More Than One: A Novel (27 page)

              “You don't know what I've been through these past couple of days, so I don't want to hear it,” I said.

              “Jamie, how many times do I have to tell you that I am here for you,” he said grabbing my shoulders. “All I asked from you was to just let me in, let me know what's going on. And what do you do? You hop on a plane with your other boyfriend and leave me out once again. I don't get it. Why are you doing this to me?”

              “First of all, and for the last time, Ash is not my boyfriend. Second, when you say other, it implies that there is more than one. I've tried to put all the lies behind me and I can't do it.”

              “So, what are you saying to me?” he said looking into my eyes. I turned my head before I could get sucked in again.

              “I'm saying I can't do this with you anymore.”

              “Jamie, I love you. What can I do to make you see that? I came all the way down here as soon as I found out you were gone. That's got to count for something.”

              “You came down here because your job relocated, not for me,” I said rolling my eyes.

              “That is partially true, but you have to know that if Ash had stayed behind, I would have still come. You believe me, don't you?” he said pulling my face up to his.

              He forced me to look into his eyes and my cold insides started to melt away. How could my heart still be this torn behind him? I hated it when he pleaded with me; I felt like I was the bad person in the scenario. I let down my guard, once again.

              “I don't know what to believe anymore. Are you a clone, too? Is that a secret that you have to hold onto?”

              “Now you know that is not fair. I came clean with you when you found the letter. I told you everything. I thought after we had that conversation, things were going to get better between us. You know, no more secrets equals trust,” he said and flashed a smile.

              “Michael, it is not that easy for me. I can't think about this right now. Things are too complicated. I just saw my clone, Elizabeth. I don't even know how I feel about that,” I said.

              He took a step back and looked at me like I was crazy.

              “What do you mean your clone?” he asked.

              “Oh don't act like you didn't know anything about that.”

              “You have a clone seriously?”

              “You really didn't know, did you?” I asked.

              “No, where is she?”

              “In the laboratory, they are running test on her to see if they can come up with something to help her and Ash.”

              “Wow,” he said walking to the couch and sitting down.

              “I know, right,” I said sitting in the chair across from him.

              “I told you they were geniuses. This is amazing. Does she look exactly like you?”

              “Yeah, except for her eyes, of course.”

              “I wonder if they will let me see her.”

              “I don't know.”

              “I'm going back there. I have to let Dr. Dean know I am here. I do want to talk to you later though. Will you please just give me an hour of your time? There is something important I want to ask you.”

              “I guess that will be okay,” I said.

              “Okay, let me get in there,” he said getting up to leave. “See ya later.”

              I leaned back in the seat. I hope there is no tension when Michael goes in there and Ash sees him. No sooner had I thought that, Ash came around the corner. He looked very upset. I knew he just had it out with his father and he was going to be pacing again.

              “Ash, before you say anything, I was going to tell you, I promise,” I said.

              “How long have you known?”

              “Just a couple of days, but he made me promise not to tell you.”

              “So, you're looking out for him instead of me now?”

              “No, you know it isn't like that. I was gonna tell you yesterday, but there was never a good time.”

              “Whatever,” he yelled walking out the front door and slamming it hard.

              I sat there in the living room alone. I just wanted to erase this week out of my memory and move on. I hope my dad and the others came up with a cure soon. I can't take being here in the mist of this anymore.

Chapter Twenty Two

A week has gone by and everyone's spirits have been light. The last test ran on Ash and Elizabeth had proven to be auspicious. Ash said he'd never felt better. He wasn't tired anymore and he had all the energy in the world. And from what I've heard, Elizabeth hasn't suffered any pain in her chest. Things were really looking up for them.

              Ash has forgiven me and is now talking to me again. He was always in a great mood until Michael came around. They can't sit in the same room without trying to bite each others head off. I've been trying my best to stay out of it.

              I'm not mad at Michael anymore, but I have decided that it was best if were just friends. After all, he was going to stay here in Rome when this was all over, so there was no sense in prolonging the inevitable. He has still been trying to convince me that I am making a mistake, but I figured he would, so I was prepared. His smile and eyes don't get to me like they used to and I think that bothers him.

              Dr. Thompson told me that Elizabeth has been calmer. I haven't seen her since the first time we met and my dreams haven't shared anything new, so I don't know if she was still holding a grudge. Hopefully, we won't be here too much longer and I won't have to find out.

              My mom and Mrs. Dean have gotten close again. They were inseparable. They went out together, chatted all day long, and everything. I didn't think it was fair that they got to leave the house and Ash and I had to stay in. I could see what Ash meant when he said this place was like a prison. I was told it wasn't safe for me to go out just in case someone saw the clone. I was in this beautiful place called Rome and I couldn't take in any of the sights.

              My father told me we wouldn't be here too much longer. They just wanted to monitor Elizabeth and Ash to make sure their health was coming along the way they expected. It was the best news I heard all week.

Chapter Twenty Three

Today is the last day we will be in Rome and I am so excited to leave. Dr. Dean says I will probably still have the dreams, but they won't consist of murders and being held hostage. That was something I would be relieved of. Ash was coming back with me and we were going to try and salvage what we could from the classes we missed.

              I came around the corner to the living room and my parents and Ash's parents were sitting on the couches talking. My mom looked up at me and I went to have a seat next to her.

              “Good morning everyone,” I said.

              “Good morning baby, you look nice,” my dad said.

              “Yeah, thanks to mom, the shopaholic,” I said laughing.

              “Well, you needed some new things. I saw what was in your suitcase. You should learn to pack better,” my mom said.

              “I know, you're right. Where's Ash?”

              “He's with Dr. Lewis. I believe he's exercising right now, but he should be done soon,” Mrs. Dean said.

              “Yeah, he has so much energy now, it is great. He says he feels great. I think we did it Martin. I think we found the cure,” Dr. Dean said. “His convalescence is proof of that.”

              “I hope so. I certainly hope for the best for Ash and Elizabeth,” my dad said.

              “I couldn't have done it without you. I appreciate you staying and helping my son. It means a lot to us and him of course,” Dr. Dean said.

              “It was my pleasure, William. You know you couldn't have pried me away from here.”

              My dad and Dr. Dean kept going with their colloquial conversation, so I leaned over and whispered in my mom’s ear that I would be back. I wanted to go check on Ash. I got up to leave and the chatting continued.

              I went around the corner to where the kitchen was and Heidi was preparing a meal. I waved at her and opened the door that led to the laboratory. I stood in the hallway and hesitated. A feeling of apprehension came over me as I watched the first set of lights come to life on the floor in front of me. What if Elizabeth was in there with them?

              I stood there looking at the door in front of me, contemplating whether I should go in or go back. My nerves were bad, so I decided to turn around and just wait for Ash. Before I could get out of the door, Dr. Thompson opened the door on the other end.

              “Hi, Jamie. Were you looking for Ash?” she said shutting the door behind her.

              “Yeah, I was, but I thought about it and I don't want to disturb him,” I said still holding onto the doorknob.

              “He's almost done, you can go in if you'd like.”

              “No, I'll just wait.”

              She was finally in front of me.

              “I know you're a little on edge about Elizabeth, and I understand that, but you have nothing to worry about. Things are different now and her behavior is definitely better.”

              “I know. I'm still a little nervous, though. I'm sorry,” I said leaning on the door.

              “It's okay,” she said with compassion in her voice. “You know, if you want to talk about everything that has happened, I wouldn't mind listening. I know this has been a whirlwind of events. I understand if this is a little too much to swallow all at once. I could help you work through it if you'd like.”

              “I appreciate it, but I'm fine.”

              “Well, if you change your mind, I will be around,” she said opening the door.

              “Okay, thanks.”

              She left out of the hallway and I was still standing there looking at the other door on the opposite end of the hall. I couldn't go in there. It was just too weird for me to see her. I turned to leave, but the door opened again and Ash came out.

              “Hey Jay, what are you doing?” he said.

              “I came to look for you, of course.”

              “Aw, how sweet,” he said walking up to me. “You look nice. What's the occasion?”

              “Since when have I ever needed an occasion to look good?” I said rolling my eyes.

              “You're right, my bad. You really look amazing though,” he said smiling.

              “Thank you.”

              “Well, I'm going to go jump in the shower. I put in three hours this morning,” he said with a wide grin. “I haven't done that in a long time. It feels great.”

              “That is so good. I am happy for you,” I said with a smile of my own. “And how about Elizabeth? How is she doing?”

              “She feels great, as well.”

              “That's good,” I said looking down.

              Ash went to the door, opened it, and waited for me. I went out of the hallway and into the kitchen. Ash went to the refrigerator and got a bottled water and headed upstairs. I went back to the living room and sat down next to my mom.

              I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I retrieved it and opened to check the message. It was from Michael. He said he felt bad that I didn't get a chance to see any of the sights here and he wanted to know if he could sneak me out and show me the town. I smiled as I pressed the reply button on my phone. It would be nice to get out of this house and it
was
my last night in Rome. I replied back to him asking him what time and closed my phone. He texted back saying ten tonight.              I grinned and went upstairs to find something to wear.

              “I can't wait to get on that plane tomorrow. I'm ready to get back to Georgia,” Ash said.

              “You and me both. I never thought I would be happy to go back to school, but I am.”

              “I hear ya. I told you it sucked being here. We haven't been anywhere and I know you wanted to get out and see some of the sights.”

              I looked away and smiled. I wasn't going to tell him about Michael. I knew he would be mad and probably tell my parents so they could prevent me from going.

              “It's okay. The important thing is that you're gonna be okay. That is all that matters to me right now,” I said.

              “Thanks,” he replied while tying his shoelaces.

              “So, are we doing the usual today?” I asked.

              “Pretty much, but I am going to talk to my parents about all of us going out to dinner at least.”

              “That would be nice.”

              When he got done getting dressed, we went back downstairs. No one was in the living room. I found my mom and Ash's mom on the back patio sipping iced tea. They were like best friends now. We left them there and went to the family room. I grabbed a movie and Ash told the butler to bring us some snacks. I really didn't feel comfortable ordering people around, but Ash did it with ease.

              We snuggled up on the couch and started the movie. The butler came in ten minutes later with our food. I was going to stuff myself and fall asleep on the couch like I did yesterday. I still wasn't comfortable sleeping in this house, I only dozed off for thirty minutes at a time at night, then take naps here and there during the day. It was easier for me to sleep when Ash was with me.

              I didn't tell him about it, though. I didn't want him to criticize me for still being afraid of Elizabeth. He has taken to her and I understood why. She was like him and now he had someone to  relate to. It was nice for him, but now I couldn't tell him my real feelings about her. It was okay, as long as he was there when I woke up, it didn't matter to me.

              Ash was laughing out loud at something stupid that happened in the movie and I laid my head down on his lap and closed my eyes. I relaxed and tuned out the movie and Ash's laughter and went to sleep.

              In the dream, I was in the back room pacing. I kept repeating,
soon
, over and over as I walked from my dresser to the closet. I stopped in front of the wall and punched it lightly. I walked away, then came back to that same spot and punched it a little harder this time. I kept punching until the wall started to crack underneath my fist. I pounded on the wall and every time I hit the wall, pieces broke away, and my smiled got wider. I continued to chant,
soon, soon, soon
, as I walked back to the closet. My hand hurt and it felt sore when I extended my fingers to stretch them.

              I went to the dresser and pulled out my journal. I found a pen and then opened the journal to the last page and began to write.

              I jumped up and Ash looked at me with confusion in his eyes.

              “You okay?” he asked.

              “Yeah, I'm alright,” I said shaking my head.

              “Did you have a nightmare?”

              “Yeah... I, um, I dreamed I was falling off of a cliff,” I lied.

              “That's funny,” he joked. “That's a good thing though. You're dreaming about other things now. You should be happy. You really are getting your life back.”

              “Yeah, you're right,” I said laying back down on his lap. He rubbed my head and started laughing again about the movie.

              I wondered if they were still checking the camera and monitoring her actions. Either Dr. Thompson was lying to me so I wouldn't be scared to sleep here or she just didn't know that Elizabeth still had some rage issues. It didn't matter. I was going to have to tell her anyway. That is something she should be aware of before they decide to set her free.

              I was going to wait until she came out of the laboratory first. I couldn't go back there. She was right, I did need to talk this out and get a better understanding. It would be nice to get the truth of how I feel off of my chest.

              I waited for the movie to be over and then sat up. Ash was still snacking on whatever we had left to eat on the platter.

              “So, what do you want to do now?” I asked.

              “Doesn't matter. You have anything in mind?” he said throwing popcorn in his mouth.

              “Nope,” I said leaning back on the couch.

              “Well, I need to talk to my father about something. You think you'll be okay until I get back? I know you get bored easily,” he said and smiled.

              “Oh no, what ever will I do if you leave me here by my lonesome,” I said with a smirk. “I'll be fine. I need to do something anyway.”

              “Okay, I'll come find you when I'm done.”

              He got up and walked out of the room. I got up as well and went around the corner to look for Dr. Thompson. I knew she had to be in the laboratory and I really didn't want to go in there, but I needed to talk to her without Ash knowing. Since he was busy with his father, this would be the only time to do it. I built up my courage, walked to the door, and opened it. I walked down the hallway slowly, watching the lights come on with every step. I made it to the door and knocked. Dr. Lewis came to the door.

              “Miss Whitlock, how can I help you?” he said.

              “I was looking for Dr. Thompson, is she in there?”

              “Yes, would you like to come in?” he said opening the door wider.

              “No, thank you. Can you tell her I need to talk to her and I'll be in the family room. She can come when she is not busy.”

              “Okay, I will let her know.”

              He closed the door and I hurried back down the corridor. I went back to the family room and had a seat. A few minutes later, she came around the corner and had a seat across from me.

              “You needed to talk to me,” she said.

              “Yes. I wanted to take you up on that offer. That's if it’s still on the table,” I asked.

              “Sure it is. Tell me what's on your mind.”

              “I just had another dream,” I started. “I was in the room pacing around repeating,
soon
, over and over again. Then, I started punching the wall until I made a hole in it. Are you sure Elizabeth is over her anger issues?”

              “Well, you have to look at it from her point of view. It is going to be hard to undo twenty years of damage; its a process, but I think we are off to a good start. I hate that you are having these dreams. I don't know what we can do to stop that. I believe it is hard on Elizabeth to see what you’re doing as well.”

              “I'm being insensitive, aren’t I? I shouldn't have brought this up. I didn't think about the fact that she sees what I see. It must make her miserable since she can't leave this place until she gets better,” I said.

              “You're not being insensitive. That is just apart of being a human being. There's nothing wrong with being concerned with your own welfare. This has been tough on you, too,” she said.