all her worries go and enjoy her time away.  She was on vacation.  This weekend was about fun, not worries. 

Vienna stopped and leaned against the wooden railing.  She crossed her arms over her chest against the cold
ocean air.  She watched the waves roll up onto the sandy beach below.  A few dare devils were scattered about the shore splashing in the icy water.  Several others were suited up and surfing.  She took in a deep breath of fresh salty air.  This trip to the ocean was exactly what she needed.  Already her worries were beginning to melt away.  As she watched several seagulls fly by, she thought of them as her release.  They glided so elegantly, so carefree on the ocean air.  She daydreamed about how it would feel to be free from stress.

“Nice, huh?” James said, leaning against the wooden railing next to her.  He stared out at the ocean.
  “Sometimes I come here just to think.”

“
I can see why,” Vienna said, staring at his profile.  He had military standard short dark hair and was clean shaven.  She couldn’t help but notice his strong jaw line.  “It’s gorgeous,” she said, referring to both him and the ocean. 

“Glad you guys decided to fly out.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

James turned and their eyes met.  Vienna smiled and dropped her eyes, feeling embarrassed that he’d caught her staring at him.  She just couldn’t help it.  He was even better looking than she remembered.  Not that he wasn’t drop dead gorgeous in his dress blues at the Marine Corps Ball, because he was.  What girl wouldn’t want to be with a gorgeous hunk of a man in uniform?  But today, James was casual and laid back and she liked it.  He made her feel comfortable, even if he did just catch her drooling over him.

When
Vienna looked back up, she noticed that his soft brown eyes seemed to be appraising her. 

“Are you okay?
  You seem preoccupied.”

“
Oh.  Yeah, I’m fine,” she said.  “Just a lot of stuff going on.”

He lifted his eyebrows inquiringly.  “Anything you want to talk about?”

“No.  Not really.”

“Hey,” Steve said, coming up behind them. 
“You guys getting hungry?” 

He and Kim were laughing about something, walking arm in arm. 
Vienna wondered if the two of them had changed their minds about the
just being friends
only agreement.  They seemed awfully chummy and touchy feely. 

“I’m starved,” Kim said, clutching
Steve’s arm tighter. 

“There’s a restaurant at the end of the pier
, if you’re up to it?”

“I’m game if you all are,” James
replied.

“Sure.
” Vienna nodded.  “Sounds good.” 

Kim and Steve walked
ahead of them chatting animatedly reminiscing about old times while James and Vienna trailed quietly behind them.  From time to time, Vienna stopped at the railing and snapped a photo of the ocean with the camera on her phone.  She couldn’t help herself.  It was just so beautiful.  The wind was picking up and the sun beginning to set.  The sky was turning a lovely shade of coral with a dash of pink streaking across the horizon.  As they walked, Vienna listened to James talk about his work for a few minutes and then he changed the subject to his roommates in the dorm.  He mentioned that he was looking for an apartment off base, but the rent in Oceanside was outrageously high in comparison to what he could afford and he didn’t want to have roommates. 

“So,” he said, “
enough about me.  Tell me, what’s it like living in Sacramento?  I’ve never been there.”

“It’s okay,” Vienna said, shrugging.  “Nothing too exciting.
  I pretty much just work all the time since I graduated from college.”

James laughed.  “
Yeah, I can relate.  That’s pretty much all I do, too.”

“Sounds like we both lead exciting lives,” Vienna joked.

“Maybe I could fly out sometime and take you out for a night on the town.”

“I’d like that.”

“Look!”
Kim squealed.  “Can you believe it?”  They’d just passed a small bait shop filled with souvenirs.  Vienna knew how Kim loved to shop and wondered what kind of deal she just stumbled across.  But to Vienna’s surprise, Kim wasn’t looking at the souvenirs.  Instead, she was standing next to a large Pelican perched on top of a trashcan. 

The pelican cocked its head to the side
, pointing its long grey beak downwards and studied Kim with grey blue eyes. 

“His name’s Charlie,” James said. 

There was a
paper sign taped to the side of the trashcan beneath Charlie that warned people not to feed or touch him. 

“You used to be able to buy bait and feed him
, but I guess he must’ve bit someone,” James said.

“Oh,
poor pelican,” Vienna said.  “That’s a shame.  I bet people try to touch him all the time.”  She snapped a few photos of Kim and Steve standing next to Charlie the pelican, and then Kim took a few of her and James with him. 

“How do you know his
name is Charlie?” Vienna asked, when they continued walking toward the restaurant.

James laughed.  “A few months back they had a sign up saying that his name
was Charlie.”

“
Oh!  I was wondering if you just decided to name him yourself,” Vienna giggled.  “That makes sense.”

When they reached the restaurant
at the end of the pier, Steve held the door open.  Kim and James entered the building.  Vienna took hold of the door from Steve and glanced over her shoulder one last time before entering.  Out of the blue, she had an overwhelming feeling that she was being followed.  She looked around at the people gazing at the sunset or chatting to one another.  No one seemed to be paying her any attention.  She shrugged her shoulders, trying to shake the eerie sensation tingling between her shoulder blades, and let the door close behind her.

***

Just outside the restaurant, Jack stood on the steps leading to the door and waited.  Dark energy had been lurking on the pier pursuing Vienna.  It was the same ghost that had recently taken up residence in Vienna’s apartment.  And since she radiated vibrant energy, he knew the ghost was attracted to it.  It was a task that Vienna had accepted as part of her life’s experience, but nonetheless it made him feel uneasy.  He didn’t like the way the ghost was following so closely. 

The dark
vaporous shadow floated closer to the restaurant.  Jack guarded the glass front door keeping his eyes on the specter.  He hoped that his presence would keep the ghost at bay and act as a buffer between it and Vienna. 

A
s the darkness inched slowly toward him, people instinctually moved out of its way.  They couldn’t see the apparition, but they could unconsciously sense its presence.  Jack watched the dark energy looming not even three feet from the building.  It began to stretch and grow as if it was trying to transform into something.  Then within the center of the dark mist, energy particles pulled together into a tight solid mass, forming what looked like a man’s face.  A nose chin, forehead and black eyes molded itself out of the wispy shadow.  The head tilted as if it was studying Jack.  Since Jack was not in human form, his body was still in between the other side and the earth bound realm; the ghost sensed the difference in energy.

Jack
lifted his astral hands and pulled power from the turning water of the ocean and the moisture collecting in the dusk sky, to build up his strength, in case he needed to strike.  Sensing Jack’s presence growing stronger, the darkness floated backwards a good foot or two from where it’d been looming.  The shadowy figure accidentally encompassed a little boy who’d been standing behind it.  The boy clutched his stomach. 

“I think I’m sick, Mamma.
” Jack heard the boy say to his mother after the darkness had touched him.  She put her arm around him and quickly guided him to a bench away from the unseen ghost. 

Assembl
ing his strength, Jack took a few steps closer to the being.  He walked down the stairs while holding his astral hands out, releasing bright white sparks from his palms in warning.  But the darkness held its ground.  It floated and swirled and morphed in black puffs, but refused to retreat.  Jack didn’t want to do this, but he didn’t see a way around the situation.  He figured he’d have to try and diffuse the negative energy with his own.  Maybe he could weaken it enough so it would leave Vienna alone until she was ready. 

Gathering his courage, he reached for the
ghost, holding his hand out as an offering.  In response, a human face morphed within the black cloud.  Threateningly, its large black eyes opened and again stared at Jack with defiance.  Then, within a great swirling whirlwind, it gathered speed and flew directly through Jack’s wall of protection, chilling him to the astral bone with great despair and depression while zapping his energy.  Weakened, Jack turned and watched as the darkness dissolved through the closed door of restaurant, disappearing inside.  Sucking up as much energy as he could from the atmosphere around him to recharge, Jack dashed through the door following the trail of negativity. 

***

Vienna’s phone was buzzing in her purse.  She smiled shyly as she set her purse on the table and searched for it.  Steve and Kim were in the middle of telling them an embarrassing story about a Homecoming dance they went to their sophomore year of high school.  The four of them were seated in a booth across from a large picture window overlooking the ocean.  Kim and Steve were sitting across from Vienna and James.