Dreamers (The Dreamers Series) (12 page)

“What’s that stuff in the green bottle?”

“Spearmint oil. Lie down on your stomach and take your dress off. I’ve noticed you rubbing at your shoulders all night. You’re sore where Heather had your arms pinned you down, aren’t you?”

“I don’t want to talk about that right now, but yes, a little,” I sigh.

“Let’s get you fixed up.”

His hands are magical, just like every other beautiful part of our date. The sensuality in his fingertips is making him unimaginably tempting, and so inviting. I melt into the feathered sand, losing feeling in every part of my body—well almost every part.

“Dominick.”

“Yes, baby?”

I pull myself from his strong hands, turning over to face him as I pull my dress back into place. In this world of fantasy, I still know that reality has to return sometime. What if we find what he is looking for tomorrow, or even tonight? I can’t go the rest of my life having never known every part of him.

“I want to—you know...”

“What? Make love?”

“I hate those words, it sounds so—cheesy. But yes, that’s basically what I’m getting at.”

“You want to…make magic?” He smiles as fire begins to fill his eyes.

“Yes. I want to make magic, with you—right now.”

I can see the flame in within him, its smoldering, yet somehow I sense a standoffish vibe to the suggestion—reluctance. He begins twitching nervously in place, pulling at the neck of his black t-shirt, and tinkering with loose strings dangling from the cuffs of his jeans.

“Oh, god. You don’t want me, do you?” My face burns red of embarrassment.

“NO, Syd, that’s not it at all. I’m a—virgin. I don’t really know what I’m doing. You already said you’re not, so I kinda feel under experienced. This has to be the most awkward conversation, for real. You’re my first girlfriend. I was the freak remember? Nobody ever got close to me.”

I roll my eyes. Having to admit something that is quite awkward for me isn’t all that easy, so I sympathize with him.

“I lied.”

“Lied about…”

“Ugh, I hate having to say it aloud. I’m a virgin too. I might not have been a freak, but I’m extremely picky. God, this is freaking humiliating.”

His dark eyebrows lift curiously as a smile spreads across his delicious, pale lips. His demeanor returns to normal and excitement returns, giving his face color again.

“You’re a sneaky little devil, aren’t you, Sydney Preston?”

“Whatever, Stud. You implied you were Mr. Sexy Pants yourself. You’re no better than me.” I stick my tongue out in protest of his judgmental remark.

“I happen to like being your Mr. Sexy Pants.”

“Well I like being your sneaky little devil.”

He pulls my face into his sweetly and begins gently nibbling my tongue. I whisper into his open mouth.

“And no more excuses. No matter what you say, you know exactly what you’re doing.”

“God, I love you,” he whispers, as he kisses me softly.

Fireworks illuminate the night sky as we create a magic that can never be replaced by any earthly event of our lives. Our fingers entwine as our bodies dig deeply in the sand with each slow fluid movement. Our bodies unite, moving in sync, thrusting us closer to the edge of pure ecstasy. His eyes never leave mine as we become one for the first and possibly the last time of our existence.

Everything around us disappears as we lie together, steadying our rough breathing until it slows to nothing more than a whisper of release escaping our lips.

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Sydney. I couldn’t dream up a more stunning image of anything I’ve ever desired. You have managed to out-do me, and I’ve never been more okay with that than right now, in this moment, on this perfect beach with you—my beautiful lady.”

I breathe him in, imprinting this moment in my memory permanently. Every nerve in my body screams with heat, love—desire. This is the moment you hear about, when nothing hits your senses other than the person lying before you.

“I never want this moment to end. I want to stay here with you always. I love you, Dominick Manning.”

We drink in the peaceful lullaby of the Gulf of Mexico, resting in the arms of one another. We float in and out of sublime happiness, knowing that reality is still a mere waking moment away. I don’t speak; I just fill myself with as much of him as my heart can swallow. As I see his face I can read that he is in the same train of thought as I am. We have crossed that line of no return. We made magic, the most beautiful magic two people can create together, and reality threatens to snatch it away in the blink of an eye.

“What are we gonna do, Nick?”

“I don’t know, baby. We need to think hard about our options. Going any place where you aren’t is not an option for me. I sacrificed that the moment you gave me your heart.” Sadness drenches his face.

“What if I—you know—joined you, permanently?”

“That is NOT an option. You can’t even think things like that. Even if I were open to that possibility, which I’m NOT, there is no guarantee you would end up here. I’m here because I don’t know how I died. You could end up in heaven, hell, or even purgatory. We can’t take the risk.”

“Do you have any other alternative plans, because I’m drawing a blank?”

“My life isn’t empty anymore, I have you. I would be happy to live like this forever if I knew I could look forward to seeing your beautiful face at the end of every day.”

“What about the day when Heather and I end our friendship, which is on the direct horizon? We will have nothing more than meditation. That’s not enough anymore. I can’t imagine living in a world where I can’t feel your touch.”

“Let’s just fix things with Heather and forget about the rest. She led you to me. I can’t hate her for that, no matter what the circumstances.”

“I think the sex screwed your mind up. Heather and I are done, and we are not forgetting about finding answers about your death either, so think again.”

“Don’t call it sex. It makes it sound so—meaningless.”

I crawl in his lap, taking his lips into mine once again. “It wasn’t meaningless, but I might need to try again just to make sure. I might have already forgotten how great you were.”

“Is that so? Well, Miss Preston, let’s make sure you NEVER forget again.”

He whisks us away to a beautiful rainforest in the Amazon. I dream up a large hammock made primitively of rope and banana leaves. The heat is sticky and dense, clinging my dress to my flaming skin. I make my clothes disappear with a sneaky grin, leaving nothing more than a translucent pair of high heels made of ice.

“Can’t handle the heat?” he taunts.

His shirt literally melts from his chest painfully slow, dripping down the waistline of his ripped jeans, torturing my body into a painful ache.

“Come here,” I quietly plead with my finger.

He denies my request by shaking his head, then slowly licks his lips. He breathes hard in my direction, coating my face with spearmint.

“Oh, we’re playing the torture game, huh? Well, I wanna play too.”

I move slowly from the hammock towards him. As I approach him his eyes close. I ensure my scent hits him as harshly as his hit me. I choose coconut since our magic making seems to have taken a steamy tropical turn. If his intentions were to make me wait in torture, then he has a very big surprise in store. I’ve waited long enough. Before he can react I grab his thick black hair, jerking him into me. I run my tongue from the bottom of his chin, along his jaw toward the back of his neck, drinking the sweat flowing down his overheated skin. I’m thankful for his choice in location; it seems to have unlocked a primitive wild ferocity within me. I feel his nerves trembling beneath his skin, aching to escape confinement. I’ve unlocked the beast within him. His hands grab my waist lifting me from the damp forest bed, slamming me against a tall strong tree. The bark digs into my back as his lips push harder into my neck, scraping my skin raw. His fingers find places I never knew existed, making my sounds blend into the animalistic growling of the rainforest. My noises fuel him more, as he gets rougher with each sound I make. My nails dig into his flesh, unleashing a sexy growl of his own into my ear. I see why it stoked his fire. It’s the sound of pleasure, and makes me want to hear it even more. I bite into his shoulder, coaxing a deeper groan from his parted lips. He moves fast—hard, never losing stamina until what seems like several delicious hours pass. We both fall limp to the hard floor in the best type of exhaustion possible, ringing in sweat and dirt.

Neither of us can manage to catch our breath. That was the most amazing feeling I have ever experienced.

“You’re a vicious little kitten.” He pulls me into his lap facing him, with a wide smile.

“Yeah, I’ve got quite a bite, huh?” I lightly nibble his lip, still panting.

“Will you EVER forget again?”

“Trust me, I will never forget this tree, those noises, or that—uh—I’ll call it an explosion, for the rest of my life. And neither will that toucan.” I giggle as I point to the lively rich-colored bird watching us from a limb above.

His lovely deep laugh echoes throughout the forest as he notices the perverted winged voyeur. “Well, that’s just awkward. I’ll make him go away.”

And with that our peeping toucan disappeared into thin air.

“We better get back to the room. You’ll be waking up soon, baby.”

“I don’t want to wake up.” I frown.

“You can come see me during the day, one, two, or a thousand times, preferably. I’ll be here waiting, thinking of new places to set off some even bigger explosions. Now that I have you, I fully intend to wear you out.” He winks.

“I like the sound of that.”

He walks me to my bed, assisting me with getting my covers securely in place. He lays next to me, cradling me from behind as I deeply breathe in his spearmint scent.

“I love you, Sydney.”

Something odd catches the corner of my eye. Nick notices it instantly as my body stiffens. The ending to our beautiful night is ripped from the air as we are both startled by an image in the corner of my bedroom, lurking in the shadows.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Dominick thunders as he protectively jumps in front of me, acting as a shield.

“Well, isn’t this a sweet little picture? You two fucking around in MY room. Priceless.”

Anger quickly stifles the room. Her hatred aims solely in my direction, disabling me from movement. She lunges at me furiously. Nick blocks her with his arm; flinging her into the bookcase I had blocking the door.

“Stay away from her, Lana!” Dominick orders.

***

My eyes fly open. I realize I’ve just walked into a complete nightmare.

I waltz right over to her, ripping her from her sweet slumber in my reading chair, pulling her to a standing position by the collar of her shirt.

“Get your ass up and get the fuck out of my room! How the hell did you get in here?” I shout furiously.

She doesn’t seem to respond to my angry outbursts as she remains perfectly still in her dream world, falling limply back into the chair. God only knows what is going on between her and Nick right now. While I’m fully confident in his ability to take care of himself, I don’t know how experienced she is in tampering with his mind. Even if I were to get in touch with Nick right now it would be merely through meditation, I couldn’t even see Lana, much less do anything to assist Nick in getting rid of her somehow. Still, I have to try.

“Nick, what’s going on in there?”

He doesn’t respond.

“Nick, please answer me. Tell me you’re okay.”

Still he remains silent, furthering my concern. If I can’t get to him, I at least have to try to reach out to someone. Lana will wake up soon, and I have no idea what she’s capable of. Last night aside, I know without question Heather would help me in a heartbeat.

Lana has barricaded the door, much more effectively than I managed to last night. No matter how much I try to break it open something is keeping it firmly in place. I begin pounding the aged wooden door until my fists throb, screaming in pain.

“Heather! Lana’s in here!”

I continue thrashing the door in hopes that she will hear me. The clock reads nine a.m. Heather will have surely left for work already. I’m abandoned—trapped, with no other alternative than to escape from a twenty-foot-high window.

I tug hard, trying to pry it open. Heather made sure the last time that I would never be able to get that window open again. The only other time it was opened was when Nick visited, but he secured it back—I think, unless it was another optical illusion. Every obvious escape route is blocked, now I’m beginning to panic.

At some point Lana awakes, surely from the loud pounding I’ve been vibrating through the apartment. She watches with an evil smirk as I desperately scan the room, hoping for a miracle.

“You aren’t going anywhere, Sydney. I made quite sure of that.”

Everything about her screams crazy, from her wild eyes to her bare feet. She’s as intimidating as she is insane—to the core.

“What do you want from me, Lana?”

“I want what’s mine—Dominick.”

“He doesn’t want you.”

An aggravated sigh breezes from her mouth as she stands up and begins twirling her greasy blonde locks around her index finger, calculating her next move. She thrives on the knowledge that she has me cornered. I do my best to seem unconcerned by her presence, sensing my fear will do nothing more than appease her even more thoroughly. Even without the added complication of being overly sluggish and groggy from the Ambien, I truly have nowhere to go, and zero defense against a mentally unstable girl. The one option I might hold is humoring her. She is so thoroughly obsessed with Nick…he might be the key to calming her. As sickening as the thought is, I’m going to have no alternative—I have to make her think that Nick still loves her, although he never did. This could prove to be difficult given the position she found us in only moments ago; he and I in bed, lovingly holding each other after a beautiful night of adventures. A large part of me is childishly irritated that she messed up my perfect evening. Everything had been so absolutely perfect until this point. I truly hate this girl right now. Keeping the agenda in the forefront is going to take some work, and definitely a great deal of acting, as my teeth instinctively grit as I begin my lying game.

“Look, Lana. He thought you were never coming back. If I hadn’t comforted him while you were gone, he could have hurt himself. Don’t you know anything about people with bipolar? They don’t handle change very well.” I swallow the bile that rises in my throat.

“I would have never gone voluntarily, it was Heather’s fault.”

“Then why are you so angry at me? I’ve done everything I can to help him. Lord knows what would have happened if I hadn’t stepped in. He really cared for you, he was so alone.”

“Really, he said that?” Her bottom lips quivers.

I think carefully before answering. I need her to know I can still communicate with Nick outside of sleep. This way she knows she hasn’t completely entrapped me. Perhaps not the best idea, but I need leverage too. Neither she nor I are able to sleep twenty-four hours a day, so I can become valuable to her if I can communicate FOR her. She could never attain power in meditation, her mind is too tainted. This could make me valuable to her, giving me a fighting chance against her harming me.

“He didn’t exactly say those words. He is very protective over his feelings. I picked up on some of his thoughts during meditation. That’s how we communicate outside sleep.”

“What? How is that possible? I tried everything to get to him while I was awake, even went as far as causing myself pain so I would pass out. Still nothing.”

I omit the knowledge that Nick had been evading her deliberately.

“It’s nothing you were doing wrong. Full meditation is an extremely hard thing to accomplish. I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“You will teach me then.”

“It’s not something you can just teach someone. It takes years of practice and concentration. We don’t have that kind of time. We need to figure this mystery out before Nick gives up and his world collapses in on him.”

“Why do you call him Nick? I’ll bet he hates that. I tried to call him pet names, and he couldn’t stand it.”

“Dominick is a mouthful, that’s all. It’s not really a term of endearment, I’m just a lazy speaker. He tolerates it.” I smirk, enjoying the fact that he loathes her so entirely. It’s comforting.

Where she seems to have calmed slightly, her tense posture and the jerky nature to her slight movements tell me I am nowhere near talking my way out of this situation. Fueling her love for Dominick by making her think he was deeply interested might not have been the best move, possibly only increasing her desperation. A different avenue might be the way to go. I need to shift the subject away from him, while somehow convincing her that Nick and I aren’t a couple. I know exactly what I need to use.

“Does my girlfriend know you’re here?”

“Heather—your girlfriend? Assuming you’re actually telling the truth, I can pretty much confirm that you just got dumped. She left you a note when she took off this morning—with a carload of suitcases.” She waves a sealed envelope in front of my face with a smile.

I snatch the note from her boney hands, tearing it as I rip it impatiently from the envelope.

Sydney,

I don’t even know where to begin. Last night I felt so out of control. I don’t know where that side of me came from. Everything happened so fast, and I couldn’t make heads or tails of anything. I didn’t feel like myself, maybe it was the mix of the wine and meds, I don’t know. I’m not making excuses for my behavior, because what happened was inexcusable. But I can say that I never meant to hurt you.

I’m leaving today, trying to sort my head out. I can’t face you right now after what happened. I’m taking a few weeks to try and find myself again. I love you, and that has not changed. I hope you can forgive me. A little time apart might be what we need to get over this. I hope you will still be here when I get back. I am so sorry.

I still love you, and I always will,

Heather

PS: I’m staying with my Mom, so I’m only a phone call away if you need me.

Somehow even after our horrible experience last night, I feel awful. I move into her house, lead her on, push her into drinking even when she warned us that it didn’t mesh well with alcohol, and finally take complete advantage, seducing her until she loses control. Now she’s run away from her own home to give ME space. This situation has gotten completely out of hand. The appropriate thing would have simply been to confront her about the bracelet, not screwing with her mind and emotions. Now I’m stuck here, alone with Lana, locked in this room for god only knows how long until someone finally decides to show up. Mia will begin wondering, as will Cayden. He wants to visit Nick today. This could end up being my saving grace.

“I’m expecting a visitor today, so you should really handle your business and leave.”

“Oh, you’re referring to Cayden Manning, right? He’s already come and gone. I told him you have the flu and will be indisposed for a while; through the door of course because he would have recognized me. I’m just that good. Don’t you agree, Sydney?”

She seems to have taken every escape route I could have possibly had.

“Lana, let’s just get this squared away right now. What do you want from me?”

“Well, I was supposed to get rid of you, but I have a better idea. Don’t worry though; you are really going to enjoy that dark room. I’ve set everything up perfectly for you. There’s a nice comfy couch for you to sleep on, pillows, blankets—the works. I will bring you food daily and of course water. Whereas I really don’t want you dying on me—yet, I really need you out of my way. I will allow you two bathroom visits per day, and a shower. It’ll be just like a full-service hotel, aside from being locked in.”

“If you need me out of the way so badly, why not just let me leave? You said you don’t want to kill me, so what’s the point in keeping me here? I can just walk right out the door, and you will never see me again. Doesn’t that sound like a more sensible plan?”

“I’m not stupid, no matter what Heather told you. I’m smarter than all of you. You’ll stay, and we will figure everything out once I get to the bottom of finding Dominick’s body. The deal was that I would get rid of you and pick back up with Dominick where I left off. The problem with that scenario is that I’m stuck here with super dyke, and trust me, we aren’t exactly friends. I like my plan better.”

“What plan is that?”

“I will find his body, he will crossover, and I will join him shortly after. That way we will be together forever, and not under the watchful eye of anyone else. Perfect, right?” She beams proudly at her insane suggestion.

This bitch really is crazy. You can’t just enter yourself into heaven or hell. What makes her think she can just follow someone into the afterlife? Instead of voicing my opinion I opt not to further aggravate her. I will let her believe her own delusional ramblings. I’ve chosen to refrain from objection in going to the dark room. People will come looking for me at some point, and she will be the one who must answer for her actions. If for some reason I fight Lana now and she manages to get away, I will never be able to live without looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. I give this hostage situation a day—two days, tops. When people realize I’m missing, they’ll come with the police, and she won’t be able to run. I certainly don’t relish the thought of being locked up like a caged animal, but Nick will help me get through the loneliness and isolation. Together we can overcome anything. Once I’m alone and I can reach him, we will concoct a plan of action.

“I’ll agree to go to the dark room,” I comment casually.

“You say that as if you have a choice. Silly little girl.” A horrible ugly laugh bolsters from her thin unappealing mouth.

“I’m being cooperative because I want the best for Dominick, and that means you two finally being together.”

False or not, those words bring acid into my mouth.

“I’m so happy you feel that way, Red. I was starting to think you two were a couple, all laid up in the bed together like that. After thinking it through, I know better. Dominick would never do that to me, certainly not for a pitzy little girl like you. You’re very lucky I’ve been so reasonable about it. I honestly would have killed you on the spot, but fortunately for you—he blocked me. That’s my Dominick, so compassionate and caring. Always looking out for the less fortunate.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Lana. I can see you’re a very intelligent person. I’m very grateful you saw the truth for what it was.” I roll my eyes when she isn’t looking.

“Okay, enough of this brown-nosing. Let’s get to the dark room, Red. I have people to see.” She smirks.

I ignore my chosen pet name, even though it pierces needles of aggravation through my skull. I have bigger concerns right now, such as containing my jealousy, this isn’t the time. I know who she is talking about when she says she has people to see, and it sends discomfort crawling through my skin. She is going to be with Nick—my Nick. Holding my tongue will only last so long the more she pushes me. This is a time for wit and silence. I better get to that room before my mouth wins the internal battle and lands me in a coffin.

“Let’s go then.”

***

The reality doesn’t quite sink in until I hear the dark room door lock as she scurries away to be with my boyfriend. Darkness threatens to undo every amount of strength I’ve held until this point, as tears sting my eyes. I have no way of knowing how this will end. Good or bad, I cannot let her taint my mind to the point where I can’t concentrate and meditate. It’s all I’ve got. I do my best to clear my head. I need to talk to Nick, I couldn’t get to him earlier and I can’t relax until I know he’s okay. His velvety voice is the medicine I need to smooth the ripples of sadness running through me.

“Dominick, please answer me. Where the hell are you?”

“I can’t talk to you right now, Sydney. Pull out.”

“What—why?” I demand.

“I—I don’t want to see you anymore,” he stutters.

I know instantly, Lana must have got to him already.

“Nick, I know she’s there. Don’t answer me with your mouth. Answer me with your mind. Are you saying you don’t want to see me anymore because she’s listening to you right now?”

“That won’t be necessary, Sydney. Anything I say to you I can say in front of Lana. To answer your question, no, I really don’t want to see you anymore. Now that Lana’s back I really have no use for continuing a relationship with you. She’s close to finding answers. I need her more right now. I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you. It’s just the way it is.”