Chapter 81 The Tarnished Ring

Chapter 81 The Tarnished Ring
Shayne rolled over and grumbled at the curtain she had forgot to close the night before. The sun was streaming through and onto her face. She was exhausted but felt some hope that it was the first day she had woken up not crying since Wednesday. Brian and Kevin had kept her up much of the night, cuddling on the couch and watching movies. For a minute, she thought about going back to bed but instead she forced her eyes open.

Today would be the first Sunday, since Jeffrey had gone away. She decided to fight her loneliness by making pancakes for Kevin and Brian. She rolled out of the bed, and her bare feet hit the floor. She walked to the closet and slid into a pair of blue jean shorts. She left Jeffrey's t-shirt on and simply tucked it in. Wearing his clothes seemed to soothe her.

She crept down the stairs quietly not to wake the guys up. However, it proved to be a fruitless gesture because Kevin was already standing in the kitchen. He was wearing his favorite worn out jeans, and the striped apron over his bare chest. It made Shayne smile and for a moment, life almost felt normal.

“What's on the menu today, Chef Shayne?” He asked with a smirk. He took a sip from a novelty mug they had found while shopping the day before.

“Baby Bean says pancakes.” She answered him as she went to the pantry to retrieve the box of mix.

Kevin took the electric griddle from the cabinet and plugged it in. “Have you thought anymore about coming to Virginia Tech with me?” he asked as she whipped up the batter. “Or maybe going to Florida with Brian?”

Shayne shook her head, “My life is here. This is my home, and this is where I'm going to raise this baby.” She reached down and patted her tummy.

“You just don't have to do it alone. Brian and I are here for you, you know that right.” Kevin pressed.

“I know, and I appreciate it. You guys are good friends.” Shayne said. She knew they had promised Jeffrey to look after her, but she wasn't going to ask them to give up the futures that she had seen.

“While I'm thinking about it, I really want to thank you and Brian for taking me baby shopping yesterday. I really had a good time.” Shayne said to change the subject.

Kevin laughed, “I think we had just as much fun as you did. Who knew there were so many cute baby things out there. It makes me want to have one someday.”

“Oh you will,” Shane said with a shrug. “I'm sure of it.”

Before Kevin could answer, the entire kitchen was filled with an eerie purple light. Shayne turned to look just as Jeffery appeared across the room and collapsed into the checkered floor. Shayne and Kevin ran to his side.

“JEFFREY!” She screeched as she knelt down beside him. She pulled his head into her lap and cradled it to her chest. She could feel his soft breath and realized he was just unconscious.

Shane heard Brian thundering up the stairs. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were barely open. He was shirtless and wearing just a pair of sleep pants. He stumbled into the kitchen carrying a baseball bat, ready to defend Shayne. The second he saw Jeffrey on the floor, he dropped to his knees next to Kevin.

“Is he okay?” Brian asked as he poked Jeffrey like he’s was trying to decide if he was real.

“He's okay, he's just unconscious. For some reason time travel knocks you out.” Shane explained as she caressed his cheek with her hand and kissed his forehead. “He should wake up soon.”

Almost if on cue, Jeffrey eyes began to flutter. He groaned as he opened them. “Shayne?” He moaned. He reached for her immediately.

“I'm here,” she said. “I’m right here.” She placed her hand in his.

Jeffrey nodded his head weakly. “I'm sorry” he said. “I didn't know how many days I had to wait. You never told me the date on the obituary. Just that it was for last week.”

Jeffrey opened his palm to reveal Shayne’s locket. The chain was broken where he had pulled it from his neck. Suddenly Shayne understood. Jeffrey must have remembered her story about how she returned to the past. In the future, Shawna had ripped the necklace off of Shayne, By breaking the chain, Jeffrey had been able to return to his timeline, just as Shayne had.

“Has the danger passed?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Kevin said. “I know this is going to be hard for you to hear. But the danger was Jamie and Shawna. They plotted to make sure you were killed in a car accident. Jamie apparently was bankrupt and trying to steal Shane's inheritance. Ironically, that's what happened to them in the end.” Kevin said and what sounded like a mix of anger and sadness.

Jeffrey set up slowly and kissed Shayne on the lips. Their kiss deepened until Brian cleared his throat. He groaned as he shook his head and shrugged slightly “I hate that it turned out that way. And if he were still around, I would totally kick his butt. But he should have known better. It was what the old witch warned us about. She said if we tried to betray Shayne, bad things would happen.”

Jeffrey reached out and cupped Shayne's face. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry any of this had to happen. And I'm sorry it took me so long to keep my promise.”

Happy tears spilled down Shayne's cheeks. “I'm just so glad you're home. I honestly never thought I would see you again. I missed you so much. You can't ever leave me again.”

Jeffrey pulled Shayne into his lap and placed his hand over Baby Bean. “I promise. I love you.” He pulled her to him, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.