All the World (21 page)

             
I hope they reach Theodore and Giulia!

              Nothing felt real to Lexie while she and Pierre walked into the parking lot. The sun was so bright that it looked like it belonged in a child’s coloring book, and the outside noises felt like they were blaring from a stereo. She was so disoriented that her own body felt disconnected from her mind.

             
We did it!

             
Lexie and Pierre didn’t get long to bask in relief. Furious shouting from the street in front of the school caused them to stop in their tracks.

              “This is my dad’s fault! He wants them dead!” Cesare bellowed furiously. “I am innocent! Whoever gave you information is a liar!”

              Officer Reading was securing handcuffs around Cesare’s wrists, explaining why he was being taken into custody. “Why did you come to Vernon Hills High School with a gun after shooting your father? I believe
you
are the liar. Now, get in the car!”

              “He actually followed us!” Pierre gasped.

              “And he planned to kill us both!” whispered Lexie, gaping at the scene.

              Officer Reading saw them watching. She met Lexie’s gaze and nodded with gratitude. Lexie returned the gesture and breathed a sigh of relief as the police cars drove away. When she turned to Pierre, he was yanking his phone out of his pocket.

              “Who are you calling?” Lexie asked, rubbing her eyes and nose in an attempt to quiet her sniffles.

              He switched to speaker mode just as Braedon’s voice came over the phone. “Hello, Pierre and Lexie. Are you both there?”

              “She’s here with me. Are you alright?” asked Pierre, unable to contain his sobs. “How is everyone at the hospital?”

              “I-I don’t know. I feel like I just woke up from a long nightmare,” Braedon’s throat sounded clogged, “but I know everything really happened. We were cursed, weren’t we? Why did people have to die? Why us? Why were we chosen to take part in this tragedy?”

              Pierre was shaking and crying so hard he couldn’t speak. Lexie took the phone from him when it almost fell out of his hands. She wiped away the tears on her face.

              “Braedon.”

              “Lexie,” Braedon’s voice was trembling, “are you okay?”

              “Maybe…I don’t know…I guess…” she rambled.

              “I’m going to need more than that.”

              She let out something between a sob and laugh. “I’m alright. Cesare broke my wrist, but I’m alive. You’re still at the hospital?”

              “Yeah. I’m giving Nickolas and Flora some time alone, but I bet she’d love to hear your voice,” answered Braedon.

              Lexie’s heart galloped. “Flora’s lucid?”

              “She snapped out of it after this white light flashed through the room. There were shadows of masks on the walls. Then we all…I don’t know…woke up.”

              Braedon fell quiet, and Lexie assumed it was because he was walking to their friends. Lexie heard muffled chatter, and she wished she could understand what was being said.

              “Lexie!”

              Flora’s shriek caused Lexie to completely lose what little composure she still possessed. She sank to the ground and cried into her knees, jolting her battered body.

              Once she found her voice, only incoherent babbles bubbled from her mouth. Flora’s words were just as jumbled, and it took Pierre’s hand on her arm to calm her down. By the time she started focusing on Flora’s voice, her sobs had turned into fitful hiccups. Lexie wiped frantically at the tears and snot on her face.

              “Why did I try to kill myself?” wailed Flora. “I know Nickolas loves me! I know he loves me even when we argue! Why did I go insane?”

              Lexie heard Nickolas trying to soothe their confused friend, and she wanted to thank him. He had lost his mother and he had almost been murdered by his uncle, yet his main concern was Flora. His behavior was so different from the Nickolas who had channeled Hamlet.

              “You were cursed. Braedon was telling the truth,” explained Lexie, sniffling uncontrollably. “You turned into Ophelia.”

              Flora gasped through a sob. “You mean…from
Hamlet
?”

              “Yeah, I know it doesn’t make much sense. I didn’t believe it at first,” Lexie held back a hiccup, closing her throat for a moment. “Pierre and I are coming to the hospital. We’ll tell you everything when we see you. The curse is over now. You’re back to being Flora Brookes.”

              A pinging noise from Pierre’s phone caused her to study its screen. She saw the low battery warning blinking.

             
Not now! Please, not now!

              “The phone is about to die, so I’ll see you soon,” Lexie promised.

              “Okay. I—” Flora was cut off and the screen went blank.

              “We did it,” murmured Pierre as he helped Lexie to her feet.

              Lexie wiped away the remaining tears on her cheeks and pushed her hair out of her face. It was over, and now it was time to gather up the pieces of their broken lives.

Chapter Nineteen: Denouement

              The lemonade and iced tea concoction was tangy and refreshing, and Lexie savored the sweetly sour drink as she sat in Piazza Café with Flora, Nickolas, Braedon, and Pierre. She wasn’t in the mood for coffee or hot tea, and alcoholic beverages were not an option at the family friendly café. However, the popular half and half drink seemed like an appropriate choice. The last several weeks had been a mixture of sweet and sour occurrences.

              William Shakespeare’s curse had been successfully lifted from Vernon Hills, releasing its residents from tragic fates. Yet, the repercussions of what had taken place before it had been stopped still remained. Those who died could not be brought back to life and poor choices could not be erased and taken back. The wounds couldn’t be patched up with simple band aids. They were far too deep for such a simple cure.

              Lexie had hoped that everyone would forget what had happened while they were cursed. Unfortunately, most people recalled their actions with staggering clarity.

              “I remember trying to drown myself at the Lindegaards’ house,” Flora mused for the hundredth time, “but I don’t know why. The argument with Nickolas wasn’t even that bad. We’ve had worse. Am I really that needy?”

              Nickolas ran a hand gently up her arm. “No, no, of course not! The curse made us all do unexplainable things. You’ve only been back for a week. Just wait until you see how messed up other people in Vernon Hills are.”

              Flora had been forced to remain in the hospital’s psych ward for two weeks after the curse had been broken. The doctors hadn’t been convinced that she was completely stable so quickly. Lexie doubted she would have been comfortable letting Flora leave so soon if she hadn’t known about the curse. Flora was also still required to have weekly therapy sessions. Nickolas and Lexie used their connections at Lindegaard Counseling and Therapy to find her a good therapist there. Because Dr. Lindegaard was in jail for murder, the practice was being run by a talented psychologist named Dr. Glenmoore.

              “And I didn’t mean any of those things I said to you. What do I know about nunneries?” Nickolas continued.

              Nickolas had been treating Flora like a fine, fragile piece of glass since she had returned home. He watched her with so much compassion and love in his eyes that it was almost impossible to think he had ever hurt Flora.

              Lexie smiled when Nickolas coaxed Flora to rest her head on his shoulder. Her friend wrapped an arm around his back, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

              “What do I know about flowers?” she murmured, a hint of amusement in her voice.

              He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “None of us really knew what we were doing.”

              “You’re both safe, and that’s what is important,” interjected Braedon. “Right?”

              “Yeah,” Nickolas and Flora answered together.

              “A very wise observation,” Pierre said, “and one I can hear coming from the just Horatio.”

              Braedon chuckled and sipped his club soda. “Thanks. I have to say, I’ve never been called wise before.”

              “You are wise,” insisted Lexie with a smile. “You eventually realized you were all cursed, and that helped you keep Flora and Nickolas safe at the hospital.”

              He squeezed her hand. “Well, I wasn’t wise enough to figure it out on my own.”

              “None of you were,” Pierre said with a small smirk directed at Lexie after he glanced at their linked hands. Lexie ignored his grin and continued to hold Braedon’s hand.

              Flora ran a finger around the brim of her coffee mug. “You kept us safe, Braedon. If you hadn’t been in the room, that man would have snuck in and killed us.”

              Nickolas rubbed circles on Flora’s arm with his thumb. “I can’t believe Vinny got off!”

              “It’s not that surprising,” countered Pierre. “He claimed he thought Dr. Lindegaard needed him to help escort a patient to the hospital. He said he was doing his job as an employee of Lindegaard Counseling and Therapy. Then he testified against your uncle.”

              “Vinny won’t bother us again,” said Flora. “His boss is in jail.”

              “He convinced the jury that he didn’t like his job,” Lexie added.

              Nickolas nodded and sighed. “Yeah, but I still won’t forgive him for restraining me at Braedon’s house. He should have known something was wrong.”

              “He left the practice. There are still rumors going around about what he and your uncle did to you. Things calmed down for a few days after Dr. Glenmoore had a staff-wide meeting.” Lexie ate a small piece of her apricot croissant. “Dr. Glenmoore is an amazing psychologist, and I think he’ll run the practice better than your uncle.”

              “That’s great news! I’m so happy that you still have your job!” Flora said with a huge smile.

              “I’m glad there’s good news
somewhere
!”

              Bryony’s sassy, loud voice boomed across the café. The front door was wide open, sunlight streaming happily into the café. She marched to the table, pushing her red curls away from her face. She threw herself into the chair beside Pierre and shoved a piece of his cranberry scone into her mouth. His mouth dropped open like a codfish, and he stared at the fuming woman.

              Ben followed several feet behind his wife, gripping his cowboy hat angrily in front of his chest. “Why does the legal system
insist
on taking all our money!”

              Braedon tried, unsuccessfully, to turn his amused snort into a cough. Ben and Bryony both glared at him, and that caused the entire table to erupt with laughter.

              “It’s not funny!” shouted Bryony. “We don’t need lawyers involved! I don’t even want a court hearing! We both want a divorce! Everybody is so judgmental and condescending!”

              “Yeah, they treat us like kids!” Ben snapped, sneaking a glance at Bryony.

              Bryony rolled her eyes. “You certainly act like one.”

              “Says the woman who threw a pen at the clerk when he told us to wait.”

              “What he said was uncalled for and patronizing.” Bryony turned her head swiftly and fixed her green eyes on Lexie and Flora. “Do you know what he said?”

              Lexie and Flora frowned at each other.

              “He said we should give marriage counseling a try before filing for divorce! He told us we were young and should give our marriage a chance because divorce is a messy process!”

              Bryony dug around in her purse before pulling out a travel size bottle of whiskey. She angrily opened it and took a long swig, nearly finishing the contents. She tensed when the liquid hit her tongue.

              “I don’t think you can drink in here,” Braedon told her hesitantly.

              “We’d be at the Windsor Bar right now if Flora’s therapist wasn’t against her drinking,” Bryony countered. “Anyway, you can mix alcohol and coffee. Ever heard of an Irish coffee?”

              “This isn’t the best time to get drunk,” Nickolas argued.

              Bryony shook her head, and Lexie swore she saw tears gleaming in her eyes. The use of the word “us” and “we” during her rant made Lexie side with the clerk. They were young, but they complemented each other. Pierre had been right when he said Ben and Bryony knew how to handle one another.

              Lexie cleared her throat. “You know, I work with several therapists who specialize in marriage counseling. I could get you—”

              “Don’t push it, Lexie!” Bryony said heatedly.

              “Damn it, Bryony! Let her talk!”

              Bryony looked like she wanted to throw a plate a Ben. “Why?”

              Ben crossed his arms and sighed. “Because I
want
to hear what she has to say.”

              Ben and Bryony looked at each other. The tears in Bryony’s eyes were gone and replaced by surprise and confusion. Ben seemed shocked at his comments and studied Bryony with a look that wavered between frustration and longing.

              “O-okay,” whispered Bryony shakily. “Go ahead, Lexie.”

              “Dr. Elizabeth Wyatt is really, really good at her job. She’s published several books and gives guest lectures. She’s also very nice. I’ll mention you to her if you want.”

              Bryony looked down at her hands as her face turned the color of her hair. “Alright, you do that.”

              Lexie wanted to jump up and cheer for her small victory. From the looks on the faces of her friends, they wished they could do the same thing. Love was an odd concept. All of the couples sitting at the table were proof of that.

              “Another happy ending,” whispered Pierre.

              “What was that?” Bryony asked, a defensive tone creeping back into her voice.

              Pierre shrugged. “I’m just weighing the good and bad that came from the curse.”

              Flora lifted her head off Nickolas’s shoulder. “You think the curse did good things?”

              “I do.”

              “What?” Nickolas asked in exasperation. “My mom died and my uncle is in jail. I was almost poisoned. Flora was hospitalized!”

              Braedon nodded. “Lexie had to witness multiple murders. Mark Cue and Sheriff Cato died!”

              “We got married,” Bryony added ruefully.

              “I ended up with a broken wrist and burned down a church,” finished Lexie, gesturing at her arm encased in a white cast.

              Ben dropped the sugar packets he was tossing in the air. “You what!”

             
I never should have opened my mouth!
Lexie cringed, immediately regretting that she had allowed the comment to slip through her lips.

              Only a very limited number of people knew the truth about how Friar Court Church caught on fire. Priest Lawrence Fryer was telling everyone that a lit candle had been knocked into a bottle of incense, catching the building on fire. If the truth got out, Lexie would be arrested for arson.

              Braedon pressed his warm palm between her shoulder blades when she tensed. Lexie had told him the truth when she had been trying to convince him the curse was real.

              “What did you do?” exclaimed Bryony.

              “I saved Giulia Terrace and Theodore Rose.”

              “Vernon Hills’ Romeo and Juliet needed a better ending than in the play,” Pierre stated with a finality in his voice. The subject was dropped, and everyone busied themselves with their food and drinks.

              “Pierre,” Lexie said, “you were going to tell us what good things happened because of the curse.”

              “I really want to hear this,” Nickolas interjected as he looked curiously at Pierre.

              Flora twisted her fingers nervously in Nickolas’s shirt. “How can anything good measure up to all the tragedy?”

              Nickolas’s eyes snapped back to Flora and he carefully began soothing her hands.

              “Some of the tragic characters got happy endings or, at least, better endings than they did in the original plays,” Pierre began to explain. “Nickolas, I know your family was torn to shreds while channeling the characters of
Hamlet
, but you and Flora are still alive. The truth about your uncle came out and landed him in jail. He deserves to be there, and I believe his crimes would have gone unpunished had you not been cursed.”

              Lexie nodded vigorously. “Pierre is right. Flora, your love for Nickolas is stronger than ever. You treat each other with so much respect and compassion, and I never saw that before the curse.”

              “I’ve always loved Nickolas.”

              Lexie laughed. “But you love him even more now.”

              Flora’s face flushed pink, and she pressed her forehead into Nickolas’s neck. Lexie smiled at Pierre, knowing that Flora understood what she’d said.

              Pierre finished his coffee. “I’m not saying they deserved to die, but the Leer sisters were punished for murdering their sister. Had they survived, they would have lost all the power they had in Vernon Hills. James and Scarlet MacDougal were exposed as murderers, and he confessed to being involved in the plot to murder Mayor Leer.”

              “I heard he’s receiving therapy in jail,” Bryony muttered.

              “I heard that too,” added Braedon. “Someone at the bank was talking about him. Apparently, he’s trying to improve himself, but he won’t be let out anytime soon.”

              Lexie picked at the edge of her cast, earning her a touch on the elbow from Braedon. “I’m glad he’ll be charged with something. I hate when people get away with murder, even in movies!”

              Flora suddenly grinned. “The theatre is being rebuilt. They’re starting next month! That’s something awesome!”