“Daddy!”
“Baby, he can’t hear you. He is a figment of your imagination.”
“Oh,” I reply sadly.
I quickly eliminate Daddy from my dream, knowing letting him go a second time would be impossible. He is in a better place. I have to leave it at that.
I wonder about Nick, and how he learned so much. I wonder how many disappointments he had to experience before he realized he was just dreaming all the people he loved into his world, with no interaction.
“It’s pretty sad seeing the people you love and never being able to hold them. Did you ever see me after you noticed me in Heather’s memories?”
He speaks without pausing, hiding nothing for a change. Our walls have crumbled, leaving us exposed and vulnerable. I trust him with my heart, and I know he must trust me too, as he responds fluidly without hesitation.
“From the moment I first saw you nobody else mattered. Why do you think I was so shocked the first time I saw you in the courtyard? I had envisioned your face there in that window a million times, only that time you could actually see me too. I couldn’t let you know at that point that we weren’t really in a courtyard, that you were merely sucked into my fantasy place. The courtyard is a place I used to go in Savannah, Georgia. I would take off from my family and end up there every time, knowing I would find my center again. When I saw you that night I knew that you were going to be different. You didn’t turn away from me, you actually came to me. In that moment I had never felt so elated, and yet so devastated that I could never have you the way I wanted you. I needed to push you away, but it was impossible. I was definitely not expecting the whirlwind you were about to spin on my life.”
He lifts my hand, kissing it softly as if I were his queen. I can’t break eye contact, his beautiful aqua eyes have entranced me, and I don’t want to fight it. I want him to know how he made me feel that first night, from my own mouth, not from the times he thieved from my private thoughts. I ease us out of my childhood backyard and back into the place we first met—Nick’s courtyard.
“From the first night I saw you I was ready to jump straight into your arms. Now here I am, in the most amazing place I’ve ever seen, with the most amazing person I will ever know. There is no place I would rather be than here, in our place, with nothing and nobody but us—forever.”
We stand again against his tree, losing ourselves in each other’s embrace as my sweet magical fairies circle us creating a tornado of glitter.
“Our place, I like the sound of that.” He smiles.
His Savannah isn’t quite as dark tonight. Our love has built a bridge of diamonds and platinum, stretching towards a bright shining light resting on the horizon.
“This is how I imagine heaven, Nick. It’s perfect.”
“Can I show you MY heaven?” he asks.
“I would love to see it.” I close my eyes, then reopen them widely, for effect.
A room of mirrors surrounds me, casting my image every direction my eyes will reach. Aside from the creep factor of the funhouse similarity, I thoroughly enjoy the romantic implication. I’M his heaven. I could have never imagined a more beautiful thought.
“You’re not gonna turn into a creepy clown and play carnival music now, are you? I don’t like funhouses.”
“What’s the matter, kid, you don’t like clowns?” He turns into a clown before my eyes, dying laughing. “Would you like a balloon?”
“Nick! I’m so getting you back for this.” I dig deeply into the recesses of my memory for a refresher on the appearance of a certain person Nick definitely wouldn’t like to see.
I wait anxiously for him to stop laughing long enough to notice that I’ve shifted into a replica of Lana, his creepy stalker.
“Aww man, that’s so wrong, Syd. You brought out the big guns, no fair.”
“Come here, baby. Give Lana a kissy.”
“Hell no! I want my girlfriend back. Pleeease. No more clowns, I promise,” he begs.
“Okay, okay, I can’t deny those puppy dog eyes. Can I have a kissy now?”
He doesn’t even answer, he tackles me to the ground drowning me in his love.
Hours pass as we float from place to place, covering not only the majority of the imaginary United States, and Europe, but also fantasy places I never knew existed. Dominick has a wild sense of adventure. I have to say my favorite place we’ve visited tonight was the top of the Eiffel Tower. We lunged hand in hand toward the ground, flying at the speed of light, landing into a cloud of red feathers. If someone had suggested I would be on a date with Dominick spent flying from the peak of a skyscraper, skiing down Niagara Falls, riding a hot air balloon to Mars, or eating a hot wing the size of a car, I would have thought they were insane. But here we are, having done all those impossible things in a matter of hours. I can’t wait to see what we can get into next.
“I don’t think I will ever eat another hot wing again, Nick.”
He laughs so heartily I can help but join him, even though my stomach aches from my gluttonous illusion.
“No dessert?”
“Ugh, you’re trying to make me sick, aren’t you? So we don’t have to go? Admit it, you think my adventure is gonna be better than yours, and your ego won’t let me out-do you.”
“I don’t think so, princess. You couldn’t out-do me if you tried. Cute theory though. Now, where exactly are we headed?”
“Hawaii. We are turning the Pacific into a sea of molten volcano lava and parasailing over it. It’ll be fantastic.”
“Not bad, Kitten. Let’s go.” He winks.
Nick drinks up every second of our flight, his face glowing in elation. I’ve never seen him more relaxed. He would never admit it, but I think I did manage to out-do the master of illusion himself. There might be only one more thing that could cap this night off into the realm of perfection.
I land our feet on a calm beach, with water of aqua to match his alluring turquoise eyes. Waves caress the sugary sand gently, mimicking a soft lullaby. Total darkness envelops us with the exception of a sky filled with dazzlingly vibrant stars of blue. I pluck one of my favorite songs from my internal Dominick-themed playlist, playing it aloud throughout the air waves.
“Who is this?” he asks.
“Lana Del Rey. It’s called Dark Paradise, do you like it?”
“I really do. It’s perfect. Can this be our song?”
“That’s why I chose it. It always makes me think of you.”
We cuddle on a large bed of feathers, created by myself of course. He pulls in a few of his own accompaniments as well, although I’m not sure what he plans on doing with them.
“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 withi
n 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.
8
Red
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.
Dreamers (The Dreamers Series) Page 12
