Chapter Ten #3
Will didn’t know how to make him see. He really needed an intervention.
As the wedding continued, Will made him look at him for the next part.
“Until death do us part, Will,” Corbin said, meaning every word of it. “I hope our last breaths are together. That would be the most amazing end to this love story.”
That hung there.
“We didn’t know,” Will said. “You’re free, Corby. Death parted us.”
Immediately, Corbin focused on the wedding, living those last few minutes.
When Will stepped back, he took the other ring off of his right hand, and put it in Corbin’s.
It glinted in the setting sunlight.
Like.
A.
Beacon.
“With this ring, Will, I thee wed,” he said, slipping it onto his man’s finger.
The space around them wavered.
They were back in their house.
They were back where love lived, suffered, and died.
Will tried one more time.
“You can love again, Corby. I didn’t know we wouldn’t make it, but had I, I would have told you to find someone that was special and live. I hate seeing you like this.”
He wanted to weep.
All of this was slowly killing him.
“I can’t,” he whispered. “You dying killed my heart,” he whispered over and over again, like it was a mantra to save him from the sleep that wouldn’t let go.
“You have to, Corbin. We aren’t meant to mindlessly fuck our way through life, not making attachments. You need to find another half to make a whole.”
Corbin couldn’t do that.
“No one will be you, Will. No one will love me like you did.”
He touched his face.
Corbin was wrong there for one reason, and only one reason.
“No, but they will love you like they can. You can love more than one person, Corbin. You can open your heart. Running won’t save you.
Running won’t make it easier. It’ll make it harder.
Take a chance. You don’t want to be empty anymore.
I’m giving you my permission as your husband to find love again.
When your time comes, I’ll welcome you and your new love to me.
I can love your new person along with you. ”
He started crying.
He couldn’t let go.
If he did, there would be nothing.
At least now, he had something. Being alone…he didn’t do well, and he knew it.
“Please find love again.”
Corbin wanted out.
He wanted to wake up.
With all he had, he pulled away, trying to force himself to wake up.
He began screaming into the darkness, trying to escape this dream. Corbin began backing up from Will, and everything he was telling him.
Find love?
HOW?
He couldn’t keep it the first time. In all of his life, he’d only loved one person.
WILL.
Turning, he ran out the door, and all around it there was nothing but darkness.
Only, he didn’t care.
He ran headlong into the darkness, and as he did, he screamed louder than he ever had before—even the day he came home and found Will dead in their bedroom.
Destroyed.
The darkness seemed to go on forever. There was no light at the end of this tunnel.
Then, it happened.
It was when he felt something touching him on his body that he pulled away from dream and rolled so fast. The cop training and all of those years kicked in.
He pulled his gun, and opened his eyes.
Beneath him, as he rolled was his partner, and Alex’s eyes were huge.
And filled with so much fear.
Corbin’s gun was under his chin, and his finger was on the trigger.
Everything paused.
Finally, Alex spoke.
“You were having a nightmare,” he said, softly. “I was trying to wake you up.”
That hung there.
Then, as he realized how dangerous he was to be around, Corbin knew what he needed to do.
Fuck what Will said.
Fuck his past, his future, and his present.
He put his gun away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare or hurt you,” Corbin said, moving away from him.
Alex was scared, because he’d not seen that coming. He hadn’t been able to wake him up, and then all of the sudden, he was on his back, the man above him, and the gun…
He’d been worried about the feral noises coming from the man as he seemed to do battle. It began as whimpers, like a trapped, wounded animal, and then, it went full-on rage.
It.
Was.
Terrifying.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked, trying not to think about how he’d felt despite the fear. Being beneath Corbin had…been interesting.
At his words, Corbin wasn’t sure anymore.
Was he okay?
No.
Then again, he never would be, but that was his burden to carry.
So, he lied like he had for the last fifteen plus years.
“Sure. I’ll be fine,” he said.
Only, his voice was cold, dull, and lacked any sign of life. He sounded…empty.
“Who is Will?” he asked, gently.
As a Fed, Alex could read the room, and this time, it said one thing.
His partner was in pain.
Alex watched his shoulders sag, and that tremor move through his body at that one question.
He wasn’t sure he’d answer.
But he did.
“He was my husband. Death took him from me, and sometimes, I dream about him. He had been my whole world, until he wasn’t.”
Alex was surprised.
What?
No, he was completely caught off guard by that.
Why?
He had NO clue that Corbin was gay.
They really didn’t talk about relationships, but the one time he did, all he said was that he’d just gotten out of a relationship, but he didn’t say what went down or with who.
He kept it vague.
Now, he understood.
There was a little wobbly in Alex’s belly, and he didn’t understand that flutter.
It was like when he’d first met Noah, and he found out that he’d been gay too.
Because he needed to know—more so for his own curiosity than anything else, Alex went there.
“How did he die?” he asked, assuming that the man wouldn’t tell him.
But he did.
Slowly, Corbin let out a breath, and it was somewhere between exhaustion and a sigh. The whole time, he still was not looking at him.
Why?
He could smell Will’s cologne, and he needed to run. The dream was still fresh and raw, battering his heart and brain.
Corbin had few choices.
It was run, or it was die by his own hand.
He told him the truth, and Corbin didn’t understand why. Maybe it was to explain himself, or to make penance for nearly shooting the man in bed.
“He was murdered.”
Well, shit.
That hung there.
Alex didn’t know what to say. Only, he knew that in that moment, his partner had to be carrying the heaviest burden in the whole world.
His heart hurt for him.
He genuinely liked Corbin, and had a good time with him. The few times they’d gotten a beer, or went to a movie, there’d been peace.
Now, he understood it.
He tended to be very comfortable around gay men because he felt safe with them. Look at his long relationship with Noah, and when he’d played third wheel with him and Lawless.
That comfort had been sustaining.
Or as they jokingly called it, the relationship without sex.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “What can I do to help you?” he asked, wanting to soothe him if he possibly could. “Just tell me, Corbin.”
He laughed sardonically and then began moving toward the door.
There was only one answer.
It was one he’d never be able to get.
“Bring him back because the day he died, my soul died too. I’m so empty and alone. Honestly, I just wish it had been me and not Will. I wish I died.”
He grabbed his garment bag, and his messenger bag, and opened the door. Then, he walked away, leaving Alex standing there alone.
He was spiraling.
Between the cologne and the dream, he needed space between himself and the man. Will’s words battered him, and he didn’t want to find love again, only to be hurt when he lost it. That would take more trust than he had in him.
Corbin.
Was.
Empty.
Out in the hall, he called the one person he knew would pull him back from the brink.
On the second ring, Gene answered.
“What’s up, Corby? We’re checked-in, and then we’re going to meet you guys for dinner.”
He had to get the words out.
Corbin knew that when he needed help with this, Gene had always told him to reach out for one of them, and they’d pull him back in.
Now, he needed them.
Desperately.
“I had a dream. It was about Will. I’m not okay,” he whispered. “I am not okay. Help me.”
Gene heard the tone.
That told him everything.
Corbin was about to spiral.
“Come up to room five-seventy-two,” he said. “In the business section of the hotel.”
That was all he needed to hear. If anyone could help him work through this, it would be the two men he trusted from his youth, and Elizabeth.
He’d made a family of his own, and it was them.
“Thank you,” he said, and then, Corbin hung up.
And he began walking.
His soul was raw from the dream, and he was not enjoying the flashback at all.
He never did.
One would think that at some point, that he would be able to move on, but he couldn’t.
Corbin always felt trapped.
Unable.
To.
Escape.
He knew there was another catalyst now, and it was best to put distance between them.
If he had to stay partners with Alex, and he had to smell his cologne, and feel anything, he knew he’d eat his gun.
Corbin might have to leave the FBI.
Or leave life.
* * * The Blackhawk Family * * *
Across The Country
Massachusetts
Same Time
It had been one hell of a day, and Victoria Littlemoon was just exhausted.
They were fighting a battle here in Salem, and their lives hung on the edge, balanced before the tumble into the abyss.
Weird shit was going down there, and that was saying a lot because her world was absolute insanity.
Seeing the dead, and fighting the battle between life and death was always wild.
As of late, it was worse.
The shit was going down, and all the psychics in the area were in danger.
Them included.
So, after a long day, with the kids settled in, what she was looking forward to was a shower.
An everything shower.
It was going to be the kind of shower that women talked about for days after where she slathered herself in salt scrub, moisturized to the Gods, and then put a really expensive hair mask on to make her red hair come back to life.
The mom life was dulling her shine.
But tonight, she had two hours to herself, and she was going to piece herself back together again.
Once in the shower, she was humming and enjoying her moment.
That’s when she heard it.
A tapping.
Oh.
Hell.
No.
“Trey, I swear to everything that is unholy in my haunted-ass life, that I will finally let Julian send you off in one hell of an exorcism. NOT. NOW!”
It got quiet for a while.
Then, the tapping began again.
What the fuck?
It was going to make her insane if she didn’t just open her door and ask her brother, or Bethany what they wanted.
“You have one minute,” she said, as she opened the door.
Right before her, a stranger appeared.
And she gasped.
“Who are you?” Tori asked, backing up in the shower as she tried to cover her body with her hands. “What are you doing?”
He was to the point.
“I need your help.”
She sighed.
“That’s it. I’m getting this house warded,” she said. As she was about to slam that door shut, the stranger said the one thing that would make her stop.
“Elizabeth Blackhawk.”
Tori paused.
“What about her?” she asked.
Will went there.
“My husband works for her. I was killed over fifteen years ago, and he’s still holding on. He’s going to take his life to be with me if someone doesn’t intervene. He needs to move on. Can you please talk to him for me? Can you channel me?”
Oh, boy.
She went there.
“I don’t know if you’ve read the room, Dead Guy, but we’re having one hell of a psychic war here in Salem. We’re trying to keep the whole thing together.”
He was well aware.
“You’re going to win. Please help me.”
She sighed.
“Elizabeth is on a case, and my husband is about to break. Please. I need him to move on. He needs to find love before it’s too late. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have any other choice. I know you’re busy, Mrs. Littlemoon. I’ve heard you talking to Elizabeth, and I know you can help him.”
She stared at him.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
He shared.
“William Barker-Price. My friends called me Will. I was a lawyer. A DA. I helped people, and now, I need help. Can you please help me save my husband?” he asked.
Tori didn’t want to do this.
She was exhausted.
“I need to think about it,” she said. “Give me a few hours to mull it over.”
The man nodded.
“Thank you,” he said. “I want to cross, but I can’t until he’s safe. I appreciate you talking to me,” he offered. “I’ll let you finish your shower.”
With that, he walked through the wall, and was gone.
Holy shit.
Her life was weird.
At the knock on the door, she sighed again.
“Oh, what the hell do you want now?” she asked, as Julian stuck his head inside.
He looked surprised.
“Uh, I heard you talking and wanted to make sure you were okay. That’s all.”
She stopped him.
“I’m sorry, Jules. I had a visitor.”
Then, she told him what happened, The whole time, Julian stood there, and listened.
“What do you plan on doing?” he asked. “He clearly knows Elizabeth.”
Yeah, but she needed to focus all of her energy here with Oracle, and the other psychics. Each channeling made her weaker, and they needed all the energy they had.
“I’ll sleep on it, and go from there. I don’t want to see the guy die, but I’m so tired, Jules.”
He kissed her on the forehead.
“I’ll do it if you don’t want to.”
She appreciated that.
All Tori Littlemoon wanted now, was for Salem to go back to being full of witches.
And not evil.