The Guest House Hauntings Boxset by Hazel Holmes (novel books to read txt) 📕

was tension between the two families, it also made sense that Sam and Brittany would know about it. It all made too much sense.

“I will be,” Ezra said. And he would be more careful from here on out. He vowed to uncover Nathaniel’s true intentions before his ignorance could get him into real trouble.

24

Clara wasn’t sure if she should be relieved to see that Ezra was already awake and out of bed or concerned. Did that mean he was feeling better and more energized? Or did it mean he had another night of restless sleep? She hadn’t woken due to his tossing and turning, but she wasn’t sure if that was because he slept peacefully or if it was because she was so tired, she couldn’t be woken.

She did know that stressing so extensively over her husband was going to damage her own mental health, and they couldn’t afford for both of them to be struggling. So, she tried to relax as she lay tucked between their cozy comforter and silk sheets. The sun was peeking from behind the lace curtains, promising a snow-free day. A few shadows had broken in, and after a couple of deep breaths, she dragged herself out of bed at their urging.

She went straight for the shower to wash some of the stress away. The bathroom mirror was still somewhat foggy, and the bathmat lay on the floor. It was a sign Ezra must’ve already taken a shower recently. She wondered just how long he’d been up and hoped he wasn’t downstairs waiting for her.

She thought of holding off on the shower so she could say good morning to him first, but that warm water was too soothing to resist. She slipped under the shower head and let the heat smooth away the rough edges.

The move here had been a lot. Inheriting all that money, buying the bed and breakfast, their lives changing complexly; it had all been a lot and Clara didn’t realize how much it’d been weighing on her mind until some of the weight lifted. She was trying to hold everything up, trying to keep it from touching Ezra so he wouldn’t have to struggle any more than he already was. She was so worried about him, but she realized she needed to let go a little.

Ezra was going to be okay. He was going to get the help he needed, they were going to fix up the bed and breakfast, and they were going to live out their dreams. They already were. They were making friends already, they had the kind of money they never thought they’d have, they owned a great property. She couldn’t really complain.

Picking out the new design of the bed and breakfast had reminded Clara of her vision, and she had fallen back in love with it. This was more than she could’ve imagined. It was far better than working for some big company. They could do this.

Clara took a deep breath and let go of the worries that had accumulated in the dusty corners of her mind. They were going to have a better day; she was determined to make sure of it. This was their fresh start. There was no reason to be so stressed.

Her hope was further fueled by the music she heard as she stepped out of the shower. Ezra listened to music when he was most happy, certainly a good sign. She hadn’t heard him listen to music much since his father died.

Yet as she wrapped the towel around her, a bit of concern tugged at her ankle as she realized what song he was listening to; Gloomy Sunday sung by Billie Holiday, otherwise known as the Hungarian suicide song. The song had been linked to over one hundred suicides, including the death of the composer himself. It was a random tidbit Clara had picked up while reading one day, and she had told Ezra about it. It was an intriguing song but an odd choice for a fresh start.

She got ready a little quicker. She didn’t plan on confronting Ezra about his choice of music. She did intend to change it though. She’d use the fact he was listening to music to her advantage by switching it to something a little more upbeat. She hoped she could redirect the energy of the day that way.

As she went to open the bathroom door though, she paused. The song had ended and was now playing again. That meant it had to be on repeat. Considering Ezra’s state of mind lately, the fact that he would choose this song to have on repeat…

Tension returned to Clara once more. She reminded herself not to jump to conclusions. It could only lead to unnecessary stress. She didn’t know why Ezra would choose to listen to this song repeatedly, but it didn’t necessarily mean something was off. It was a beautiful song, despite its dark history and lyrics. Perhaps that’s why he was listening to it. It did fit the rather poetic atmosphere of the house.

Clara took a deep breath, so she didn’t panic and attack Ezra. She wanted to be as empathic and understanding as possible when dealing with this. She didn’t want to make anything worse.

Once she felt she had her nerves under control, she opened the door and walked into their bedroom. She was slightly surprised that Ezra wasn’t in their room, even though that’s where the music was coming from. She figured he must’ve started it, then went off to do something else for the moment.

She glanced towards the sound. Another surprise; the music was coming from her phone, not his. It’s not like they were overly protective of their phones. They knew each other’s passwords and didn’t care if the other used theirs. But they typically stuck to using their own phones, like most people did. Whenever Ezra wanted to listen to music, he listened to it on his phone that had all his favorite songs already downloaded on it.

“Ezra?”