Chapter 3: Ghosts
Rhydian exited from the black cab and accepted the large duffel bag and camping pack from the driver. He looked over his shoulder, eyeing his younger brother, Bryn, as he took in the tall Victorian-style buildings and rapidly moving cars. Bryn was visibly agitated by the noise of traffic and the school of commuters pushing their way toward the underground entrance to the Tube.
"Hey," Rhydian clapped his hands on his brother's shoulders. "Let's go," he jerked his head toward the building behind him that housed several flats, Rhydian and Laura living on the fourth floor.
Taking the elevator, Rhydian continued to look backward to check his brother didn't bolt like a skittish dog once the doors opened. Rhydian knew it had been a long battle from their mother to convince Bryn to visit his older brother, so not wanting Ceri's effort to haven been in vain, Rhydian forced a smile that was met with skeptical eyes.
Rhydian turned the door knob and held the door open for his brother. Like he was taught, Bryn sniffed the air for an inklings of danger before fully coming inside. Rhydian felt like he was walking on glass, knowing that Bryn still blamed him for the demise of his Wild Wolfblood pack - had it not been for Rhydian showing Jana the ways of the Natural's world, she would have succeeded her father with the same strength, authority, and respect for the old ways that they had lived by for generations.
"The couch pulls out into a bed," Rhydian supplied, dropping his brother's things just inside the door.
Laura came around the corner with outstretched hands. "It's good to meet you, Bryn," she greeted, her smile reaching her eyes. Laura gave him a strong hug as if trying to transfer her cheeriness into him through osmosis. Bryn shot Rhydian a look, bristling under the informal contact. Laura had never met a Wild Wolfblood, so she had no idea how unsavory her actions were considered. Afraid Bryn might do or say something to create an awkward night, Rhydian broke up the hug.
"So, um, Laura and I thought it would be fun to take you out to this great Italian restaurant tonight, and then you and I can catch up tomorrow before you head out to Stoneybridge to see mum and Gerwyn." Rhydian was wringing his hands, as he searched for his brother's approval to the itinerary.
"Uh, yeah," his hands shoved in his pockets, "S-sounds fine."
Rhydian was moving at a brisk pace, weaving between people as Bryn deftly followed at his heels. Rhydian shouldered passed a slowly moving man in a pinstriped suit, not bothering to apologize because frankly, he didn't care. He didn't want to be bothered with the task he had been issued by his girlfriend.
"I just feel like you are dragging your feet with the wedding planning - purposefully," she said, trying to be quiet, her eyes darting to Bryn who was watching some nature special on the television not far away.
"I'm not!" he whispered. "It's just I don't often see my brother and I'd like not to make him do wedding things."
"It's just dropping off a deposit," she huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Honestly Rhydian, I've confirmed the caterer, the music, and the hall. It's super important we book him as soon as possible. I'd do this too, myself, but I can't. I have a teacher's in-service all day tomorrow. " She looked back at Bryn and whether he was just trying to be polite or genuinely interested in the wildlife special, he never once looked over at the couple that were huddled in the kitchen area. "Consider it part of his best man duties and he'll get to see more of the city. What better way to spend some quality time than helping his big brother with plan his wedding?" she offered, trying to find a middle ground.
Rhydian rolled his eyes, not fond of his brother being used as a pawn. He grimaced, then blew out an obnoxious sigh. "Fine."
Rhydian looked behind him to see Bryn looking anxious at all the people out and about trying to get to their destination. Thankfully, the flower boutique was just around the corner.
Taking a right at the pastry shop, Rhydian searched for the florist. He glimpsed the old wooden sign that swung from the iron hanging above the flower shoppe, reading Smith's Floral Designs, about halfway down the street. His stomach lurched to one side and he faltered, nearly taking out a petite redhead that happened to be exiting the place. Recovering at the last second, Rhydian caught the woman. "Sorry . . . crack in the pavement."
Looking away ashamed, Rhydian saw from the corner of his eye the woman turn her nose up at him, muttering to herself at how insolent youth was today.
Bryn pointed a thumb behind him, silently imploring for details, but his older brother waved him off. Entering the inside Smith's Floral Designs, he looked about to find it nearly empty.
"So, explain to me the purpose of all this?" he begged, gesturing to the different arrangements of flowers. Large prints hung from the walls, showcasing different bouquets from weddings and other occasions they had been contracted to create. Laura had said they were highly sought after for their beautiful work and reasonable pricing. Though, Rhydian doubted the last part. Nothing was reasonably priced when it came to weddings. Rhydian groaned, and roamed down another aisle. He absently browsed the different bouquets available for purchase.
"So," he started, "would you be my best man for the wedding?"
"What?"
"Uh, it's like a person designated to be the groom's right hand man - he typically plans the bachelor party and stuff . . ."
Bryn looked at him like he had two heads. "Wouldn't Tom be better at that?"
"Um, yeah, maybe, but Laura thought it would be cute if my brother and her sister were best man and maid of honor."
Bryn seemed to be ready to argue another point as to why Tom as a better choice when a young gentleman in a short sleeved, plumb-colored shirt approached. "Mr. Smith is in the back, finishing with another couple. He should be out shortly. You can wait over there," he instructed, pointing to a small sitting area toward the back of the shop. Rhydian jerked his head, silent asking Bryn to follow. Rhydian dragged his hand down his face, fanning himself with the envelope containing the check, he watched his younger brother fidget, like he wasn't sure what to do with his hands. He could hear from down the narrow hall, Mr. Smith agreeing with two people about their selection. Their voices were carrying, growing in volume, a clear sign he would be emerging at any moment. But all that became irrelevant when Rhydian's world came to a grinding halt.
A smell.
A scent.
Rhydian bolted up from his seat. Sniffing the air, his eyes grew twice their size.
An undeniable scent invades his sense, one he would recognize anywhere and knew at his core. "Maddy," he whispered just loud enough to arouse Bryn from his own thoughts and cause him to whirl around to look at his brother.
Rhydian's head swiveled, his bodying turning quickly, eyes hunting for the source of the scent. He needed to be sure that it wasn't false - there! Leaving the shoppe, a woman in a small dark blue peacoat. She was small in stature and had the same dark brown hair, hidden under a knitted cap.
"Maddy," he breathed, his heart seeming to burst. Rhydian bowled over Mr. Smith, who had finally emerged from his office in the back. The older man stumbled back, hollering and shaking his fist at being shoved into the customers behind him. Apologizing over his shoulder, Rhydian escaped the flower shoppe, sputtering to a stop in the middle of the walk. Quickly sniffing the air, he realized she had gone left. Rhydian weaved through the throngs of people, stepping on some's heels and shouldering others as he pushed his way to the other end of the block. Flush with fright he missed her, that she had vanished, or worse - she was nothing but a trick of his mind, he was ecstatic to catch the faintest glimpse of her entering a cab. "No!" He yelled, his hand out stretched as if he could somehow hold the cab where it was parked. His determination doubling, he burst through the lunch crowd leaving the pub at the corner and chased after the transport.
Nearly hit by a rumbling automobile on more than one occasion, not heading any calls of caution by his conscious, Rhydian followed the cab from one end of the city to the outskirts of northern London. Seeing the cab park outside a large hotel, Rhydian slowed about a block away and grabbed his side. He didn't know how long or far he had been following the cab - thank God it didn't do onto the highway. Pressing on, while trying to breath through the side stitch that seemed to be running though him like an electric shock, he finally shuffled into the lobby. Still spent from the chase, he breathed in and caught the scent heading down the right wing of the hotel. Elated to see her holding for the elevator, he touched her shoulder, "Maddy!"
If he wasn't already nauseous, he would have been, as the woman who turned wasn't Maddy. Alarmed, she yelped, jumping back; her hands up, some petals from her bouquet falling freely to the ground.
"I'm sorry," he rushed. "I thought you were an old . . . friend . . . I didn't mean to scare you." His fear dissipated as the woman before him seem to calm down.
"It's quite all right," she cradled the bouquet again and took another relaxing breath. "We all make mistakes." To both of their relief, the elevator opened, and the woman entered.
"Uh," thrusting his arm out to stop the elevator from closing, he caught the uneasy look of its passenger. "May I ask, where you got that? My girlfriend would love somethin' like that." He pointed to her peacoat.
"I bought it as a second hand shop, um, Ms. Laurent's Second Hand Treasures and Antiques," she replied, her eyes landing on the arm preventing her release.
Concerned he may be working on borrowed time before she truly did alert authorities, he said 'thank you' and stepped back into the hallway. Rhydian heard the scuffling of someone trodding to a stop behind him. "Well?"
Rhydian couldn't form the words, they had congealed in his throat, he just simply shook his head and began the long trek back to his apartment.
Rhydian slunk up to the fourth floor of his loft, in spite of his tired muscles. There was a flash of guilt for forcing Bryn to also bear climbing the stairs, but it prolonged the inevitable shame he was feeling at chasing a stranger all through the city. Not to mention, he was still carrying the check for the florist in his breast pocket.
Rhydian was unnerved by the normalcy of the night. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure it was real. Laura seemed very pleasant, even after learning Rhydian hadn't dropped off the deposit like she had asked. Bryn, if because he felt slightly more at ease, or was trying to help assuage the tension between his brother and his soon-to-be wife, participated in the conversation, constantly responding with another question to keep the dinner talk going. But, as Rhydian knew all too well, all good things had to come to an end.
Rhydian gave his brother a hug and watched as he was led away in a cab to Stoneybridge. Entering back into his home, he found Laura resting on their sofa, her legs tucked under her, seemingly engrossed in some reality television. "I'm - "
"How many more times are you going to do this?" she cut off, her eyes peering up at him, her face still scrunched in annoyance.
Tucking his hands in his pockets and swaying on his heels, he looked at the floor. "I dunno know," he said quietly. He wanted to swear it wouldn't happen again and that that was the last time; except it was the last time three times ago, and so this time, he just didn't bother. Who was he trying to convince?
She stood, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear, and pulling at her oversize pink jumper that stopped just at the tops of her thighs, perfectly matching to her grey and pink leggings. "I would be livid if I were competing with someone real . . ." Rhydian opened his mouth to argue the realness that is Maddy Smith, but she ever so lightly placed a hand on his chest and he stopped, the words slamming to a halt on the tip of his tongue. "But she's gone . . . whether ethereal or physical, she's not here and for all intents purposes, I'm competing against a - a ghost . . . and I can't do it anymore."
"What do you mean?" Rhydian asked, his shoulders slumping. He started to take off his jacket, when she stopped him.
"Don't bother," she breathed, clearing her throat, "Do you know how stupid I felt asking to making changes to one of the bouquets for the bridesmaids' arrangements only to learn we never booked 'em. To learn that he was no longer available because some else had sent their deposit to reserve him for the same date!"
He faltered, not sure what to say. "I - Laura, I'm really sorry. It was dumb. I know. Listen, we'll find another florist, promise."
"It's not the point, Rhydian. It's what you did more than what you didn't do." She had moved passed him and slipped on her white sneakers. "I don't know what's more pathetic, me waiting for you to figure out what's important or for you to do it."
"I know you were counting on me. I am really, really sorry." Before Rhydian could catch himself, it slipped. "It will never happen again."
Laura whirled around, her eyes focused dangerously on him. "Last time? Like when you flew to the States the night before our anniversary because Jana believed she might be there on some flimsy tip Segolia received. Last time? Like when you left in the middle of our vacation in Disney World two years ago to fly to Denmark because your brother thought he saw her in one of the village markets."
"If I knew she was alive and okay - "
"Then what? What would you do if you found out she was alive? What if we are married . . . had children . . . what would you do?"
Rhydian swallowed what felt like shards of glass that were cutting up his insides. "I - I would . . ."
"Exactly," she said, with a shuttering breath.
"I really do love you!" he finally exploded, following her as she grabbed for her long bomber coat from the entry closet. "Where are you going?"
"I'm meeting Rebecca for drinks." She grabbed her purse and began heading to the door.
"Does she know?"
Her look said it all. She did.
"I'm really sor-"
"Please don't - don't apologize for something you don't mean." After a long pause, she finished, "I do believe you love me, Rhydian. I do. But I also believe a bigger part of you loves her. The question you need to ask yourself, is if she is alive, does she love you the same? I mean, why isn't she here?" Rhydian made to answer, but snapped his mouth shut. Eyeing her ring, she gave a quivering breath and pulled it off.
"What are you doing?" he asked as she placed it in his open palm.
"I can't wear this right now. I need time to think - and I think, you do too." Opening the door, she looked over her shoulder. "I expect you to be gone when I get back," she said somberly.
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