A Beautiful Dream: The Dream Trilogy Page 2

  “You need to tell her soon, Stevie, or Chase and I will. She has a right to know, for God’s sake. She could have protected herself from your mom, if you or your dad had just told her,” Alex whisper-shouted. This was getting more interesting by the minute.

  “Don’t you fucking think we wanted to, Alex? We tried to tell her so many times. We went to their house six times and got turned away by my so-called mother. She said if we ever came back, she would out us to the humans! What do you think we should have done? Kept going back? Risk being exposed to the world? That drunken, drugged-up bitch would have sung like a bird, and you know it!” Stevie had so much hate in her voice when she mentioned our mother.

  I was done listening to their conversation about me, which was happening without me, my fury building as I heard about things for the first time. Unfortunately, as I turned to go back upstairs, my foot caught on the stair tread, and I fell, letting out an involuntary shriek as I bounced and rolled. I was waiting for the last bang, when I knew I would connect with the tile floor, but suddenly I stopped. When I opened my eyes, I saw my sister and cousins in the kitchen doorway, mouths hanging open and eyes wide. I looked down and realized my body was levitating a few inches off the floor and emanating a blue light. I let out another scream, and my body dropped the remainder of the way to the ground with a thud. Within seconds, the others were on either side of me, barking questions.

  “Are you ok, Ry?”

  “How did you do that?”

  “Are you hurt anywhere?”

  I couldn’t think, let alone answer questions. I lay there for a few moments, mind whirling and body groaning, before finally answering.

  “I’m fine, and no, I’m not hurt. I have no idea what the hell that was. I’m a bit creeped out by it, to be honest.”

  I caught a glimpse of pride in my sister’s eyes before she quickly masked it. Why would she look at me like that? I have never levitated before, but I have seen the blue light a couple of times. I’ve never told anybody about it, because first of all, who would believe me, and second, I didn’t quite believe it myself.

  “Well, it was cool, but let’s not dwell on it. Dinner is nearly ready, so come on, up you go, Sissy.” Stevie was already pulling me up before she finished speaking.

  Chase and Alex both exchanged looks I couldn’t quite read. I thanked them and followed them into the kitchen. It was slightly dated, with vintage cabinets lining the walls, but there was a massive, stainless steel gas stove. Alex and Chase were both sitting at the breakfast bar on two of the four bar stools. Stevie was on the other side of the bar, assembling a salad. I sat next to the boys, still reeling at what the hell had just happened, when Alex nudged me.

  “What?” I asked

  “Didn’t you hear what Chase said?” Truth be told, I hadn’t heard a word.

  “Ummm…No, sorry, can you please say it again, Chase? I was off with the fairies there for a second.” I forced a smile with my words, so they wouldn’t worry about where my head was at.

  “Totally understandable, but I was just wondering how your last day of school went, and did you hear anything more from the cops?” He looked like he was scared to ask the last part. I knew all of them were wondering the same thing, so I thought I may as well get it out of the way now and just be open and honest with them about Mom’s disappearance.

  “I haven’t heard anything from the detective who was the lead on Mom’s case. They said there isn’t much more that they could do, as she did leave a note, and I’m an adult. To them, she willingly left and that’s not a crime.”

  “What note? You never said she left a note.” Stevie looked annoyed, and I winced. The reason I never told her was because the contents of the note were spiteful.

  “I never told you about the note because what she wrote was not nice, Stevie. She said a lot of stupid shit in it. None of which is true, so to save you the hurt, I never said anything. I’m sorry for keeping it from you.”

  “I know you just want to protect me, Ry, as I do you, but you don’t have to. I’m a big girl. Can you please just tell me what the note said?”

  “She said that now that Dad is dead, she doesn’t get paid for me, and wasn’t going to stick around to raise the bastards that still to this day are mistakes that should never have happened. Also, she wished she had left me years ago.”

  The words in the note hurt more than what I wanted them to. Part of me always wanted my mom to love me. I guess you always want the love of your parents, no matter what they do to you. She was all I had. I knew she had a drug and alcohol problem, and I tried to blame her abuse and neglect on that, but I knew deep down that it wasn’t.

  “Damn,” Alex and Chase both hissed in unison.

  “I don’t really know what to say to that, to be honest. I knew she had issues with having us young, but I never thought she would hate us like she obviously did. I mean, we never fucking asked to be born.” I knew where Stevie was coming from—I felt the same way. “She should have kept her fucking legs shut if she didn’t want us. I am glad to be here, though.” She said the last part with a cheeky smile and a squeeze of my shoulder.

  “She has a lot of demons she needs to work out on her own. I think I’m just glad that she didn’t try to kill me before she left,” I said with a nervous laugh, which betrayed the bitter truth of my admission.

  “Don’t say shit like that! It’s not funny, Ryan” Alex scolded with a stern look.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it; it’s just it was hard to live with her. She used to say she would end me before she let me go. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. Can we change the subject and talk about something else, like what you’ve been doing?”

  “Okay, fine. We’ll let it go for now. We still have to get shit ready for our trip. I’m so excited! I cannot wait to get the hell out of this town and go on a trip with my three favorite people. Oh, that’s right, Ryan! I forgot to tell you that part of the surprise is that Alex and Chase are going to be coming with us.” My sister was just full of surprises today, wasn’t she? But I was super excited that my cousins would be taking this trip with us.

  “Well, that’s just awesome. I’m so glad you two are coming with us. It wouldn’t be as much fun without you both,” I said, nudging Chase.

  “I’m as keen as a jelly bean to go on this trip. Alex and I have been looking forward to this for months now, and I’m glad we don’t have to keep it a secret anymore.” Chase said all this while looking my sister directly in the eye, almost as if hinting that now would be a good time for the big reveal. I have to admit, I am dying to know what Stevie is hiding from me.

  “I second you there, my brother,” Alex said while grinning at me and waggling his brows.

  “We need to get the house in order before we go, so let’s have some dinner and then get packing and sorting this house out.” My sister always loved to boss everyone around. We did as she asked; it was easier than having to deal with the bitch fit she would throw if we didn’t.

  Chapter 4

  The two days flew by as we packed, cleaned, and locked the house up. My aunt (Alex & Chase’s mom) would be checking on Stevie’s house while we were away. It was really nice of her to do that, as we would be away for three months. I couldn’t freaking wait to finally ride on a plane and have adventures with my sister and cousins, something that had been impossible until now.

  I hadn’t had any of my dreams since arriving at Stevie’s; I was really starting to miss my dream guys. I know it sounds silly, but Nico and Kai made me feel so alive. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Nico wasn’t my only dream sex god. I had another god-like man in my dreams. His name is Kai, and he is just as yummy as Nico. I had been trying to dream of each of them for the past two nights, but it was like they weren’t at home, which had never happened before. I was a little worried, to be honest.

  Stevie and I were dragging our bags down the stairs, when we heard Chase yell out.

  “Yo! Cab’s here! Move your asses, ladies; w
e need to go.”

  Stevie and I glanced at each other, grinning in anticipation. We hurried the rest of the way down the stairs to the front door. I followed Alex out with my suitcase trailing behind me, and Stevie stopped just outside the door. I turned to see her holding her hand over the door handle whispering something, and then I saw her hand glow. I gasped and almost tripped on the path by the taxi. I thought I was the only weird one—a freak, as my mom used to say. Stevie began to walk toward me with her bags in tow, eyebrows raised as she saw my expression.

  “Ry, why do you look so shocked?” Stevie asked.

  “Your hand! I saw what you did. I saw your hand glow,” I screeched.

  Stevie shared a look with the boys before bringing her eyes back to me.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You did bump your head the other night, so you could be seeing things. Now hurry, before we miss our flight.”

  Stevie continued on to the cab like nothing had happened, but I know what I saw. There was no way I had imagined that. The strangest part was that her hand had glowed like mine had done a few times when my emotions got out of control, my glow was blue, but Stevie’s was purple. This obviously wasn’t the time to get into all that, though, so I shook it off and decided to corner my sister on the long plane ride.

  We arrived at the airport twenty minutes later. Once all the bags were out and the driver was paid, we all made our way into the airport to check our bags and go through security.

  ∞∞∞

  Once seated on the plane, I finally started to relax. I was actually going on my first-ever plane ride! My first trip abroad – I was beyond excited to be leaving New Zealand.

  Once the plane took off, everyone started to get comfortable. We had a long flight ahead of us: sixteen hours to Los Angeles and a further seven hours to Anchorage, Alaska, followed by an almost five-hour drive to Wonder Lake, to reach our destination. It was going to be a long-ass few days of travel. The first part of the flight went quickly. I watched a few movies and caught some shut-eye. I couldn’t relax during the last leg. I needed to talk to my sister about what I saw back at the house. She was asleep beside me, but it was about time for her to wake up, anyway. I gave her a few shoves to wake her.

  “Now would be a great time for you to drop the act and tell me what that really was, back at the house.”

  She looked at me like I had three heads, but the look on my face told her I wasn’t going to let this go. With a long exhale, she finally responded.

  “I promise you, Sissy, when we get to where we are going, I will explain everything. I can’t do that now—there isn’t enough time for the answers you seek. So please, just wait.”

  “I can’t let it go for that long! I don’t even know where Wonder Lake is. All you told me is how long it takes to get there.”

  “I know, Ry. Can you just wait, please?”

  “Can I ask one thing?”

  She sighed. “What is it, Ryan? I will answer it if I can.”

  “What I saw back at the house, how your hand was glowing. I can do that too, can’t I?”

  “I am so sorry, Ryan. You should have known about all of this so long ago. We couldn’t get near you. We tried to come for you, Ry, I swear we did. Mom wouldn’t let us. She is such a bitch for denying you the right to know the truth of—”

  I cut her off —I had zero interest in this wait-and-see game. I just wanted a straight answer from her. The longer she took, the more anxious I got. I just wanted the truth, for once in my damn life.

  “Truth about what, Stevie? I have a right to know. Just answer me, for God’s sake.”

  Alex leaned across the aisle and eyed us both. “Now is not the time for this conversation, cousin. If you both could please keep the noise down, so we don’t attract any more attention from the other passengers, it would be appreciated.” As he finished, he shot Stevie a warning look that look shut us both up.

  We spent the remainder of the flight quiet, occasionally making small talk with each other. I was still feeling antsy, needing answers from my sister. After the plane made its descent into LA, we left the aircraft to search for the boarding gate for our connecting flight to Alaska.

  Once aboard the aircraft, we found our seats. Due to it being a smaller plane, we sat apart. Alex and Stevie were seated next to one another, with Chase and I a few rows behind. Once we got settled in our seats and fastened our belts, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, intending to get some shut-eye. After the plane was in the air, Chase leaned over and whispered, “You will get all the answers you seek, cousin, once we get to Wonder Lake. I promise if Stevie does not tell you, I will.”

  I opened my eyes and moved slightly so I could look my cousin in the eye. There was no deceit behind his words; I knew Chase would spill the beans if Stevie didn’t. I appreciated Chase so much in that moment.

  “Thank you, Chase. I just don’t want to be lied to anymore. I deserve to know.” He gave me a warm smile and nodded. We spent the remainder of the flight in a comfortable silence. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen my sister do. I would glow blue if my emotions got the better and I never understood why. I need my sister to help me figure this all out and soon.

  After departing the plane, we made our way out to the parking lot. Stevie had organized a hire car for our time we were here. We stuffed all our bags in the SUV then headed out for the long drive. We were a couple hours into our journey when I dozed off. I could feel the pull of my dream land awaiting me.

  Chapter 5

  I was walking through the woods, smiling up at the sky, when I felt the sensation of being watched. I stopped walking and scanned the area. He was here. I could feel him. I can’t explain it, but I could always tell when Kai or Nico was near in my dream.

  “I know you’re out there, Kai. Why don’t you just come out?” I turned when I heard a bush rustle behind me, then I saw him.

  One of the most beautiful men I had ever seen in my life was stalking toward me. His skin was flawless, his body a work of God himself. He was shirtless, and had the kind of abs that men spend years trying to achieve. On him they just looked natural…meant to be. He had the most perfect set of teeth on display, and as I looked up to meet his gaze, I was drawn in by the most beautiful gray-blue eyes and was unable to look away. His hair was rumpled, a rich mix of brown with hints of blond.

  “I have missed you, mi amor,” he said as he lowered his head to kiss me. I opened for him immediately, like I always did, and he slipped his tongue inside my mouth. He pulled away after a few minutes with a smile on his face, leaving me breathless and panting. The sexual tension was palpable; I could feel my body heating with the need to have him inside me.

  “That’s one hell of a hello, Kai.”

  “I have missed you and have not seen you as much I would like.” My dream guys were always so demanding. I never understood why—I mean, they were just dreams, after all, but it was so nice to feel needed and wanted by someone. Nico was the dominant one who always demanded my submission, while Kai was gentle and soft.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, feeling silly for saying that to someone who was just a figment of my imagination, but compelled to apologize all the same.

  “Never be sorry, mi amor. I will take whatever time you give me.”

  I smiled at his sweet words. “Now that I am here, what would you like to do?”

  “I wish we had time, mi amor, but you are nearly at your destination now, and I must get back. I will visit you soon and explain everything, I promise.” What the hell was wrong with me? My dream guys were always weird, like they actually had somewhere else to be. Sometimes I wondered if my subconscious was trying to make them seem more real.

  “Okay Kai, sure thing. Next time I want less talking and more body action.” I would never say stuff like this to a real guy—I wasn’t that kind of girl—but with my dream guys, I let my inner vixen out to play.

  “Believe me, there will be no talking just you screaming my name, mi
amor.” His words sent shivers down my spine. He bent down and kissed me with such hunger that I swear I could have come just from kissing him. I put my hands around his neck and gripped the back of his hair, moaning into his mouth. I wanted him right here, right now. I needed him inside of me. I lowered my hands to undo his jeans, but he grabbed them and pulled away from me.

  “There isn’t enough time for that, mi amor, but rest assured I will make it up to you next time.” the smirk on his face telling me he knew what that kiss had done to me and he loved it.

  “Fine, but next time I might be the one playing hard to get,” I said while still pouting at him.

  “Go now, my love, and I will see you soon.” Before I could respond, the darkness started to overtake me, but before I was fully out of my dream land, I heard Kai whispering, “Please try to understand and forgive me.”

  ∞∞∞

  I woke to Stevie shaking me, a worried look on her face. I looked around and realized I was lying on the ground, the car parked haphazardly nearby, with Chase and Alex on either side of me with similarly anxious expressions on their faces.

  “Why are you all looking at me like that? And why the hell am I on the ground?”

  They all shared a look that I couldn’t read. I felt once again as if I was being left out of a secret.

  “You were shaking, and we tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t wake up, so we got worried and stopped. What the hell happened?” Chase asked.

  “I fell asleep.” Geez, I didn’t know being a deep sleeper was a crime. I didn’t understand why they were freaking out.

  “No, Ryan, you weren’t just sleeping. You were shaking and glowing. What the hell happened when you were asleep?” Stevie demanded. Shit, I needed to figure out what the hell this glowing thing meant. It normally only happened when I was really angry or scared. I was actually starting to get worried, but I couldn’t tell the others that.