Soul Mates (25 page)

So why did it feel like someone poked me in the chest?
He’d felt it. He couldn’t deny it. Only now, he wasn’t sure whether it was a poke from the outside, or whether it had been from within—a quickened heartbeat maybe.
That must be it,
he reasoned.
Just a strange physical response to the memory of her words.

But what about the weird sensations that followed?
It had been surreal—almost like being high. All his senses had been heightened, and he’d experienced the world around him in a whole new way.
And that peaceful feeling…

All of a sudden Jace knew. An undeniable clarity filled his mind as the tingling sensation gripped him again. “Sophie?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. He heard no response, yet something told him she was there. He could feel her presence. He could smell her—a smell he associated with her apartment. It was an odd mix of dusty old books, furniture polish, and ginger cookies. As the realization settled in, he was lifted to a new high. He wasn’t sure what to do with the euphoric feeling, so he closed his eyes, savoring it. “You’re here,” he stated, still whispering as if speaking louder might break the spell he was under.

“Yes, Jace. I never really left.”

Her voice was clear and audible, yet he was aware that it was in his head. “Can other people hear you? Does anyone else know?”

“Anyone who believes can hear me. Anyone who is connected to their Higher Self. We’re all one, Jace. We’re all connected at a higher level.”

“Wow.” He shook his head, trying to take it in. “So you’re always here? I can talk to you anytime I like? Ask you questions, hear your advice?”

“Whenever, wherever. I’ll be there,” she assured him. “Time-space limitations don’t exist in the nonphysical.”

“Wow.” He was still reeling with the enormity of what he’d discovered. There was so much to talk about, so much he wanted to ask, but one question stood out in his mind—what to do about Cassandra. “She was here at the apartment building earlier,” he stated abruptly.

“I know.”

“I guess you would,” he grinned, realizing he hadn’t specified who ‘she’ was, yet Sophie seemed to know. “So what am I going to do? I can’t keep avoiding her.”

“You have to determine what you want. Once you know that, your work is to line up with it. Remember, Jace,” Sophie’s sweet, kind voice filled his head, “you can be or do or have anything. You get to choose.”

They were the words she’d first spoken when he passed her in the stairwell that day. They’d sounded strange then, crazy even, but not anymore. Her words had awoken something in him, reminding him of what he’d known but forgotten. Hearing them again warmed his heart. He was filled with appreciation. He was fortunate enough to have met Sophia Langdon in person, and now she’d be forever with him in spirit. Jace’s own spirit soared as he contemplated the possibilities before him.
I really can be or do or have whatever I want. I get to decide.

“Thank you, Sophie,” he smiled. “Thank you so much for reminding me of that.”

CHAPTER 17

CASSANDRA WENT OVER the information she’d inadvertently collected: Jace hadn’t been at his apartment lately; his neighbors hadn’t seen him; his mailbox was full; the car was gone; the jewelry was missing. She knew what it added up to, and it left her feeling sick. Jace was guilty after all, and he’d disappeared.

But why would he interfere with the will?
she argued.
That doesn’t make sense. If he was guilty of the other things, he’d be long gone. Yet if he is the one the lawyer was talking about…

Could I be wrong about him?
She could still hear Tanisha’s reprimand.
If he’s hired a lawyer, if he’s trying to get something from Sophia’s estate,
she allowed,
then he couldn’t possibly have stolen the car or the jewelry. Nobody’s that brazen. Jace definitely isn’t.

The new thought gave her hope—the first shred of hope she’d felt since she’d discovered the jewelry was missing. However, as her mind continued to sift, she realized it didn’t absolve Jace of wrongdoing. That he would challenge the will of a woman he’d known for a relatively short time, someone he’d been in the employ of for a matter of weeks, seemed incredibly petty.
What could he possibly think he might gain from it?
she wondered.
The car maybe. Or extra compensation for having his employment cut short. Still,
she frowned,
that’s nothing compared to what her estate is worth.

She returned to the Town House more confused than when she left. She was relieved to find her brother alone. Trevor looked at her questioningly as she walked into the living room. “He wasn’t there,” she said simply. “His neighbor said he hasn’t been around.”

“Hmm,” Trevor frowned. “This isn’t looking good. I’m really sorry, doodlebug. I know you cared about him.”

“I still do,” she sighed.

“So where does this leave us? How do you want to proceed?”

She shared her thoughts about Jace, and then looked at her brother pleadingly. “Can we wait until after the funeral to say anything? Maybe more evidence will turn up. Maybe we’ve been wrong.”

Suddenly the weight of it all came crashing down around her, and she burst into tears. Trevor offered comfort, but she resisted. She wanted to cry, wanted to let it out. With a simple apology, she ran up to her room. Her childhood space offered solace that no other place on earth could replicate. She threw herself on the bed and sobbed into her pillow. Everything seemed so final. Aunt Sophia was gone, and Jace was nothing more than a memory of what might have been.

JACE WAS ELATED by his newfound secret. After discovering that Sophie was with him, he’d stayed up nearly half the night asking question after question. Since then he couldn’t seem to remove the grin from his face. Chad noticed at work and made a comment at lunchtime.

“What’s with you? You’ve been in a good mood all week. What happened? You meet somebody new?”

“Kind of,” Jace smiled, thinking of his phantom friend.

“Well, bring her tonight,” Chad encouraged. “Let’s meet her. Is she hotter than Elise?”

Jace tried not to laugh; there were no appropriate words to reply.

“Speaking of Elise,” Chad submitted cautiously. “If you’re not interested…”

“Go for it.” Jace was happy to give him his blessing.

“What was wrong with her, by the way?” Chad asked. “Whyd’ya dump her like that?”

Jace shrugged, not sure he fully understood his reasoning. She was too much like Cassandra in some ways and not enough in others.

Chad didn’t seem to notice his lack of response. He began to tell Jace who would be at his party that evening. Elise and her friends were among the ones invited. Jace was a little uncomfortable at the prospect of seeing Elise.
I hope she doesn’t have hard feelings. I didn’t mean to hurt her. The timing was wrong, that’s all. If I’d met her before Cassandra…
He decided not to dwell on it. It was too late.

“So you’ll bring…What’s her name, anyway?” Chad inquired.

“Yeah, I’ll ask her,” Jace lied. At some point he’d have to admit he wasn’t seeing anyone—at least not anyone young and in bodily form. Then again, there was always a chance he’d meet someone else. He kept thinking about Sophie’s advice: Decide what you want and line up with it.

She was on his mind all afternoon. Having only talked to her in his apartment, he was eager to get home and talk to her there. Although she had assured him she’d be wherever he was, the thought of talking to her at work seemed strange. Nevertheless, his questions kept mounting. Since the work he was doing was monotonous, he decided to try.
Sophie, are you there?

“Of course, Jace.”

This was new territory. Since he’d become aware of her presence, he’d only addressed her out loud. The realization that she could read his thoughts left him unsettled.
Can you hear all my thoughts?

“Yes.”

Oh…

“I’m not judging you, Jace.”

I know, but still…it’s weird.

“There are no new thoughts. Only new combinations of thoughts. There’s no right or wrong, either.”

Jace frowned.
We’re going to have to discuss that one a bit more, but right now I want to talk about something you said the other night.

“About lining up with what you want?”

Yeah,
he replied, still staggered that she knew his thoughts almost before he did.
You said I have to determine what I want. But I don’t know how to do that when there’s so much to consider.

“It’s not hard to figure out what you want.”

Great,
Jace exclaimed, expecting to hear something new and profound.
How do I do it?

“You can tell by how you feel.”

That’s it?

“That’s all you need, Jace. You have an emotional guidance system that serves you well. You need to practice listening to it.”

I’ve been trying,
he argued.
And I’m more confused than ever
.

“What do you want in a relationship?”

It wasn’t a difficult question, yet Jace’s defenses went up. He started to object, reminding Sophie that his situation was more complicated than most, when he realized he was arguing for his limitations. Moreover, he wasn’t being entirely honest with himself.
I guess what I want is…someone like Cassandra.

“What is it that you like about her?”

Everything…except that she’s rich.

“Don’t you want to be rich someday?”

Yeah,
he asserted.
Someday…but that doesn’t help me right now. And it doesn’t change the fact that my mom works for her family.

“Let’s go back to the question,” Sophie suggested. “What do you like about her?”

You mean specifically?

“Yes,” Sophie replied. “I want you to think of all the qualities you like about her. Write them down. That will be a good place to start.”

But why?
Jace was arguing again, but he couldn’t help it. He felt he deserved to know where the conversation was leading.

“You said you want someone like Cassandra,” Sophie explained patiently. “So you’ll need to determine what qualities you like in her. Then you can begin to look for them in someone else.”

I don’t want someone else,
Jace blurted, the realization slapping him in the face.
I want her!

“There you go,” Sophie imparted somewhat smugly. “Now you know what you want. That wasn’t too hard, was it?”

CASSANDRA HAD CRIED all her tears and was ready to move forward. She’d resolved to set aside the knowledge about the missing jewelry and act on it only if it came up. She wanted to feel good, wanted to apply what she’d learned from her aunt. Accusing Jace, thinking of him in such a defamatory way, didn’t feel good at all. Not only that, but knowing how highly her aunt had regarded him, Cassandra was happy to honor her by letting the issue rest.