***
Three hours later, I was still waiting for Ava to show up. I sat there fuming, waiting for a call or text from her. But the more I fumed, the angrier I became. Finally, I made the decision to call her and as soon as she picked up, she went immediately into an apology.
“Babe, I am so sorry! I was planning on sending you a text but I left my phone in the car. I went to grab a quick drink with Natasha and…”
“Save it Ava. I don’t want to hear it. Thanks anyway, but I don’t think I’m up for visitors today.” I couldn’t talk to her at that moment. There were so many things I wanted to say, and none of them were nice. I didn’t want to be that guy, even if I was irate at the moment.
“Are you saying you don’t want to see me? Wait, you can’t be mad at me, Damien. I said sorry, okay? I’ll be right over honey, and I will make it up to you,” she whined like a child who was just told she couldn’t have any dessert.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow or something,” I muttered as I hung up the phone and threw it onto the couch. Then the text messages started pouring in. I walked out of the room without giving a second thought to Ava or her poor excuses.
CHAPTER 9
MADELYN
I left work half an hour later than I had expected to. Lillian was definitely feeling more comfortable about piling on the responsibilities lately (which was certainly a good thing, as far as my career was concerned). After another super vivid dream last night about Damien, I decided to call Madame Yelena and ask her about why the dreams were becoming more realistic. I pulled her business card out of my wallet and dialed the number as I drove down the familiar road to my apartment. She answered on the first ring, catching me off guard.
“Madelyn, I’m so glad you called.”
“How did you know it was me?” I asked, bewildered.
“Tell me, are these dreams getting stronger?”
“By stronger, do you mean more intense, like the bridge between dream and reality is slowly fading?”
“Mmmhmmm,” she affirmed.
“Then, yes. The dreams are becoming more vivid; more sensory. Where I almost feel like everything I’m experiencing in the dream is really happening, and I wake up feeling disoriented,” I explained. I debated telling her about the strange instance that happened a few days ago at the restaurant, when the bartender’s face shifted and became Damien’s right before my eyes. I didn’t even want to think about what happened in her shop, where I saw myself in a different time and place, dressed in blue silk and my henna-covered hands painted with intricate patterns…
But she quickly interrupted my thoughts by saying: “These feelings will only grow stronger. The connection you have with Mr. Pierce is not something to take lightly, and I fear unless your souls are reunited, the problem may become more serious. It’s quite a predicament you are in, Madelyn.”
I started to feel panic settling within my chest. I wasn’t sure how much worse it could get, but I certainly didn’t want to find out. “Is there a way to find out who these people were? I wish I could know whose soul I have within me.”
Madame Yelena remained silent for some time before finally speaking. “I don’t know how to find out whose souls you are both harboring, but what I do know is that there will be negative consequences if you and Mr. Pierce try to ignore what is happening. You see, when our physical bodies die, our energy does not. It continues on. Your energy - your soul, does not cease to be; it does not end. An energy that has begun must continue its path regardless of the body’s life cycle. What has been attracted by every soul must see its fruition in this life or the next in order for our soul’s fate to be completed. Instead, our energy builds upon each life cycle, earning good or bad karma to be utilized along the way. However, there are situations where the energy that is supposed to be reabsorbed and reborn gets lost. The soul lingers, wanting to fulfill or find something from its past life. These lost souls must find one another. If your soul is denied the ability to find its counterpart, this lingering emptiness will never leave you and everything you endeavor to do in this life will seem meaningless. I know this is a difficult concept to grasp, Madelyn, but if you just let go of the need to understand and simply allow your intuition to guide you, you will be steered in the right direction. I’m certain of it.”
CHAPTER 10
DAMIEN
“Hey Damien, I’ll be there in an hour to pick you up for the interview. I’m bringing some paperwork I need you to sign. Just some amendments to the contract. Nothing big,” Nick explained.
“Alright, see you soon,” I said. My voice sounded dead. How had I become so pathetic? I remember feeling excitement when I woke up in the morning - excited over the life I got to lead, happy because I was fortunate to have a career doing what I loved. But before my accident, when the visions and dreams were at their strongest, a feeling of melancholy had begun to sweep over me. After the accident, things seemed to only get worse, especially with Ava. The last few days in particular had been spent trying to keep her at bay. She was relentlessly trying to make amends. I had let her come over the following day after our little fight. She was overly apologetic, not to mention annoying. I don’t understand why she won’t just let this relationship fizzle out. It already has on my end. However, she was determined to make things work. Probably because her agent (and mine) was desperate to keep the image of us as a couple alive. Nothing good could come of continuing to let this relationship linger. Nothing good could come of me agreeing to have her over for dinner tonight either…
“Damien, what time did you say Ava was coming this evening?” Bentley stuck his head around the corner from the kitchen to ask.
“She said she would be here at six. So probably closer to seven?” I said. Bentley just laughed and nodded in agreement.
I was half tempted to call her and cancel tonight’s dinner. I was dead tired and I had spent most of last night tossing and turning. I was trying to ignore the visions and the longing to find her, but the more I tried pushing it all away, the worse it got. I wish I could find an answer for why this was happening to me.
The doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts. Nick was early. I walked over to the door and opened it, surprised to see both Nick and Ava standing on my doorstep.
“Surprise!” Ava shouted. “I thought I would come by early to hang out with you today. Nick said you guys are going to the Entertainment Nightly interview, so I asked to tag along. Nick thought it would be alright. You don’t mind, right honey?”
“Uh,” (yes, I did mind), “no, that’s fine. Let me just get changed.” I motioned for them to enter and closed the door behind them.
“Hey, I’m putting those documents for you to sign in your office,” Nick said.
“Yeah that’s fine, man. Thanks.” I started walking toward my room with Ava trailing behind me.
“I’ll help you pick out the perfect shirt for your interview.”
“Wonderful,” I said half-heartedly.
***
The three of us headed towards the studio in the back of Nick’s car. His driver, Dave, was checking Ava out in the rearview mirror the whole way. A few months ago, I would have been bothered by that, but now I just didn’t care.
“Thanks for letting me tag along with you, baby,” Ava said, stroking my arm. “I hope you were surprised and happy to see me.”
“Yeah, I was definitely surprised. I thought you were coming by later for dinner.” I didn’t say much else. I was afraid if I kept talking, I would say something unkind and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, regardless of how I felt about our relationship.
I decided to use the time in the car to check my messages. I saw that I had several notifications on Twitter. A few years ago, when all this social media nonsense became so popular, Nick advised me to be active on one of them (good for publicity… blah blah blah), so I started tweeting once in awhile to let people know about upcoming events and releases. Now, it’s become mildly addicting. I touched the app and saw that I
had a personal message.
Nothing could prepare me for what I saw. I read the message twice, not believing my eyes. The last time we met… the white marble bench… the garden. Holy shit. It was her. She was real and she was reaching out to me. My heart was hammering in my chest. Could it be? I read the message once more. A name. A phone number. I had a way to contact her too, thank God. I wasn’t crazy after all! She was real!
“Who is Madelyn?” Ava asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Uh… it’s only a message from a fan. You know, I’ve been getting them daily since the accident,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I don’t know who she is.” It was a partial truth. I hoped Ava would leave it be.
***
As soon as the interview wrapped, I shut down completely. The whole ride back home, I was quiet... thinking. I couldn’t wait to get home and re-read the message. Maybe I could even call her? No, not with Ava staying for dinner. I secretly wished she would cancel our dinner plans. I didn’t want to have to lie and make up an excuse for why I didn’t want to spend the evening with her. Just then, my phone pinged with a text message from Bentley, asking what kind of wine he should buy for dinner tonight. Ava was a Riesling and Moscato kind of girl, and didn’t tolerate any other wines. I responded to Bentley’s text, telling him to pick up a full-bodied red.
Ava sat there with her arms crossed. She was exuding so much anger it was practically tangible. She was still sulking over the message, but really, she was the one who was reading it over my shoulder uninvited to begin with. The tension in the car was noticeable by all. Nick was rambling on and on, trying no doubt, to lighten the mood. And his driver was driving way too fast, probably hoping to get us out of the car as soon as possible.
I asked Nick if he wanted to stay for dinner, which apparently enraged Ava. She turned her head toward me so fast I was surprised she didn’t snap her neck. After that, it was on. She turned up her bitch mode, huffing loudly as she shifted herself further from me. When I didn’t give her the attention she was seeking, she became even more upset. Nick gave her a withering look. He was still angry with her for what happened at the studio earlier. In her anger over the Twitter message, she decided to monopolize the reporter for a good twenty minutes, thus making my interview late. Nick was livid. My mind was so wrapped up in thoughts and fantasies about possibly meeting Madelyn, that I didn’t care one bit about Ava and her attempts to cause drama.
As soon as the driver pulled into my driveway, I opened the door. Dave came running around to my side to open the door.
“Thanks Dave, but you know you don’t have to do that,” I said stepping out.
Nick rolled down his window and shouted out to me, “I’ll call you tomorrow, Damien.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Nick. Sure you can’t stay for dinner?”
“I can’t, but thanks for the invite,” he said looking back and forth between me and Ava. He obviously didn’t want to be a part of the storm that was evidently brewing. Ava waited for Dave to open the door for her (naturally). “Bye Nick, thanks for letting me come along today,” she said, her tone overly excited. She waited for them to drive off before glaring at me. “So, are you just going to ignore me?”
“I’m not ignoring you, Ava. I’m sorry if I’ve been quiet. I have a lot on my mind,” I explained.
“Yeah, whatever. You’ve been quiet ever since you got in the car, and especially after you read that message you received. I saw part of it, Damien. Who is Madelyn? And when did you meet her at a park? Is she someone you’re sleeping with behind my back?” she accused, crossing her arms tightly across her chest.
“Jesus, Ava,” I shook my head and tried desperately to suppress and eye-roll. “I told you, I don’t know who she is. Like I said, I’ve been getting an outpouring of messages like this one since the car accident. She’s probably some concerned teenage girl… just a fan. It’s no big deal,” I said, turning my back to her. I made my way up the walkway toward the door. Bentley must have seen us approaching from the window and opened the door for us.
“Hey, guys. Ava, are you coming in?” Bentley said when he noticed Ava lagging behind.
“No, I have to run a quick errand. I’ll be back in time for dinner though, okay? Damien, can I borrow the Land Rover? I rode over here with Nick, remember?” she said, looking from Bentley to me.
“Sure thing,” I said, handing her the key. “See you later.”
I turned away from her and walked into the house. As soon as the door closed behind me, I turned to Bentley and said: “Dude, I have something to tell you…” I explained the whole thing to him. All the dreams, all the strange episodes, and finally the message I had just received. “You see? She’s real. It wasn’t me going nuts after all!”
“Wow. I had no clue all that craziness was going on inside your head, Damien. Sounds like the Devil’s at work here.”
“Bentley, this isn’t the time to go all Louisiana voodoo on me. It’s not always the Devil, you know. It’s abnormal, I’ll admit, but I don’t think it’s anything dark or menacing,” I said, suddenly unsure.
“You might be possessed, D. Want me to call my mom? She’s real good about figuring these kinds of things out.” After a few moments of silence, Bentley shook his head and said: “This is weird, man.” The expression on Bentley’s face made me laugh out loud. I couldn’t contain it anymore. I was too excited to care if he thought I was going crazy.
“I’m going to take the opportunity while Ava is gone to call her. She included her phone number in the message,” I exclaimed. I slapped Bentley’s shoulder and headed for my office.
“Hey, don’t forget the document you need to sign for Nick. It’s on your desk.”
“Oh, right. Thanks, Bentley.” I quickly went into my office and closed the door. I walked over to the desk and picked up the envelope Nick left, setting it aside. I would read that later. My first priority was to call Madelyn. With trembling fingers, I pulled up the message on my phone and tapped on the number. My heart was racing in my chest as the phone started ringing. I was finally going to put a piece of this puzzle together.
The phone rang and rang, and then went to voicemail. I hung up quickly, but not before hearing the beginning part of her voicemail recording, which was, “Hello, you’ve reached Madelyn Greene.” It was a legitimate phone number, but for some reason, I wasn’t prepared to leave a voicemail. I didn’t know what to say. What would I have said if she had answered?
I placed my phone on the desk and went over to sit on the brown leather sofa in my study. I mindlessly traced circles around the brass studs on the sofa’s arm, contemplating whether or not I should try calling her again. I was so anxious to hear her voice. I wondered if it would be anything like the soft, beautiful voice she had in my dreams. I sat there trying to remember her lovely face, but it was so hard to bring images of her to mind. Everything was unfocused and blurry. The images I could conjure up felt like old memories… faded. Yet, she was all I thought about now. I felt like I could never be normal again, like my life would never be the way it used to be unless I found her. As if thinking about Madelyn could summon her to me, I quickly felt myself slipping into the dream realm.
I could hear Madelyn softly calling my name. I tried to look around, make out my surroundings, but it was pitch black. There was nothing but absolute darkness engulfing me and the soft whisper of her voice. I blinked hard, trying to clear the blindness, willing myself to see her face, but this place was void of any light. Her whisper sounded as though it was getting closer and now I felt feather-light touches all over my body. I could feel myself beginning to wake up. The pleasurable, extra-sensory moments in these dreams were always the precursor to waking up.
All of a sudden, I felt something warm and soft touching my face; brushing against my neck, my chest. Perhaps I was still dreaming? Maybe Madelyn was coming after all? I was instantly excited at the possibility of seeing her.
My eyes stayed closed while I tried to figure out the source of th
is warm, pleasurable sensation. I felt hands caressing my arms, my stomach… I felt lips at my ear, then teeth gently grabbing my earlobe and tugging slightly. I let out a soft moan, and quickly began feeling aroused. I just wished I could see her. Usually, I was able to see Madelyn, but rarely got the opportunity to touch her. This time, it was as if she was a phantom - touching and caressing me in the darkness.
“Damien,” a high pitched voice whispered. Not the voice I’d been longing for. Not Madelyn’s voice. My eyelids fluttered open - almost unwillingly. I awoke to see Ava sitting on top of me. When did she get here? How long had I been passed out? I looked around. I was still in my study, on the sofa.
“Damien,” Ava said again. “Wake up, sexy.”
“What are you doing here?” I said accusingly.
“I’m here for dinner, silly. I came back after running my errand and Bentley told me you were in your office and that you’d be right out, but I knew you wouldn’t mind the interruption. When I saw you sleeping, I thought I’d surprise you,” she giggled. “Plus, I felt bad about being so moody earlier,” she said as she kissed my neck. Her tongue licked up the side of my neck, up to my ear. She once again tugged gently on it with her teeth. I slowly leaned away from her, shuddering. She wasn’t the face I wanted to see. Her hands weren’t the ones I wanted caressing me.
She misinterpreted my shudder for one of pleasure. She leaned back and placed her hands on my chest. “It’s been a long time,” she said and then in one swift movement, unclasped her bra. I hadn’t even noticed she was shirtless.
“Ava, please. Now isn’t the best time. I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep and I’m sure Bentley probably has dinner ready by now,” I said, trying to give as many excuses as possible. I shifted uncomfortably underneath her.
“Damien, I want you. Now. I’ll do all the work, don’t you worry,” she said seductively.
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