“What’s up?” Kalen asked.
Rhiannon handed him the phone and allowed him to read the messages, not wanting to hide anything from him.
“Well, that’s a lot to unpack…” Kalen said slowly.
“I know…”
“What does he mean by ‘you’re mine now’?”
Rhiannon looked down guiltily at the ring on her finger and felt ashamed.
“He proposed to me.”
“What? You weren’t even gone that long?”
Kalen looked in the direction that Rhiannon was and noticed the ring on her finger.
“You said yes?” he said, filling up with anger.
“I thought…I thought that I owed it to him. That being in an unhappy relationship was the penance that I deserved,” Rhiannon replied, her whole body shaking with regret and sadness.
Kalen looked away from her hand and to her face and saw the tears that were now falling and felt his anger being wholly squelched.
“I heard what Lilyette told you about the consequences of your powers. That’s what you thought before she healed you. What do you think now?”
Kalen looked at her, eyes pleading as he awaited her response.
Rhiannon looked up at him, eyes shining brightly once more with gold and fuchsia.
“Even if I deserve some type of punishment for what I did, I’ll happily take it,” she began.
Kalen felt himself getting dizzy at her words.
Rhiannon pulled her hands up and yanked the ring off her finger and held it up.
“But I won’t subject myself to that. I don’t want him. It may have lasted for a short moment, but I felt disgusted with myself,” she said as she threw the ring to the floor.
“I can’t believe that I would ever say yes to marrying someone that I don’t love. And I can’t believe that I turned my back on you. I am so sorry, Kalen. And if you can ever forgive me, for what I said to you…for what I did with him…there’s only one person that I want to be with, and that’s you. I love you,” Rhiannon said.
“I love you too. And, I’m not going to lie, I was hurt. But of course, I forgive you. It wasn’t you making those decisions,” Kalen answered, taking her hand and squeezing it reassuringly.
“It’s like everything between us is moving at the speed of light. I’ve known Oberon my entire life, and I’ve never felt for him what I do for you. Maybe I am crazy,” Rhiannon replied.
“Then we are crazy together,” Kalen said.
“I’m crazy for you,” Rhiannon said.
“I’m cringing,” Kalen laughed.
“Me too,” Rhiannon said, laughing along.
“But seriously, I know it’s fast, but it’s like the proverbially ‘they’ says – when you know, you know,” Kalen said between chuckles.
“And I know, with you, I really know. I’m an ass for what I did earlier, but I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”
“Oh yeah,” Kalen said, waggling his eyebrows, “and how are you going to do that.”
Rhiannon laughed and kissed Kalen on his left cheek.
“Will you be my boyfriend again?” Rhiannon asked, hopefully.
“Oof, I don’t know about all that,” Kalen said, letting a sly smile appear.
Rhiannon smiled and gave him another quick kiss on his right cheek.
“Please?” she said sweetly.
“Of course, I will. Now come on, I think we can do better than a cheek kiss,” Kalen said, smiling brightly.
Just hours ago, he thought he was losing her forever, and now here she was, back with him where she belonged, and he felt like he’d won the lottery.
Rhiannon smiled and kissed him deeply on the mouth, melting into the sensation.
This is what it should feel like, she thought as he kissed her back with his pillow-like lips.
Rhiannon pulled herself closer to Kalen and swung her legs around him and straddled his lap without breaking their kiss.
He put his arms around her and held her close.
Everything felt so right for both of them, as though they were puzzle pieces fitting back together.
Kalen reluctantly pulled away from the kiss and looked up at her.
“I don’t want to sound insecure, and like I said, I forgive you, but can I just make one request?” Kalen asked.
“Anything,” Rhiannon replied quickly.
“This back and forth between Oberon and me, I don’t think I can take it. If you’re feeling even the least bit pulled between the two of us, tell me now. I don’t want to be blindsided again,” Kalen said honestly.
Rhiannon cupped his face in her hands and looked down at him sadly.
“Being with him was a punishment. Being with you is a blessing. I will always be sorry for making you feel this way. I don’t want to be with anyone else, but you. I promise you. My mind and heart are clear right now thanks to Lilyette, so I know without a doubt that it’s true, you are the one I want. Even when I was overcome with that darkness, I struggled with walking away from you. It’s like my heart was trying to fight back and stay with you. I’m sorry that I was weak and that I took those steps away. I will work hard to be stronger so that I never do this to you again. I won’t use my powers like that again either, so hopefully, I won’t have that darkness appear again. There is no competition, you are it for me. I’m so lucky to have you, and so thankful that you’re giving me another chance,” Rhiannon said, her words pouring out from her heart.
“Thank you for saying all that, it feels good to hear. You’re it for me too, and I don’t want to lose you again. Now that I know what can happen with your powers, I won’t let you go so easily if it happens again. I’ll fight the darkness with you,” Kalen said, his heart ready to burst with the joy he was feeling.
Rhiannon smiled, feeling overwhelmed with happiness as she leaned down to kiss him again.
“I love you,” she said over and over again between kisses.
“I love you too,” he replied each time, feeling giddy.
Rhiannon’s phone buzzed again, the sound like shattering glass breaking through their moment of reverie.
Kalen picked up the phone and handed it to her, and Rhiannon opened her messages to see another one from Oberon.
Call me NOW!!!!
Rhiannon sucked her teeth in disgust as his command and held the phone up for Kalen to see.
“Maybe you should call him? Let him know that you aren’t going to marry him – be direct?” Kalen suggested.
“You’re probably right, best to just get it over with,” Rhiannon said as she hit the phone icon next to Oberon’s name to call him. She held the phone up to her ear and gripped Kalen’s hand nervously with her free hand.
“Rhiannon! Finally!”
“Hey…”
“Where are you? I’ll come to get you now.”
“No.”
“No? What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, I don’t want you to come to get me.”
“What are you talking about? You’re my fiancé, you should be here with me.”
“Oberon, I’m not your fiancé. Everything that happened at the hospital, even me saying yes, it wasn’t me. You know how your wings made you act differently? It turns out that something similar can happen to me when I use my powers in a certain way. And the darkness you saw in me, it’s gone now. I can think clearly now. I am not going to marry you.”
“Just tell me where you are. I need to see you. You can’t mean any of this. Who is making you say this?”
“No one. This is me. I shouldn’t have led you on, and I shouldn’t have said yes to you.”
“Rhiannon! Stop trying to push me away. I love you. I’m the only one who really loves you. Don’t do this, and just tell me where you are.”
“I don’t love you.”
“What?”
“I don’t love you. It’s over.”
“No. It isn’t.”
“I’m in love with someone else, okay?”
“No. You aren’t. You can
’t be.”
“I am.”
“No.”
“Oberon, I am in love with Kalen. You and I cannot and will not be together. It wasn’t me saying yes to you, it was the darkness, and it’s gone now.”
“Then I’ll have to figure out how to get it back.”
“What?!”
“I’m going to find you and fight for you, Rhiannon. Don’t worry, I’ll get you away from them.”
“Oberon, just stop. Listen to what I’m telling you.”
“I’m going to save you.”
“I don’t need to be saved!”
“You’re mine now. You said yes.”
“And now, I’m saying no.”
“I won’t give up on you. Screw Kalen, he doesn’t deserve you.”
“I’m done with this conversation.”
“Don’t hang up on me!”
“Goodbye Oberon, don’t bother trying to find me, it’s over.”
“Rhia...”
Rhiannon hit end on her phone and threw it away from her as if it were on fire.
Her body shook as she stared at the phone, it immediately began ringing. Each time the ringing stopped, it started again.
Kalen picked up the phone and turned it off then shoved it under his mattress. He then hugged Rhiannon and patted her back soothingly.
“I’m proud of you,” he said.
“Was I too harsh?” she asked.
“Could’ve been harsher, in my opinion,” he said with a small laugh.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” Rhiannon said.
“From him calling back, it doesn’t seem like he’s planning to let you go that easily,” Kalen remarked.
“I know…he was pretty intense…I don’t think he is going to give up,” Rhiannon replied.
“Well, he won’t be able to find you here. And even if he somehow did, you’ve got everyone here to have your back, especially me,” Kalen stated.
“Speaking of everyone else…”
“Yeah, we should go back downstairs, we need to decide on our next steps, because if what that text says is right, then Adira will be waking back up and who knows what will happen then,” he said.
Rhiannon stood up with him and nodded in agreement.
Chapter 36
Once downstairs, Kalen and Rhiannon went into the dining room where everyone else was seated at the table.
Lilyette, Aoki, X, Jeremiah, Ken, and Malcolm were all together deep in conversation, and all the seats were taken, so Rhiannon and Kalen remained standing.
“Rhiannon! We have incredible news,” Lilyette said excitedly once she saw her.
“What is it?” Rhiannon asked, curiously.
“We were fortunate. Jeremiah and Ken reviewed the recording, and when it came to the part where you confronted Lady Villagomez, it’s like your powers shorted the equipment because the recording cuts off before you do anything to her!” Lilyette explained.
“But I thought you all saw everything?” Rhiannon questioned.
“We did, but it’s almost like watching a show live while it’s being recorded by your DVR. Even though the show works fine, the DVR can mess up,” Ken answered.
“To put it in Laymen’s terms…” Jeremiah muttered.
Malcolm nudged him with his elbow in response and said,
“This is great news because we can still show that the video hasn’t been doctored in any way, and keep what happened with you and Adira out of it.”
“It’s a miracle,” Rhiannon said.
“And Oberon said that Adira is going to be okay,” Kalen reminded her.
“So, I’m not a murderer,” Rhiannon said quietly to herself.
“You never were,” Kalen said.
“But still…” Rhiannon said.
“What?” Lilyette asked as she stood up to face Rhiannon.
“She’ll know what happened, and even if she doesn’t tell anyone, she’s never going to trust me again. How am I supposed to get her to tell me where my mom is now?” Rhiannon asked.
“We actually were just discussing that we think it might be best to try and get that information quickly before Lady Villagomez says anything and before we go to the police with the info we have,” Lilyette answered.
“How, though? I just got done breaking Oberon’s heart, so if he knows anything, he definitely isn’t going to tell me. I don’t want to risk going into Lady Villagomez’s dreams again, because honestly, I don’t trust myself right now to not react negatively if I see her. And there’s no way in hell Arion is going to tell me anything,” Rhiannon scrambled.
“You could literally rip Oberon’s heart out of his chest and step on it, and he’d still do anything if he thought he meant having a chance with you,” Lilyette said.
“What are you suggesting?” Kalen interjected coldly.
“I’m saying, after what I saw happening between you two, he’s definitely got it bad for you, Rhiannon. Maybe, you could use your feminine wiles, and find out if he knows anything. And even if he doesn’t, you can have him find out for you,” Lilyette said, feeling a bit nervous at her suggestion.
“You don’t get it. He proposed to me while I was there…and I said yes. And before we came down here? I just broke it off – it hasn’t even been two hours since it happened – and I called him on the phone to tell him it’s over and it was a mistake and that I love Kalen,” Rhiannon said.
“He did say that he wouldn’t give up on you,” Kalen said slowly.
Rhiannon turned quickly to look at him, surprised by what he was saying.
“I don’t mean that I want you to go see him, I don’t trust him. But maybe if you called him and made him believe that there was a chance that you’d go to him if you could find your mom…” Kalen said.
“Exactly,” Lilyette began, “just tell him that you had a dream and for a brief moment your mom visited you and” –
“Wait!” Rhiannon interrupted, “That’s it! Now that I know my mom might be alive, I can try and visit her dream!”
Everyone’s eyes widened as they chastised themselves for not thinking of that.
“Duh! Oh my gosh! You little genius!” Lilyette exclaimed as she hugged Rhiannon and jumped for joy.
“I could possibly see my mom soon,” Rhiannon said slowly, enjoying the sweetness and hope that resided in the statement.
“I like your plan a lot better,” Kalen said, the happiness rubbing off on him as well.
“I know you must be tired of jumping into other peoples’ dreams, but do you think you could do it tonight? The sooner we can find out if she’s alive and where she is, the better,” Malcolm said.
“If…” Rhiannon muttered, suddenly feeling the weight of that word.
“Either way, a confirmation,” Aoki said, “You’ve lived these 8 years without it even being a possibility. Be glad for the possibility.”
“I am, I really am,” Rhiannon said, “and I’ll go tonight. You’re right, this is a chance that I never thought I’d get again. I have no intentions of waiting.”
“Well, now that we have a plan in place to find your mom, we will take this one step at a time. You go tonight, and whatever you find out you can report to us when you wake up, and we can go from there,” Aoki stated.
“We should re-record her,” X replied.
“Why?” Lilyette asked.
“When she finds her mom, she can ask her what happened and where she is. We can add that to the evidence we already have, and maybe the police can use it get a warrant and get her out of wherever she is,” X answered.
“Smart and hot,” Lilyette said, smiling.
X blushed at the compliment and smiled back at Lilyette.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Rhiannon said.
“We are making moves! Now, let’s eat before dinner gets cold. You two love birds can go eat in the living room with a TV tray,” Aoki said.
“X and I?” Lilyette asked as her own turned bright red.
“I was talking to the Rhiannon and K
alen,” Aoki laughed.
“Oh,” Lilyette mumbled, hanging her head down, letting her hair fall in front of her face.
Rhiannon giggled as she followed Kalen to the living room, and Lilyette stuck her tongue out at her as she walked by.
Rhiannon devoured her food and barely came up for air. When the last udon noodle was slurped up, she picked up the bowl and gulped down what remained of the soup.
“Your mom is by far the best cook,” Rhiannon said as she sat back on the couch and sighed happily.
“Clearly,” Kalen laughed.
“What?” Rhiannon asked.
“I honestly want to give you more noodles just so I can watch you eat again. That was better than any mukbang I’ve ever seen,” Kalen replied happily.
“You watch mukbang?” Rhiannon asked, surprised.
“I’ve only seen it a couple times. I like watching people eat when they really enjoy it. But now I don’t need to watch, I’ve got you,” Kalen smiled.
“Well, if it’s your mom’s food, I don’t even care. You can watch me eat it as much as you want!” Rhiannon said as she stretched, feeling sleepy now that her stomach was pleasantly full.
“I can’t believe I’m going to see my mom…well, hopefully, see her,” Rhiannon said as she felt ready to lay down and sleep.
“I can feel it; I think you will see her tonight. Just no lightning bolts this time, okay?” Kalen said, slightly joking.
“Even if I did, it wouldn’t be with any malintent this time. She’s my mom!” Rhiannon said swatting at his leg.
“I know, I know. But still, just be careful, okay?” Kalen responded.
“I will, I promise.”
Chapter 37
Rhiannon laid down, once more attached to the machinery, and looked at Kalen who was laying down next to her, holding her hand.
“I love you,” he whispered to her before giving her a kiss.
When they broke apart, Rhiannon whispered back, “I love you too.”
“We are all standing right here,” Lilyette said jokingly making a gagging sound.
Rhiannon and Kalen both laughed and squeezed each other’s hands a little tighter.
“Ready?” Jeremiah and Ken asked in unison.
“Ready,” Rhiannon said, determined.
They switched on the machine and Rhiannon closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly.
The Dream Deceiver Page 16
