Turned out it was possible to make a "meatball" out of chickpeas and a whole bunch of other spices feel and taste like meat if you drowned it in enough marinara sauce and cheese. While I was open to trying more of her meatless dishes, there was no way I was giving up my carne asada and pastrami cheeseburgers.I knew my family would be happy about this turn of events. I started seeing Tara on a regular basis and never even sought out another therapist. It seemed pointless. Tara was more than open to talking about my feelings and even the occasional dreams I'd feel up to sharing with her now that we were a thing. What I hadn't shared with her, even though I knew she was a therapist and if anyone might understand this it'd be her, was I'd begun to feel Madeline's presence.If I go before you, I will haunt you until the day we're back together.It was crazy and I knew it, but a part of me couldn't help feeling like if anyone would keep good on her word, it'd be my spunky peanut. While a

Like the day I'd seen Maggie at the cemetery, everything else around us seemed to dim and blur as my eyes zeroed in on her. Once again, I was breathless, and for a moment, I started to question my sanity again because I could swear it was my Maddie I was staring at not Maggie. I was temporarily pulled out of the trance I'd fallen into when I noticed the same girl who was with her at the cemetery—Clarisse—leaned over as Maggie appeared . . . staggered?We all stood there in silence at first. Taking my eyes off her was impossible, and it seemed she was struggling with the same issue. Until Xavier finally spoke up. "Maggie?"Her eyes were off me for a moment as she turned to my brother and nodded. Her friend seemed to nudge her, and to my horror, they started toward us."I-I'm Xavier," my brother said as they got closer. Xavier shook his head, turning back to me. "Jesus, you weren't kidding, bro." Then his eyes were on Maggie again. "After all these years, I'd forgotten how much you lo

The familiar drive back to Huntsville alone was enough to have my stomach in knots. Thankfully, I'd called ahead and gotten one of what I was told were the last rooms available that weekend because of some town celebration going on.I checked in and then drove around town for a bit before heading back to my hotel room. I was nervous about the cemetery, still remembering my last visit here. Even more alarming, I once again could feel her presence. I knew it was all in my head. I was just psyching myself out. Being this close to the place I shared so many memories with her and where she'd lost her life was all it was. But I felt that strange feeling of empowerment somehow. Like maybe what Dr. Mike had said was really true.All day as I'd driven around town, I allowed myself to remember. I even drove by that theater where we'd first kissed. Though I still dared not step foot in it, I figured riding by it was a good first step.Just before getting into bed in my room that night, I decid

There was a table immediately available for us at the diner I chose in town. Though Maggie excused herself to clean up a little in the ladies' room. I was still sitting there pondering everything I now knew about Maggie's mysterious disappearance when she got back to the table and slipped into the booth across from me.Looking into those eyes once again had me needing to catch my breath. Her face was washed clean of any trace of makeup, and she was exactly as I remembered her all those times we'd spent hours at the river and lake. The Hellman twins were natural beauties. There'd never been any denying it, but damn it if it didn't feel like I was looking into Madeline's eyes. She even seemed to sense me tensing, just as Maddie always read me like a book."I know this is hard for you, Nicolas. So, after you take me back to my car today, I understand if you never wanna see me again."Swallowing hard, I stared at her for a moment, unable to speak. Fortunately, we were interrupted by a w

It was at a moment when I happened to look away that I felt her hand grab my arm. I turned to catch her, thinking she might've tripped. But the expression on her face scared the hell out of me. What Quino and Xavier had told me about them thinking she was having a heart attack the day she showed up was the first thing I thought, so I grabbed her other arm firmly."What's happening?" I asked as her eyes began to roll back, and I thought she might faint, but in the next second, she closed them, and this even odder expression replaced the first one. I continued to hold on to her because I could swear she was about to collapse the way her eyes fluttered and her body seemed to sway. "Maggie, are you okay?"Unbelievably, as her eyes continued to flutter in that near closed state, she laughed. When they opened and while she was still smiling, the smile flattened when she saw how freaked out I was. "Do you need a doctor?"She shook her head, staring out into space and, to my relief, finally