“Can we please cry later? We’re burning daylight here,” Monica yelled through the window.
The lake was only thirty minutes from Jessica’s house. Once we were on the highway, Monica turned down the radio and said, “Okay, ladies, I think this new guy is the one.”
Everyone laughed out loud.
“Stop! I’m serious. Wait til’ you meet him. He, like, has a magnetic force of his own,” Monica continued.
She was serious, but there was no way Olivia, Hannah, or Jessica were buying her story.
Monica pulled up in front of one of the trucks that lined the shoreline. I could see Josh and Chase unloading their jet skis. Everyone but Olivia and I rushed to claim a spot on one of the tailgates. I leaned against Monica's car and watched everyone from a safe distance. I needed to chill out my emotions before I got any closer. It hurt to think this was an end--not a day we could have any time we wanted. I was saying goodbye.
Olivia leaned up against the car beside me and opened her book to a marked page.
“Good book?”
“It’s better than those three,” she said. “It’s going to be a blast when you’re gone.”
“What do you want me to do, stuff you in my suitcase?” I asked, halfway considering asking my Dad if that were a possibility. It felt so wrong to leave her behind. She may’ve had a good home with Hannah’s family, but family isn’t always blood. Olivia didn’t deserve to lose anyone else.
A red Jeep pulled up to the trucks along the shore. Chase jumped on the bed of his truck, waving the Jeep into a saved spot.
“That must be the new guy."
I didn’t answer her. I was confused—anxious. The driver of the Jeep was void—no emotion at all.
I drew a short breath as he stepped out of his Jeep. He was hot--like, photoshopped, can't-be-real-hot. The sun beamed down on his towering height and lean build. His dark hair was swooshed back out of his face, but a longer lock touched his sharp jawline. His dark stare drifted my way like I called his name. When Chase called his name again, he put his sunglasses on and went his way.
Confidence is sexy, any day of the week. But. This guy had a bit too much. He walked like he ruled this place, not like a new guy meeting up with a crowd that had grown up together.
Monica looked my way—wanting to read my thoughts that always blared through my expression. I tried to seem bored, not shocked. She laughed. As Drake got closer, she stretched out like a wannabe swimsuit model. Try-hard.
I could feel everyone Drake passed, but not him. The void of him unnerved me, but at the same time, after what I'd learned about my family—it wasn't enough to freak me out. That freaking nightmare had broken me in more ways than one.
“What do you suppose he did to his arm?” Olivia asked.
I smirked, proud that Olivia was checking out a guy. She'd given up on finding one that was chill, and smart enough for her. This one seemed a bit too sly.
Drake's arms, defined with lean muscle, stood out because of the black sleeveless tank he had on, the brace had to be new, it was a bright white against his tan skin.
“Come on, let’s go watch Monica make a fool of herself,” Olivia whispered.
“No, I want to stay here.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just…I don’t know.” My stomach was tying itself in knots.
“Okay, I can look mysterious, too,” Olivia said as she pulled down her sunglasses, opening her book again.
Chase and Josh were different from Dane. They were f-boys, they said the perfect words, hit it, then quit it. They didn't care about the broken hearts and reps in their wake. I was sure getting with me was on Chase's bucket list. I was the first girl to reject him. Maybe the only one.
He played the friend card when Dane was around. When Dane wasn't, Chase was one of two ways—either trying to get me to burn another guy as bad as I did him or looking for a way to get past my 'thanks, but no thanks,' glare.
Chase stood on his tailgate, looked me up and down, and yelled in my direction, “Willow, baby—you're killing me, what's under that cover up?” I flipped him off. He laughed. "Tonight’s our night," he declared. I swayed my head. "Your loss," he said trying to save face.
Chase and Drake started talking back and forth. Chase's grin fell a bit, but in the next beat, they were all laughing.
Olivia threw her book through the open window of the car. “So, have you talked to Dane since they told you that you were leaving?” Olivia asked with a hint of disdain.
“Yeah, he’ll be all right. And so will you,” I said, still staring at the void Drake was.
"Lies." Olivia nudged me. “Come on, let's pretend we want to be here.”
Drake's stare locked on mine the second I took a step in their direction. I wanted to bail, leave, but I couldn't, this was my last day. I wasn't going to let anyone ruin it.
The intensity of Drake's stare grew heavier with each step. I felt my heart beating through my chest. I could barely breathe.
“Baby, this is Drake,” Chase said as he put his arm around me like he thought he had a shot tonight.
I pulled my sunglasses on top of my head so Chase would get the full effect of my glare. "Told you once, only originals touch this not used, play it again, little boys."
"Yeah, good luck finding that," he said like I was the fool, trying to get a laugh from anyone.
"How many regrets do you have?" I asked him.
He pressed his lips together as his eyes flicked over my face. "Enough. You, Haywood?"
"Not a damn one, that's why you'll never hit this—you'd break my streak."
The girls laughed, a guy yelled 'burn.' Chase let his arm drop and looked at Drake. “I told you she’s feisty, didn’t I?” He clucked his tongue. "She doesn't get how hot that makes her." He winked at me. "Makes me want it more."
I patted his chest. "Sorry-not sorry."
I went to walk toward the girls, but Drake shifted his weight, drawing my stare to him. Our eyes locked. Monica was right—he was magnetic, he wasn't a boy; he was a man. A man who knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it.
“The good doctor’s daughter..." he said like he already knew my story.
A pant left my lips before I said, “In case you weren't following along, I'm not into hookups." I glanced to Chase. "He wants me to burn you. Let's just save time and call a truce right here. I say no, you find a girl who wants to play your game and we all stay friends."
His smooth, confident smile promised he was as dangerous as my gut said he was.
Neither of us moved. My heart thundered.
“That’s a new approach. I don’t think any of us have ever tried staring Willow down,” Chase said sarcastically.
Everyone laughed. I broke eye contact with Drake, then slid by him onto the tailgate next to Monica and Jessica.
Josh called Drake and Chase out to the jet skis. Drake glanced back at me as he walked away.
“When do you leave again?” Monica asked
I rolled my eyes and pulled my sunglasses down as I laid back. "You're crazy if you're going after that. Bet you a hundred he has a crazy ex."
Monica hopped down and walked over to where Drake was, flirtatious as ever. She managed to talk Drake into taking her out on the Jet Ski. The further he was the better I was. I was downright counting on Monica disappearing with him.
“Hey, when did you get that done?” Jessica asked. She’d spotted the star inside my ankh.
“The other day. No big deal. I went alone.”
I closed my eyes and drifted into a peaceful afternoon nap as the sun warmed my face. Dreaming always came quickly to me.
That was a gift.
I opened my eyes and saw the field again. This time, I was closer to the home that I’d seen in the distance before. It was a rustic red brick with white porches that wrapped around both levels of the house. When I reached the porch, I followed it around to see where it led, as I did I stopped in my tracks.
He was
there, inches in front of me. Anticipation bloomed through my body. I didn’t understand why the routines of our dreams were changing, but I wasn’t complaining. He'd never felt this real before.
My heart pounded as I let that sink in—he could be real. We could be real. Staring into his sky-blue eyes—anything felt possible. His disarming grin and questioning expression stilled me. He eased closer like he didn't want to scare me away. His fingertips reached the side of my face, ghostly tracing my features, his brows drew together in question, in doubt. If he were real, I couldn't let him doubt me-us. My hands landed on his chest; he drew in a breath.
Time stopped. Holding his gaze I lifted to the tips of my toes as he dipped his head. When our lips met I closed my eyes as a quiver of want rippled through me. I gasped. The part of my lips invited him in. The innocent brush of his lips elevated to a new level when I felt his tongue glide against mine. I couldn't kiss him hard enough, fast enough. I felt myself melt from the inside out. My head spun. I was sure I was going to faint. Is that possible? Can you faint in a dream?
His hands gripped my waist and pressed me against his body as he started to back me against the wall.
That’s when someone cruelly called my name and took me from a record-breaking first kiss. My chest was heaving. I pulled myself up and pushed my sunglasses to my head. Ready to kill whoever had woken me.
“Willow, I said what’s your sign? I want to read your horoscope,” Jessica asked, shaking her phone like the open app was about to vanish. I didn’t answer.
I had to figure this boy out. He was hope. He gave me the will to survive anything--even a jacked up fate.
“Scorpio,” I heard a smooth, deep voice say. I looked to the void from where it had come, Drake. He was right. How did he guess that? Stalk much.
“Is that right?” Jessica asked, still trying to find my birthday in one of the signs.
“How did you know that?” I asked Drake coldly.
His smile was ironic like I was missing a punch line. He moved to where I was sitting then reached for my face, tracing the base of my eye with his thumb.
My skin hummed under his. My stomach dropped. I'd felt that way before—just before that evil bastard burned me in my dream. I clutched my fist, ready to strike.
“Only a Scorpio could have those eyes,” Drake whispered.
I glanced at his arm, expecting to see a tattoo of a dragon, but I only found the cast that Olivia had spotted earlier. I looked back into his eyes. He winked at me, turned, and walked toward the lake.
“Okay, so that was weird,” Jessica said loud enough for him to hear it.
Stunned, I tried to remember a single time that I’d seen the figure’s face in my nightmare. I’d always imagined it as a gruesome devilish person. Then I realized that I’d never felt the emotion of the figure either. If this were the guy in my nightmares, would that not make him the kid that was looking for me? I swayed my head arguing with myself. If this were him, he wouldn’t hang out at a lake. He would have, like, tried to kidnap me or something.
I told myself my imagination was running away with me. It's not like I could count on normal anymore. Everything was off track. When I glanced to the water’s edge, Drake was looking my way.
Monica stepped in front of me, blocking my view. “Let’s get the coolers out. They’re going to start the fire soon.”
I managed to avoid Drake for the last two hours. When we all sat around the fire, I sat down on the opposite side. If I glanced in his direction, he was always staring at me through the flames. I didn’t see how he could be this evil person that my father had feared. Dark, yes. Sexy, yes—dangerously so. But evil? If anything, he was lost, confused. He had that same f-boy look in his eye, not the one that said they wanted to hook up—but the one that said they had no idea how to love, even though it was all they wanted, hunted for.
“So, are you ready for Paris?” Josh asked me, settling next to Jessica, who was beside me.
I shrugged a shoulder.
“Paris…” Drake repeated, leaning forward and taking the opening in the conversation. “Sure you’re ready?”
“I never doubt choices I make. Born ready.” A lie.
“I doubt that, love…Paris—Paris is a whole other world. The rules are different,” Drake said, brushing his dark hair out of his face and leaning back again, trying to pull me across the fire with a stare that would halt anyone. What was this? A coded conversation? My imagination thought so.
Olivia glanced back and forth between Drake and me, knowing she was missing something.
Josh threw a football at Drake. “Come on, man, let’s play.”
Drake stood, staring at me through the flames. A lump settled in my throat. I wanted to go home. As soon as Dane came, I was ditching this farewell party. I sent Dane a text: over it. step on it already.
I went to take a drink of my water, only to find it empty.
“There’s some water in the cooler I put in the trunk,” Monica said.
I hadn’t realized how warm the fire was until I stepped out into the darkness around it and found the night air cooler than usual. Trying to focus my eyes, I made my way to Monica’s car. Once there, I had to open the car door to pop the trunk. When I rose up and closed the door, Drake was there. It was like he had appeared out of the darkness.
“Going somewhere?” he asked glancing down my body like I was puzzle piece he was sure was right, but felt wrong. At least that is what I gathered from the hints hidden in his placid expression.
“Just getting some water. Go play your game.”
He laughed under his breath, reached his hand out, and ran his fingers under my eye. The warm sensation knocked the wind out of me. The feeling was beyond comprehension—stronger than any dream. It was a freaking weapon! Supernatural.
“I don’t want games…I want you,” he whispered.
I closed my eyes finding the vibration sliding through me. Drake's arm moved around my waist; then he pulled me against him.
“Let me see your eyes…” he whispered.
I slowly opened my eyes, finding the will to face my fear once again.
“Our time has come. You belong to me,” Drake said, staring somewhere deep inside of me. The absent, incredulous reflection in the dark of his eyes told me that he had expected a drastically different response from me, but I knew my response was on point. Drake had the wrong girl. Even though he had tormented my dreams, even though I knew I had a connection to him—this was wrong.
Dane! That’s Dane’s rage I sense. Those were his headlights that had just pulled in. He had seen Drake’s pull me against him, my resistance.
“What’s going on here?” Dane shouted as he slammed his truck door closed. The others heard him and started making their way to Monica’s car.
“Does he think he’s your boyfriend?” Drake asked sizing up Dane.
“Yeah, he does,” Dane said fiercely.
Drake laughed. Dane charged forward and pushed Drake back, freeing me from the cage of Drake’s arms. Drake caught his balance and stepped forward to go after Dane, but Dane was already stepping forward to charge Drake again. Josh and Chase jumped in the middle of them; Josh was holding Dane back while Chase stood in front of Drake.
“Look, man!” Josh screamed at Dane, trying to get him to look at him. “I know you’re upset about Willow leaving, but that doesn’t mean you need to take it out on strangers,” he bellowed, using all his force to hold Dane back.
“Dane! Dane!” I yelled. “Take me home. Dane, do you hear me?”
Dane finally stopped pushing against Josh and held his hands up. Josh let go, and Dane reached for me. I ran to his side. He wrapped his arm around me and briskly walked me to his truck. He opened the driver side door and helped me in. Olivia ran and jumped into the passenger side.
When Dane turned his lights on and turned to leave, I locked eyes with Drake and gave him a murderous glare.
“Did he hurt you?” Dane yelled, still full of rage. I shook my head n
o, still stunned.
My soul was pulsing out of control like it was trying to get me to wake up. I could not shake the feeling that my nightmares were in some way a waste of time for Drake. He had me confused with someone else. Who? And why now? What triggered this? The Blue Moon? Was that it?
“I’m staying at your house tonight,” Olivia announced, holding on as Dane peeled onto the highway.
“Was that the new guy that’s staying at Chase’s?” Dane demanded.
“Yeah, Drake,” I said as I grasped my chest and remembered the pain of every single nightmare I’d endured.
“I’m glad I got there when I did,” Dane said through his teeth.
“What did I miss?” Olivia asked, confused.
“Nothing…he just tried to make a move, no big deal,” I said, dreading telling my father that Drake was there.
“I don’t know where that guy is from, but he needs to learn his boundaries,” Dane seethed, turning up the radio.
When we got to my house, Dane walked quickly inside. Once there, he climbed the front steps two at a time.
“Where are you going?” I called after him.
“To make sure your windows are locked,” he threw over his shoulder.
My father stepped out of his study and looked up at Dane, then down at me.
“I’m going to go call my aunt,” Olivia said, following Dane.
“What’s going on?” my father asked.
“Is that kid’s name Drake?”
The fear that spiked in my father told me that it was. He pulled me into his study and closed the door.
“Did you see him?”
“Yeah, he’s been at the lake with me all day.”
“Did he try anything?”
“He had just gotten me alone when Dane showed up…he’s not what I imagined.”
“Don’t underestimate him, Willow,” my father said sternly.
“What are we supposed to do now?”
“I’ll move our flights up,” he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
Dane knocked on the study door. “Did you tell him?” Dane whispered to me.
I nodded.
We listened as my father went back and forth with an operator, then he hung up the phone, questioning himself.