Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(153)
Miles recovered, aimed another punch, Lila and Rachel gasped loudly and Dad ran toward the brothers as Lachlan latched onto both of Miles’s arms and yanked them hard behind his back.
“Please, don’t hurt him!” Joy cried, throwing a beseeching arm toward Lachlan and Miles while her other hand went to her chest.
Miles ignored his mother, struggled against Lachlan’s hold, his eyes locked on Jack and he shouted, “I did not push Belle down the f**king stairs!”
Angus got close and said in his soft burr, “You didn’t, laddie, the spirit inside you did.”
Still jerking against his captor, Mile’s enraged eyes sliced to Angus and he spat, “That’s what that brunette bitch told me, old man, and that’s f**ked up.” His eyes then cut to Belle. “I did not push you.”
“Miles –” Belle whispered.
“Look at me,” Jack ordered before Belle could say any more.
Miles ignored Jack too, his eyes riveted to Belle. “I swear to Christ, Belle, I did not f**king push you.”
Jack got close. “Eyes to me, Miles.”
Miles stopped struggling against Lachlan and glared at Jack. “I did not push her.”
“You didn’t,” Jack said quietly. “I know that.”
“Then why did you tell Mum I did?” Miles fired back. “She –”
“You didn’t push Belle and I know it sounds insane but although you didn’t push her, you still did.”
“I did not!”
“You were there, Miles,” Jack told him. “You were seen.”
“That isn’t f**king true,” Miles hissed, his eyes narrowing.
“You were seen,” Jack repeated.
“Yes, by a ghost,” Miles spat. “They told me. Jesus, Jack, seriously? You believe that shit? All these years, now you believe that shit? That is f**ked up!”
“Okay, so where were you that night?” Jack asked.
“Not here,” Miles immediately answered.
“Where were you?” Jack pressed.
Miles again jerked against Lachlan’s hold but Lachlan held true.
He stopped just as suddenly and clipped loudly, “Tell the ginger to let me go!”
“I’ll let you go, mate, you don’t throw another punch,” Lachlan said from behind him.
“I won’t throw another punch,” Miles bit out.
“Right, then I’ll let you go you don’t call me ‘ginger’ again,” Lachlan went on.
“Lach, let the lad go,” Angus said low.
Lachlan looked to his uncle then pushed Miles off and stepped back.
Miles immediately twisted around to glare at Lachlan then he turned back to Jack when Jack pressed on, “Miles, the night Belle was hurt, where were you?”
“I wasn’t f**king here,” he shot back.
“All right. Then where were you?” Jack kept at it.
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
“Not… f*cking… here!”
“Miles, if you weren’t here, where were you?”
“Not f**king here!” Miles roared, stepped swiftly to a table that was close, grabbed a vase and threw it across the room. It sailed safely between Jack and Lachlan but exploded against the wall.
Belle jumped as did others and Joy cried, “Miles!”
The men closed in on Miles but he was now staring at the floor, body mostly motionless except he was breathing heavily. Jack correctly sensed he was no threat and lifted his hand to the other men to stop their advance so they did.
He gave his brother a moment then, quietly, he said, “Miles, if you weren’t here, tell us where you were so we can –”
Before he could finish, Miles’s head snapped up and his eyes locked on Belle.
“I dream you.”
The air in the room went still and Belle figured this was because everyone had stopped breathing. She figured this because she had.
Therefore, she had to force her question through stiff lips.
“What?”
“Since then. Since it happened. I wasn’t there. But I dream it. I dream of pushing you.”
“Oh my God,” Joy whispered and Belle felt tears sting her nose.
“I didn’t do it.” Miles’s voice was now raw. “In my dreams, I feel my hand on you, I see you going down the stairs. But I didn’t do it. It’s been torture but I swear to f**king Christ, Belle, I didn’t do it.”
“You dream it?” Angus asked quietly and Miles tore his eyes from Belle and looked to Angus.
“Yes,” he bit off.
“Do you dream of anything else?” Angus questioned and Belle watched in horror and distress as Miles’s face became ravaged.
“I lose time,” he whispered his admission.
“Bloody hell,” Jack muttered.
Miles closed his eyes tight then opened them and looked at Jack. “Since I met her. Since I met Belle, I’ve lost time.”
Jack held his brother’s gaze even as he ordered, “Lila, Rachel, take Mum out.”
“Jack, I –”
Miles and Jack both looked to Joy but it was Miles who spoke. “Mum, please.”
Her teeth worried her lip as she studied her youngest son. Then she looked at her oldest but she nodded to the floor before she went out, Rachel and Lila following her.