“Really? How local?”
He points down the street. “See that tall brown building?” I turn my attention to where he’s pointing and nod. “Third floor. I’m one of the apartments there.”
“Wow, that’s close. How have I never seen you here before? I love this café. The muffins are delicious.”
“I don’t know,” he shrugs. “We’ve probably crossed paths many times.”
“Kismet,” Gemma says. “You two could’ve walked past each other many times, and never known it.”
“Kismet? I like that,” Dylan says. “And I think you’re right, Gemma.” Gemma smiles and sips on her coffee.
“Latte, and apple and cinnamon muffin,” the waiter says as he places the cup and plate in front of me.
“Thank you.” I pick my coffee up and savor every drop of it.
“Dylan was saying you rescued a dog.”
“Yeah, from a guy at the dog park. The guy was playing with him, then snapped and punched him.”
“I wonder why he’d do that?” Gemma asks as she continues her coffee.
I take a huge bite of my muffin, and lift one finger as I chew it as quick as I can. “A few people think he could’ve been drug affected. But in reality, who knows? So now I have another dog. I already had one, Zhen, and he’s now got a friend, Zorro.”
“Oh my God! I love those names.” She laughs and crinkles her nose. “Zorro. What a cool name. Does he respond to it yet? Because this only recently happened, didn’t it?”
“Zorro’s been with us for about a week. But he’s fitting in so well. Actually, he has a strong attachment to Dad.”
“Awe, that’s so cute. You know, I’m glad you rescued him. I bet he’s getting spoiled now he’s with you,” Gemma says.
“He is.” I finish off my muffin in a bite, and drink the last of my latte. “Crap!” I say.
“What is it?” Dylan asks.
“I meant to make food for the dogs this morning. I have to go, I’m so sorry.” I stand and pick my bag up.
“Make the food for your dogs?” Gemma asks.
“Yeah. I cook rice, peas, and carrots, and add either chicken or ground beef. I make enough for a week, but seeing as we have Zorro now, this week’s food is gone. I need to make a new batch.”
Dylan stares at me. “You cook for your dogs? That’s why people go to the supermarket to buy canned food.”
“Nope. Not for my dogs. Nothing but the best. Keeps them healthier.”
“Molly, you are impressive. I hope we can hang out more,” Gemma says as she stands. She steps toward me, and gives me a hug like we’ve been friends for years. I like Gemma. Her heart is big, and she’s honest. She gives me a good feeling.
“I hope so too. Anyway, I’ve gotta go.”
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Dylan offers. “Back in a few minutes?” he says to Gemma, but it’s more of a question.
“I’m not sitting here like a complete loser, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for you. Give me your keys, I’m going back to your place.” She holds her hand out, waiting.
“I’ve got some dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.” I barely know Gemma, but I doubt she’s going to wash them for him.
She walks away, but turns and walks backward. “Get a maid!” She then turns forward and keeps walking.
“I like her. She makes me smile,” I say.
“She can be too much sometimes, but I’d do anything for her.”
I reach for Dylan’s hand, linking our fingers together. Oh crap. Did I do that? Did I initiate us holding hands? Or did he do it? He’s not pulling away, which means he’s okay with it either way. Am I okay with it?
“You’re doing it again, Molly.”
“What?” I’m completely consumed in my own head.
“It’s the same thing that happened yesterday.”
We reach my car. I unlock it, and place my bag on the back seat, before closing the door and leaning against it. “What happened yesterday…” I know exactly what he’s referring to, but I don’t want to verbalize me being a jerk.
“You’re fighting with yourself.” I swallow hard, knowing he’s right. “But I’m patient.”
“I…um…” I look away for a second to gain strength. I have Dad’s words stuck in my head. “I’m terrified, Dylan. I’m so scared I can’t give you what you want.”
“If you’re talking about sex, then I’m going to stop you right there. I’ll tell you this. Do I want sex from you? Absolutely. But I refuse to make you feel like you have to do something you don’t want to do. I’m not putting an ounce of pressure on you. We can take this as slow as you’re comfortable with.”
I lean forward, and slide my arms around his waist, hugging him close to me. He smells like fresh coffee. Placing my head to his chest, I can hear his strong heartbeat. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admit.
“Neither do I.” I feel his lips on the top of my head.
Pulling back, I look into his brown eyes. “You might get sick of being patient.”
He shrugs and breathes in deeply. “I might. But I probably won’t.”
“What if it doesn’t work out?”
“Then it doesn’t work out.”
“What if I hurt you?”
“Then I’ll pick myself up, and try to mend the hurt.”
I gaze past him, staring at our reflection of the store front glass. “Okay,” I say.
“Okay,” he says.
We’ll try. And I’m not going to argue with myself anymore.
“Can I kiss you?” he asks.
My head wants to argue, but I push the crap down. “You can.”
Gently he slides his hands up my arms, making my skin quiver from his warm touch. He tenderly lets his fingers skim over my neck. My body is on fire. I can feel sweat beading on my hairline. Slowly he leans down, his wicked lips only a hair’s breadth from mine. The warmth of his breath touches my lips. “Is this okay?” he whispers, his voice confident.
“Yes,” I sigh. Closing my eyes, I allow myself to lean into him.
His supple lips graze mine. The kiss is fragile, as if he’s kissing glass. He’s barely making contact with me. He softly sweeps his tongue on my bottom lip, gently asking for permission for more.
I’m overtaken by so many feelings. Excitement being the one that’s coming through hardest. But I pull away, unable to continue kissing him so tenderly and seductively.
“I’m sorry,” I say, and lower my hands to clutch at his t-shirt.
“Why are you sorry? I loved every single second of that. It was perfect.”
“You wanted more, and I couldn’t…”
“I want what you want, Molly. And truth be told, I really like when your arms are around me.”
He makes my body shiver with happiness. He’s just so perfect. I lean into him again, hugging him as tight as I can. His hands slide around me, embracing me to him. “Dylan?”
“Yeah.”
“Can we go on that double-date with my sister?”
“Tonight?”
“Not tonight, but tomorrow.”
He kisses the top of my head. “It’s a date.”
I step back, and give him a quick kiss on the lips. “I have to go.”
“Okay. Drive safe. Text me when you’re home.”
“I will.” I get in the car, and pull out onto the street. Dylan stays watching until I can no longer see him. I drive home on cloud nine. Maybe even above cloud nine. I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
Yeah, he’s a good guy and I really like him.
There’s a boy, no not a boy, he’s a young man. Maybe my age; I don’t know. He’s standing in my door staring at me. “What do you want?” I ask.
He stares at me. The white t-shirt he’s wearing showcase his rippled muscles.
“It’s time,” he says.
“Time for what?” I sit up in bed and rub at my eyes.
“You know what you have to do. It’s time.”
I shake my head, and rub at my
sleepy eyes trying to wake myself. “I don’t understand,” I reply.
The boy looks at me, and tilts his head to the side. “Please, I don’t want to have to do this either. But it’s time,” he says again.
“Time for what?” I snap at him.
He holds up an overstuffed, once-white bunny. A rumble of nausea swirls in my stomach. I know the bunny means something. But I’m not sure what.
“Can you hear it?”
“Hear what?”
The temperature in my room falls to icy, causing my skin to pebble with goosebumps. Something’s not right, I have this gut feeling something sinister is lurking nearby.
The boy-man steps forward, holding the bunny out for me. But I don’t want to take it. I know that bunny is much more than it seems. It’s darkness. It’s hate. It’s evil.
“No,” I say. “I won’t take it.”
The boy sighs letting his shoulders fall forward. “This is what you have to do. It’s your job.” Has he had this argument with me before?
I blink several more times to make sure I’m not still asleep, then run my hands through my hair. “I don’t even know who you are, or what you’re doing in my room. So you can take that stupid rabbit, and leave.” I reach for Zhen, because he always makes things better, but he’s not here. I look around at the floral sheets, and the tiny bed. This isn’t my room.
What’s happening?
I try to gauge where I am and what’s happening.
“Zhen,” I call desperately trying to find him. Panic overtakes my body. My heart is beating fast, and my hands tremble.
Sitting up in bed, I reach for Zhen. He lifts his head from the mattress and stands protectively over me. I pet his head, trying to calm myself.
“I had a dream, Zhen,” I tell him.
Zhen relaxes into me as I lay back down. I try to find a new comfortable position, but it doesn’t matter how many times I turn, that dream remains disturbing.
I flick the covers back, and sit up in bed. Zhen jumps off the bed, and sits beside me. “You okay, boy?”
It’s pitch black in my room. There’s no moonlight shining through the window. There’s no light at all, not even a glimmer of the stars. My eyes take only a few seconds to adjust to the dark.
“I had a dream,” I say to Zhen. He wags his tail and yawns. “I saw that bunny again. It’s got to mean something.” Zhen turns his head, and gives me a lick on the hand.
Standing, I head into my bathroom, and splash some water on my face.
This dream felt so real. Like I know the boy from somewhere. That damn bunny, ugh. It gives me the creeps. The boy-man, not so much. But the bunny makes my skin crawl and my stomach churn with dread.
I leave the bathroom, and head down to the kitchen to get some water. Zhen hangs his head, and follows me down the staircase.
I grab a glass from the cupboard and turn on the faucet. I stare at the running water; my mind is consumed with the vivid memory of that discolored bunny.
“Are you okay?” Mom asks as she walks into the kitchen. Her hair is a mess, and she’s in her mis-matched pajamas. She wipes at her eyes, and leans against the counter.
“I had a dream.”
“Yeah, you okay?”
“It was actually a nightmare. I think. I don’t know.”
“What happened?”
It’s all fuzzy now, except for the sharp image of that damned bunny. “I don’t remember all of it. Except, I saw that rabbit again.”
“What rabbit?” Mom walks around behind me, and takes a glass from one of the top cabinets. She fills her glass with water, then returns to lean against the counter. All the while, I keep seeing the bunny. The big, floppy ears. The discolored body. The beady little blue eyes. I know it’s a children’s toy, and stuffed animals make kids happy. But this one is making me anxious, and I have a sick feeling in my gut. “What rabbit?” she asks again.
“Remember when I rescued Zorro?” Mom nods. “I told you, just before I confronted that guy, I saw an image of a bunny. Remember? I even asked you if I had a bunny when you adopted me.”
“Oh, yeah. Can you tell me anything else about the dream?”
“Nothing else.” I rub my fingers across my eyes, trying hard to remember what I can. “Um, I think there was a guy in my dream. I don’t remember, Mom. But this damned rabbit.” I walk over to the table, and drag out a chair before sitting. Zhen lays down on the floorboards, and within a moment, his paws are moving like he’s running.
Mom comes to sit beside me. “I don’t know how to help you. All I can tell you is you didn’t have much when we adopted you.”
“I know.” I exhale a long-drawn-out breath. “I just wish I knew why I keep seeing this rabbit. What does it mean? Mom, is there something wrong with me?” I hate feeling so hopeless.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” she assures me.
“Is there nothing you can tell me about my life before I came here? Nothing at all?”
Mom looks away and shakes her head. “What I know, I’ve already told you.”
I’m so frustrated. I wish I knew more. “Do you think I could research where I came from?”
Mom’s head whips back to look at me. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Molly.”
“Why?”
She averts her eyes, and chews on the inside of her cheek. Does she know more than she’s ever said? “I think you should leave the past where it belongs.”
“But this dream…and the rabbit. Maybe it’s trying to tell me something. Maybe I should try to figure this out. What if all this is meant to be a warning or something? I don’t know, Mom. I don’t know what to do.”
“How about this.” She pauses, and I wait for her to continue. “Leave it for now. You never know, maybe this rabbit doesn’t mean anything at all. You’re going through a lot of changes and this rabbit has only appeared since your life has taken a turn.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dylan, and Zorro, and now work. Maybe they’re triggering something that you’ve buried. Or possibly, maybe the change is what’s causing this. You know, like things are uncertain and not solid. You’ve always been someone who blossoms under routine and structure.”
Mom’s right; I do like routine. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll wait for everything to settle and see if I keep seeing this rabbit.”
“Maybe start writing it down. Over time, you can see if there are corresponding events that happen around the time you see this stupid rabbit.”
“That’s a really good idea. Thanks, Mom.” I let out a huge yawn. And that very moment, Zhen farts. He doesn’t even move, but Mom and I both turn to look at him. The waft of his fart spreads fairly fast. “Oh my God!” I say as I cover my nose.
Mom balks. “That’s rancid,” she says. “I’m going to bed to get away from that smell. What are you feeding him, Molly?”
“Just his normal food.”
“I suggest you sleep with your door open tonight. Because if he farts like that again, you’ll die of suffocation.”
“’Night, Mom.”
She blows me a kiss from the other side of the kitchen.
I’m sure Mom’s right. A lot has been happening, and this is probably my brain telling me things are changing and I’m not a fan of change.
“Are you okay?” Tina asks as we drive to meet Dylan and Preston. Zhen and Zorro are secure in the back, and the picnic basket is in the trunk of the car.
“I’m fine. I didn’t sleep great last night. Had a stupid dream.”
“What was it about?”
“I can’t even remember most of it. Except this stupid white stuffed bunny. Anyway. It doesn’t matter. What’s Preston like?”
I quickly glance sideways at her before turning my attention back to the road. “He’s nice, I think. I don’t know. I want you to give me your honest opinion.”
“I will.”
“He’s a bit older, but not like Dylan old. Preston’s twenty-two.”
“Zhen�
��s the best judge of character.”
“Maybe for you, because he’s super protective of you. Everywhere you go, he’s right behind you.” Tina looks out the window and sighs. “I really like Preston. I think I could love him.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Promise me, Molly. Promise me if you get a bad vibe or anything from him, you have to tell me.”
“Promise.” I hold my pinky out to her to make her a pinky-promise. She hooks her little pinky around mine, and we shake on it. “You have to tell me what you think about Dylan too.”
“Pffft, like I wouldn’t.” We get to the park, and I park the car. There’s few other cars here, and I have no idea which is Dylan’s. “Do you see Dylan?”
“I don’t know which is his car.”
“I can’t see Preston either. Man, what if we’ve been stood up? I’m so nervous.” Tina says as she opens the door.
“Then we’ve over catered.” I know Dylan won’t stand me up. Not after that amazing first kiss, or even the fact he texts me all the time. I open the back door, and put a leash on both dogs. They jump down, and stand beside me. “Come on, boys.” I encourage them to pee before we head down to the clearing to set up for lunch.
“Preston’s here,” Tina says in a low voice. I look around and see a guy walking toward us. He’s holding a picnic blanket, and has a giant smile for Tina. He’s cute, I suppose. He walks over to us, and gives Tina a scorching, hot kiss before he even says “hello.” That’s not exactly what I expected to see or happen before they even speak to each other. They’ve only been dating a few months, and it seems a little intimate.
“Okay then,” I mutter as I look away.
“Molly, this is Preston. Preston, this is Molly.”
“Hey,” he says in a casual, almost dismissive way, and slings his arm over Tina’s shoulder.
My gut is telling me something isn’t quite right with him. But I can’t make a decision based on first impressions. He may be nervous about meeting me.
“Hi,” I say, trying to call up a genuine smile.
He looks down at Zhen and Zorro, and steps back a small step. “I’m not a fan of animals. Sorry, but I don’t pet them.”
“You don’t like animals? Who doesn’t like animals?” I ask.
Echoes of You Page 10
