by J. Sterling
“Yeah, this isn’t really what super manly guys do,” Taylor added, wiping at the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
“It is when they’re not jerks,” Cooper piped back in response.
“Yeah! Just because we’re manly doesn’t mean we can’t be nice!” Danny protested.
Katherine nodded. “You two do make valid points.”
“Agreed. You’re still tough and manly and this picnic is hot.” Taylor scrunched her face and closed her eyes as Danny kissed her cheek.
“So, how was practice?” Katherine asked Cooper, scooping some chips onto her sandwich.
“It was good.” Cooper scooted his body closer to hers.
“Coach is tough,” Danny added.
Taylor pretended to wipe tears from her face and mock-whined, “Oh, wah.”
“You are such a brat!” Danny put down his food, jumped toward Taylor, tickled her, and pinned her down on the blanket. “Now what are you going to do, little girl?”
“Ugh, get off me. I hate you,” she yelled at him playfully and tried to push his muscular body off from her.
“No, you don’t. You loooove me.” He kissed her nose and then planted a peck on her cheek.
“Dream on!”
“He is the toughest, but best, coach I’ve ever had,” Cooper said, backing up his teammate. “We have a practice game next Tuesday. Will you come?” He looked at Katherine with puppy dog eyes.
“Only if you stop looking at me like that,” she said, swatting his shoulder with her hand.
Cooper leaned in and gently brushed his lips against her cheek. “I want to look up from the ice and see you in the stands.”
Katherine struggled for a response, but no words came.
“Of course we’ll come,” Taylor said with enthusiasm.
Katherine noticed Cooper still staring at her so she whispered, “I can’t wait to watch you play. I’m really excited.”
He squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips. “Me too.”
Danny stretched out on his back as Taylor lay down and settled her head on his stomach. “Ugh, it’s like lying on a rock,” Taylor joked.
“Nothing but steel, babe,” he teased back and played with her blonde hair.
Cooper pushed himself up and reached for Katherine’s hand. He gently pulled her up and led her to the edge of the riverbank. He wrapped his strong arms around her from behind and she leaned into his body, enjoying the warmth he radiated. When he kissed the side of her cheek, she silently begged her body not to start sweating.
Suddenly, a golden retriever ran up to the couple and barked in Katherine’s direction. She immediately shoved Cooper away and looked around wildly for him. Hoping beyond all reason that the guy from her dream would run up to get his dog, she imagined what it would be like to see him in person for the first time. Was this what her dreams had meant? Was she about to come face-to-face with him? The anticipation and hope gnawed at her as her stomach muscles clenched.
Katherine scanned the distance when she heard a female voice yelling, “Sam? Sam!”
“He’s over here,” Cooper yelled in response.
An eye-catching brunette about their age ran over and grabbed the barking dog by the collar. She started to speak and then stopped, her eyes suddenly focused on Cooper. Katherine understood all too well what the girl was feeling. Cooper was devastatingly handsome. He caused girls to lose their focus. And if he was more like other guys, Katherine might be concerned that someone like this pretty girl could steal him from her. But Cooper wasn’t like other guys. Her inner dialogue stopped the moment Cooper tossed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her body against his.
The girl pulled herself together and said, “I’m so sorry. He never acts like this. Come here, Sam. You are such a bad dog!”
Katherine looked at the dog. “It’s okay. He just startled me, is all.”
The girl leashed up her pet. “He never does that. It’s so weird. Sorry again.”
“It’s okay,” Cooper assured her.
Katherine walked toward the blanket and plopped down on it. She stared at the ground after the girl left. Cooper sat down next to her and asked with concern, “Are you okay? Are you scared of dogs?”
It seemed like everything he said made her laugh. “No, I love dogs. Not necessarily the ones you put in your purse, but…” Her voice trailed off.
“Those are called oversized rats,” Danny chimed in and Taylor socked him in the arm.
“Hey! What if I want an oversized rat, mister?” Taylor asked him.
“Then I’ll buy you one. But my dinosaur dog might eat it and then you can’t get mad.”
Katherine thought about the dog, her dream, and her guy. Every time she started to lose herself in her thoughts, Cooper would rein her back in. “Where do you keep going on me, California?” he asked her quietly as he pressed his cheek against hers.
She looked up at him and said, “Nowhere. Just thinking, is all.”
“About?” His lips brushed past her ear as he spoke.
“Nothing much. Just that dog…and my dreams.” She glanced over at Taylor, who gave her a stern look and shook her head.
“Am I in your dreams?”
Katherine felt her body tighten.
“You’re so typical, Cooper,” Taylor said. “I thought I already told you she can’t stop dreaming about you and all that crap. You think I was joking?”
Katherine sighed silently, thankful for her interference.
“I was just asking. Sheesh, Taylor.” Cooper kissed Katherine on the cheek and whispered, “I get it. No more questions.”
The group stayed out in the sun for a while longer before packing up and heading back to the dorms.
“Sorry we have to go, but we both have papers to write,” Taylor said as she stuffed the folded blanket into Cooper’s trunk. “And FYI, Cooper, this thing does not qualify as a trunk. Just saying.”
“Uh, yes it does. Is it a compartment where you can store things in the car? Then it’s a trunk. Anyway, we have team workouts in ninety minutes, so it’s perfect timing.”
Once they were back in their room, Taylor cornered Katherine in the bathroom. “So, are you going to tell me what’s really going on?”
Katherine gave her a sorrow-filled look. “It’s nothing. I just had another dream last night with him.”
“What? You dreamed of him again? How could you not tell me this? Kat, this is a big deal!” Taylor’s behavior turned ecstatic and Katherine wondered if she shouldn’t have told her.
“It was a super quick dream. Nothing happened. Like literally, he was there and then I woke up.”
“Boring. But hey, if you dream about him any more, you have to tell me. Don’t leave me out.”
“Okay,” Katherine agreed begrudgingly.
Taylor narrowed her eyes. “Don’t leave me out. I mean it. On another note, today was fun, huh?”
“It really was.” Katherine’s heart warmed as she replayed the day in her mind. “Danny is so into you. It’s really cute.”
“It’s nice to be adored,” she said very matter-of-factly. “I have fun with him. And you’ve clearly won over that Donovan kid.”
“It would appear so.” Katherine could admit that Cooper definitely liked her. “I like him too, don’t get me wrong. It’s just…”
“I know, I know. It’s just this mysterious dream guy. Just promise me you won’t give up on Cooper because you’re haunted by these crazy dreams, okay?”
Katherine sighed and looked away. “Okay.”
“I mean it, Kat. Don’t do it. Cooper’s great and you’d be an idiot to mess it up. Plus I live with you, so if you go screwing up Cooper Donovan, I’ll have to hear about it from the whole freaking state. I can only take so much.” Taylor walked over and gave her a quick squeeze. “I love you.”
Katherine appreciated Taylor’s understanding. There were times she contemplated not telling her things, but she was thankful she didn’t have to keep anything from her. “I love
you, too. Thanks for being here for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d be lost and have horrible friends.”
“Probably.”
Chapter Six
The sun set behind Katherine as the ocean’s waves crashed before her. She sat on a bench, watching a group of dolphins jump playfully in the water. She couldn’t remember them ever being so close to the shore before. And then there was the moon. It rose to her left and the water reflected it like a mirror in the rapidly dwindling daylight. She wished she had brought her camera.
“Next time,” she said to herself.
“Hey, stranger.” The voice cut through her like a sharpened knife and she turned to see him standing over her.
She sucked in a quick breath as her heart leapt into her throat. His broad shoulders blocked out the setting sun. His facial features and hair looked as if someone drew them. Nothing was out of place. She had almost forgotten how flawless his skin appeared. And his eyes were such a radiant color of blue, she wasn’t sure exactly how to describe them. He was the very meaning of the word perfection.
She could barely get the words out to actually speak; she was too caught up in how he looked and how his presence made her feel. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you. What took you so long?” she asked nervously, unsure of what his response would be.
“I’m sorry I’ve been gone. It’s hard to get through that steel trap of yours,” he joked with a smile.
“What steel trap?” she asked through her confusion. “Oh, my mind?”
His smile softened. “Yeah. You try so hard to see me that you end up blocking me out. Tonight was really the first night you fully let go. It made it easy for me to slip in and find you,” he said. “Of course, I understand why.”
“Well, that makes sense, I guess.”
Katherine shrugged her shoulders as her entire body filled with warmth and love. She pushed herself up from the bench and faced him. He was taller than she was, but not by much, probably a little under six feet. She wrapped her arms around his waist and refused to let go as her head nuzzled against his chest. Brody wagged his tail and sand scattered in every direction.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Katherine told him, her voice shaking. This boy made her feel things at a level she couldn’t wrap her head around. Every emotion felt as if it were rooted in the very fiber of her being. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed. There was no Cooper here. There was nothing but the two of them.
“I’ve missed you more than you know.” He sat on the bench and she followed his lead. “This will be our spot from now on. When you want to find me, come here to this beach and sit on this bench. And I’ll always find you. I’ll always come.”
“You promise?”
“I promise,” he said, stroking her fingers with his. Katherine could feel her eyes welling up with tears. “What’s the matter?” he asked as he gently touched her face.
“I’m not sure. I just have this feeling…like I’m going to lose you.” She felt her chest tighten and knew she was going to cry.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He looked into her eyes. “I promise I’ll never leave you. I’m so sorry for what happened last time.” His forehead crinkled with his pain.
“Last time?” The words stung with familiarity, but she couldn’t quite grasp what he meant.
“Yes, in our last encounter. Or I guess I should call it our first encounter…or more accurately, your first encounter with me.”
“Right. Last time.” She looked away and focused on the sand at her feet. Her mind struggled to put the pieces together. She willed it to assemble this puzzle, but she couldn’t.
“You don’t remember, do you? That’s okay. Control over your memories while we’re together will come with time.” She still had no idea what he meant, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was being with him. He smiled at her and she felt her heart melt.
****
“Time to get up, sunshine. Oh, sleeping beauty. Nappy head. Wake up.”
What is that, Katherine thought. She could feel herself being pulled away from the beach…and the bench…and him.
“I don’t even know your name,” she tried to yell, but it was too late.
She looked at the smile on his face one last time and then opened her eyes. Taylor stood above her, one hand on her hip, her eyebrows raised.
“Jeez, Kat. That only took me like twenty minutes. For the love, get up, girlfriend, you’re going to be late.”
“Taylor?” Confusion coursed through Katherine’s mind. “Taylor, I was dreaming about him again. Oh my gosh. That was intense,” Katherine said with a smile. She quickly realized what she said and her smile faded. “A dream. Dang. Every time I wake up, I’m sad all over again that it wasn’t real. But this time was different…”
“No way! Tell me everything.” Taylor sat on the edge of her bed.
“It doesn’t make any sense. I’m not sure what this guy is. I mean, he told me that he would always find me. And that we had a spot. I just have to go there anytime I want to see him. What the hell is going on? It’s weird, right? Am I making it all up? Is this crazy? Oh good Lord, what is happening to me?”
“That’s a lot of questions all at once, Kat. So, um…yes, you are crazy. Duh. Yes, it’s extremely weird. But it’s also extremely cool. I have no idea if you’re making it up, but who cares? I mean, they’re just dreams, right?” Taylor said calmly as Katherine pushed herself out of bed and slipped into a pair of faded blue jeans.
“Yeah. But weird as hell dreams. And I mean, what about him always finding me? It was like we were having a conversation. He apologized for the last dream I had with him in it, but I didn’t know what the heck he was talking about at the time. Man, I’m so dumb when I’m dreaming.”
“What? What do you mean…apologized? Like for going and getting himself shot, or what?” Taylor asked as Katherine hurried into the bathroom.
“I have no idea. But he said he was sorry for our last encounter, or my first encounter with him or something. He made me feel like he knows me, but I swear to you I’ve never seen anyone as hauntingly perfect as him. He almost looks like he’s not real.”
She exited the bathroom, her hair bouncing in a ponytail as Taylor rested her chin on one hand and lightly tapped a finger against her cheek. “That is weird, Kat. I mean, do you think this guy was talking to you…like…he could come back every night if you wanted him too and stuff?” she mused, her tone intrigued. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”
“I swear, Taylor, I’m just as confused as you are.” Katherine threw her hands into the air.
“What about Cooper?” Taylor’s question crashed Katherine back into reality and she inhaled loudly.
“Oh, God. I don’t know.” She stopped shoving her books into her bag and faced Taylor. “It’s like when I dream about this guy, there is nothing and no one else.” Katherine’s heart felt like it was ripping in half. She knew the guy from the dream meant more to her than anyone she’d ever known. But she also knew Cooper made her feel things she’d never experienced either. “Do I have to choose? I mean, really? At this point…do I have to choose between them?” She knew the question sounded a little absurd.
“I’m sorry, what are we choosing again? Between a real-life super hottie and a guy that only appears in your dreams? I think the choice is obvious.”
“Easy for you to say…you’re not the one having the dreams.”
Katherine didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t sure how she felt, or what the rules were for something like this. Did she have an obligation to let Cooper know that she was seeing someone else? But that it was only while she was asleep? This was crazy and she knew it. Just because Dream Guy said he could come back, maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe it was all some crazy, made-up fantasy.
“Maybe he’ll go away,” Taylor suggested.
“I don’t want him to go away, Taylor,” Katherine snapped defensively and then winced at herse
lf. “Do I tell Cooper?”
“Tell him what? That you’re dreaming about some guy you’ve never met and you want to have ten thousand of his babies? I mean, really, Kat…even if you did tell Cooper, you think he’d just walk away from you? Not a chance.”
“No, you’re right. I’m just being crazy. You should probably keep a mental ward on speed dial though. Just to be safe.” She pointed toward the old-fashioned phone hanging on the wall.
“Already done.” Taylor smiled at her. “Are you excited about the game tonight?”
Grateful for the subject change, Katherine shouted, “Yes! I can’t wait. But Taylor, I’m not kidding when I tell you that I know nothing about hockey, so you’re going to have to help me out.”
“You’ll be a pro in no time.” Taylor winked, grabbing her bag of school things. “Come on, we have to go!”
As they walked across campus, Katherine noticed Taylor giving other girls dirty looks. “What are you doing?” Katherine chuckled.
“I am about to lose my mind on these stupid females.”
“Huh?” Katherine looked around and noticed all the sour looks aimed in her direction.
“It would be one thing if you were a total bitch or something, but you’re not. You’re normal and nice and they’re just mad that he didn’t pick them,” Taylor snapped.
“Maybe they’ll like me once they get to know me.” Katherine genuinely believed that people were good at heart. She had been around celebrities in LA enough to know how other girls behaved when they were jealous.
“God, you are so naïve! East Coast girls can be really mean, Kat. They don’t care how nice you are. All they care about is that some California girl just rode into town and took their property.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?”
A trio of girls walked past, two of them whispering to each other while staring at her as the third shot her a nasty look. Katherine couldn’t help herself from giving them a friendly “Hi!” and waving as she passed them.
“Oh my gosh, stop doing that. What is wrong with you? These girls are not your friends. Stop being so nice to everyone.”
