17 Last Times

⤹34❁ Even from

"I need to see Connor. Now."

Nathan rushes after me. "But-" he doesn't finish what he wanted to say as the door flies ajar and at the threshold they both appear: Rayna and Connor.

"You!" I point my finger at him. "Did you know!?"

They step inside, giving me a look of confusion.

"What have I done now?" Connor asks, tentative, closing the door behind him.

"Did you know that Beverly was adopted!?" I ask, more descriptive.

His eyes bulge. "She was???"

I take in a deep breath and shake my head. Of course he didn't know. "Forget about it."

"No, no. Wait." He holds up his hands. "Why does it matter and how do you even know that?"

"Ambrose told me."

Rayna chimes in. "The new guy who's always silent?"

I nod my head.

"How is he even connected to Beverly?" Rayna asks.

"Apparently, he was her best friend or something."

Connor ponders deeply. "I don't recall him," he says, apologetic. "But why does it even matter whether she was adopted or not?"

"It doesn't," I say too quickly.

There's a moment of silence after which, Connor's mouth opens wide. "Oh my God. She was your sister."

Sudden goosebumps shower over my skin.

"Say what!?" Rayna is as shocked as Connor. "Beverly? The girl who jumped in front of Will? But how is this even possible!?"

I walk towards my bed and plop down. "Turns out my parents gave her away and then they had me."

"But how do you even know it's true?" Connor asks.

Nathan looks at me, and noticing that I'm stuck in my own head, he rushes with an answer. "He showed us a copy of Beverly's birth certificate."

Connor's forehead creases. "How did he even manage to get a hold of it? She wasn't old enough to request it."

Nathan shrugs. "The only thing he said is that he needed to help her find out the truth about who her biological parents were."

"So she knew?"

I nod. "She knew."

"And she never got in touch with either of you? Why?"

I clench my teeth. "Because of me," I say. "Because they kept me and got rid of her."

Connor appears to be thinking back to his relationship with Beverly.

"What?" I ask, noticing the change in his eyes.

"Nothing," he says quickly.

"Connor, don't lie to me. I know that you know something."

"It's nothing," he says. "I just. . . Now I understand why she would say certain things when we argued."

"What kind of things?" I nag.

"Well, she would tell me that she didn't believe I loved her because why would anyone love her if even her parents didn't, which obviously, I found beyond baffling because her parents, I mean the adoptive ones, loved her to bits."

My heart sinks. I start to think that Beverly's depression and her suicide began with my parents' decisions of giving her away. Maybe she would have let Connor love her if she didn't know the truth. Maybe she wouldn't have been so obsessive and scared of being left behind. Maybe-

"Davina?" Nathan's voice brings me back to reality.

"It's their fault. She would have never jumped if it wasn't for them." I start to cry. "Turns out I didn't even know the people who raised me." I obscure my face with my hands.

"Hey, you don't know that for sure." Connor kneels in front of me. "Beverly wasn't a very strong person. She had her own issues, different ones from being adopted. And. . ." He sighs. "She didn't make very wise choices as to how to deal with her own shit." He gives me a knowing look.

I think back to those recordings that Connor took in the past. Adopted or not, she had no right to abuse him.

I blot my eyes. "Okay," I murmur. "Do you think that Will knows?"

"I very much doubt that. I'm sure he would have told you if he did."

I nod my head in comprehension. "I'm sorry, Connor. For snapping at you so abruptly. I'm just overwhelmed."

"So was I. For a very long time," he says. "Beverly was adroit at messing with people's heads."

And she still is. I think to myself. Even from within her grave.

~~~~~~~~~~

I've decided to spend the weekend at home. As Connor said, Will had no idea about Beverly's adoption. In fact, he was violently shocked by this revelation. The adoption was a bombshell even to Nicole, who at this point, after had been dragged deeply into our mess, didn't mind sharing her knowledge with us at all, as long as we didn't prance around the city spreading her words.

"I'll take the bins out, then I'm off to work," Nathan says, delving into one of the cupboards to take out some new bin bags.

I give him a thankful look. "Oh, yeah. Sometimes I still forget that you own that place now, boss." I nudge him in the arm with a stupid smirk plastered to my face.

He shows me a middle finger and laughs. "I'm more of a peasant. I spend my weekends on cleaning people's houses," he teases.

Now it's me who points a finger. "You know, one day we'll share a house and you won't be able to use this argument anymore."

He feigns a moment of ponder. "I don't know why, but I've got a feeling that especially after we've moved in together, I'll be even more of a peasant. Your peasant."

"You mean a king?"

He lets out a chuckle. "I like that. But now I need to take care of the bins, then work. I can't be late." He pulls out the bags and ties them up.

"Alright, alright. Let me know when you're finished. I've got a surprise."

He cocks a brow. "A surprise?"

I nod my head eagerly.

"I can't wait." He tries to approach me, as what I suppose, is an attempt of laying a peck on my forehead, but I raise my index finger in order to halt him.

"You? Yes. Bins? Ew." I wave him off, as to which, he laughs heartedly.

"See you later, silly."

"Laters." I smile and open the door for him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later, I'm sat on the sofa with my phone in my hand, about to invite Rayna over, but that's when I hear a faint knock on the door.

Intrigued but also confused, I hoist myself up and saunter towards the sound. When I swing the door open, it is as if the whole world started to swing with it.

My breath hitches in my throat.

"Hi," the voice says. "I'm looking for Mr. and Mrs. Nash?"

I blink a few times, silent. There's no way this is real. There's no way I'm not hallucinating right now, but my eyes see everything clear. The dark long hair, the pair of piercing-cold blue eyes, the pale, porcelain-like skin. I've only seen this face twice in my life - in Will's paintings and in those terrible videos that Connor had taken.

There are only two possible explanations to this: either I've developed the ability to see ghosts, or this is real and she's somehow risen from her damn grave.

My voice comes out all choked. "Beverly?"

__________

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