Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Bella
My hands are shaking when I tell them the address of my old house. Latham is driving. Xavier sits in the backseat with me, and I feel nauseous the entire drive. I haven't been here since after the funeral. I can't bring myself to go back, can't relive what I have done.
My anxiety is through the roof, and the closer we get, the more I sweat, my palms clammy, and my chest constricted. It takes just over an hour before we pull up in the upper-class neighborhood. Xavier looks out at the beachside mansions before glancing at me.
"This is where you lived?" he asks, a little startled.
I know it is vastly different from my run-down apartment. I nod. I am staring out the window when the car pulls into the driveway. The wrought iron gates are closed, and I look up at the house. This place gives me the creeps; just looking at it, I am flooded with memories.
"I will unlock the gates," I murmur, unable to take my eyes off the place.
I open my door and step out. I retrieve the keys from my side pocket as I walk toward the place.
The gardens are overgrown, the gates' paint is flaking, and leaves litter the driveway beyond the gate.
My hands shake uncontrollably as I try to undo the chain and padlock when Latham's hands fall on mine.
He leans down and presses his lips to my shoulder before taking the keys from me.
"I'm right here. I would never let anything hurt you, Bella. Not even your thoughts," he says before a wave of calm slips over me.
I lean against him, watching as he undoes the padlock and pulls the chain. The gates push toward us, and Latham steps back. His hand pulls me with him.
"Breathe, Bella," Latham whispers beside my ear.
I try to suck in a breath. A task that should be natural is suddenly impossible when he tips my chin up so I can meet his gaze.
"I can go in alone if that is what you want. But maybe coming in will help put this behind you; it is up to you," he tells me, and I glance back at the house.
The thought alone churns up many emotions, ones I am not sure I am ready to deal with.
"No... I should go with you. I know you will have questions,” I tell him.
He appears confused for a second.
"More than I already have?" he asks.
I nod before looking away. I wonder briefly if what they see in there will have them running from me.
My past is not something I like to remember but knowing what they are, I know they would sense some things I wished I could keep to myself.
Shame washes through me; some things I don't even want to admit to myself.
It is easier that way. Yet a part of me makes me cringe away, knowing they may see some things that would make them question my depraved mind.
Latham grabs my hand and laces his fingers through mine. I glance down at them before meeting his watchful gaze.
"Whatever happened in there or you let happen won't scare us off, Bella," Latham tells me.
I am beginning to see how their gifts have a certain appeal. Not having to voice my concerns makes it easier when they can sift through my emotions, saving me from having to explain every dirty detail life my life out loud.
* * *
Xavier
The energy she gives off only worsens as we enter the house. “House” is a relative term; the place is huge, but the vibe makes me shudder.
Stepping in, the furniture is covered with sheets, and dust clings to everything, even the light fixtures.
I hear her feet shuffle behind us as Latham leads her into the foyer.
It makes me wonder how big of a criminal her father was.
This sort of luxurious lifestyle would have cost a fortune.
The house would be worth a fortune, especially with its cliffside views.
"Can you show us to your room?" I hear Latham ask behind us.
She nods and he lets her hand go. Bella hesitates before walking past me. We walk along the stairs, and we pass a kitchen.
Screams hit my ears, screams of the past, the energy very much alive, and I can almost witness what happened in there, making me wonder what I would see if I allowed it in. However, I know Latham can see everything play out like a live broadcast. He doesn't have to focus as we do.
He stops in the entryway of the kitchen.
Bella is unaware of us watching him until she reaches a door further down and stops.
She turns and looks over at us while Latham stares into the gallery-style kitchen.
His eyes watch what had happened all those years ago.
The anger radiating off him makes my fingers twitch.
"What is it?" Bella asks, and he pulls himself away to look at her.
"Latham can see the past. This place has a lot of energy. It can cast. Like watching a movie of certain scenes play out," Blaine explains to her, and she glances briefly at the door before she swallows.
"Like everything?" she asks.
"If the emotion is strong enough surrounding the incident, yes," Latham answers before he walks past me.
Making my way down the hall, we stop beside her. The closed door sends a shudder up my spine, and her hand shakes on the doorknob when I realize she can't bring herself to open it.
Latham steps closer to her, grabs her hand, turning the doorknob, and pushes the door open.
He tugs Bella to him, tucking her under his arm before he steps aside.
The room is freezing despite the fact that the rest of the house is warm.
A shiver runs up my spine, and the rotting scent of death wafts to my nose, which makes me look at Latham, who is completely frozen.
He peers down at Bella, whose eyes are locked on her bed, making me glance at it.
Chains and thick cuffs hang off the headboard and ankle braces.
Blaine is already inspecting the room when he picks up a straight jacket.
His eyes then fall on the cupboard. He walks over to it, opens the doors, and I am blasted with energy, a cast falling before my eyes, unable to stop it.
The past vision motion moves in front of my eyes like I am in the room with her.
She is a teenager, and I watch her run to the door, banging on and screaming, begging and pleading to be let out of the room.
Her face is streaked with tears before she glances behind me, and I turn to see what she is looking at, but nothing is there.
However, whatever she is staring at is very real as she bolts for the cupboard, hiding in it.
I can just make out her face, her eyes watching something, and I move to the cupboard, standing inside it.
That is when I see him, the ghostly figure standing in her room, the dark entity that taints and still haunts her.
The only thing I can tell is it is male and the faceless monster that scares the life from her angelic face.
The cast moves forward, and I watch as who I assume must be her parents and her brother come rushing into the room before dragging her out of the cupboard, kicking and screaming, before strapping her to the bed.
I watch her beg and plead, screaming for them to look behind them when they turn, leaving her with the monster in the room.
Latham moves through the room, but even I can tell he is unsure who it is, leaving two possibilities.
They are strong enough to mask themselves completely, or the negative energy she saw she conjured up and made real, leaving a lasting effect on the place, exactly how poltergeists are created.
Negative energy is fueled by fear, not a real living being or a once-living being, but dark matter created only by conjured thoughts until the energy lingers.
Latham is watching the cast play out when a new one starts.
Bella's eyes move as she watches the figure standing over her. Still, he only touches her, caresses her, never does anything too inappropriate when suddenly he disappears, and the door opens up. The ghostly scene plays out, and I can see Bella still standing at the door, her breathing harsher, like she is about to have a panic attack. I move toward her to comfort her. I wrap my arms around her, turning her into my chest before looking back in the room to see who’d walked in during the cast.
It is her brother.