Loving You (Remembrance Series, Book 2) (2 page)

I watched helplessly as Daniel, his arms bound in front of him and his legs bound, kicked hard to reach her. Both looked exhausted from their struggle with the water.

Angeline started to go under but Daniel finally reached her, lifting her bound arms with his. “Stay with me, Angeline. We need to put all of our energy into reaching the shore.”

“I’m too tired, Daniel. I cannot fight, anymore.” Her voice was weak and her eyes were barely open, exhausted from trying to stay afloat.

“I cannot and will not live without you, my love,” he shouted.

I soon found myself transformed into Angeline in the water, struggling to keep my breath, watching Daniel’s face morph into Aarons.

“Hannah, my dearest, hold your breath. We must not give in. We have to make them listen.” Aaron insisted.

I saw the water coming toward me, but was unable to take the much needed breath Aaron encouraged. My lungs ached as they filled with water. I fought and struggled as darkness surrounded me.

I want to live!
My mind shouted as the edges of darkness began to recede and I found myself bolting upright in bed, instantly regretting the movement as my ribs protested with pain. I stifled a moan of pain to keep from waking Gregory, who was still fast asleep by my side.

I curled a pillow around my ribs, trying to comfort them, as I moved back a bit to lean against the headboard. I attempted to slow my breathing. I wished Gregory’s ability to heal extended to my ribs; they still hurt like heck. Any sudden movement or sharp intake of breath caused them to protest and sent my body into pain.

This same dream had haunted me for several days, now. It usually comes during the day, when I’m sleeping as an effect of my pain medication, and Gregory is unable to comfort me because he’s at work. But tonight, he must have been exhausted; because he didn’t meet me like he usually does in our dreams, nor had he awoken with my movements in bed. I can’t blame him; he has been working long hours, trying to catch up from the work he missed, while staying by my side after the accident. Then, when he’s here, I depend on his assistance to and from the bathroom, unable to get around, thanks to my disapproving ribs and residual dizziness from the concussion. It’s a wonder that he’s been able to do as much as he has—working, the long drive to and from work, and then helping me. I would’ve been down for the count, by now.

My breathing finally slowed and the pain was subsiding when I had a sudden urge to use the bathroom. I didn’t have the heart to wake Gregory, so I decided to see if I could manage for myself. My strength had slowly been coming back and I was sure I could make it, as long as the vertigo stayed away.

I pulled the pillow tight to my chest and slowly swung my legs over the side of the bed.
So far, so good.
My feet touched the floor and I rocked slightly, giving my body a little bit of momentum, before rising into a standing position.

I stood, slightly swaying, as Gregory mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and turned toward me, his eyes parting slightly before closing again.

I dropped the pillow back onto the bed and took a step toward the bathroom. I was feeling happy with myself until the third step, when the dizziness took over and I began to sway. I reached out, but there was nothing to stop me from falling. I looked back at Gregory, his eyes wide open in horror, his arms reaching for me.

I closed my eyes, preparing for my body to hit the floor and hoping I didn’t reinjure myself, when I fell into his arms. “What?” I looked up into his face as he pulled me close to his chest. “How did you? You were over there!”

“Thank. Goodness. I got to you!” He stated between panicked breaths.

My head shook trying to understand how one second he was in the bed and the next he was catching me, mid-air. No one could move that fast.

Before I could ask anything else, he began to get on to me. “Why didn’t you wake me? You could have hurt yourself. Do you need to go to the bathroom?” I was still so dumbfounded by his sudden appearance that I only nodded in reply. He quickly carried me to the bathroom, standing me near the counter where I could manage the rest. “Let me know when you’re done. I’ll be right outside the door, waiting.”

When I was finished, he carried me back to bed. “Thank you for always being there for me, Gregory.”

He kissed me gently on the lips as he tucked me back into bed, before climbing back in on the other side. “You know I would do anything for you.”

“Anything?” I asked.

“Sure, you name it.”

“Tell me how you got to me so quickly.” I needed to know if I was losing my mind, because his speed was impossible.

He turned to me, one elbow propping himself up, and began to explain. “I don’t know how I do it; but sometimes, when I am thinking really hard about you or where I would like to be, I find myself there.”

I was still perplexed, trying to understand his strange explanation. “What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain, Jordan. I think it’s best if I show you.” I watched as he suddenly vanished before my eyes and I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder on my side of the bed. I turned my head to see him standing by my bedside.

“You were just…How did you get? What?” I shook my head trying to understand what my eyes had seen.

“I don’t know how I do it, I just do. It’s like I transport to where my mind wants me to be.” He tried to clarify.

Next thing I knew, he vanished again and was back in bed at my side, wrapping his arms gently around me.

“A new power? When?”

“You’re probably going to be mad at me for telling you this, Jordan. But, remember when you fell asleep on the sofa, after your dad died and you were so cold and needed a cover?”

I could feel my eyes widen as the realization of what he was telling me began to hit. “So, I wasn’t dreaming about you; you were really here?!”

“I couldn’t sleep and felt that something was off. I kept wishing that I could see your face and be there for you. The next thing I knew, I was standing beside the sofa, watching you shiver and went in search of a blanket for you. I didn’t know how I got there or how I was going to get back, but I was happy to see you.” He paused for a moment, letting me take everything in, before continuing. “I covered you up and you seemed to settle back down, only opening your eyes for a moment to look at me, before going back to sleep. The next thing I thought about was being home, and I suddenly found myself back in my bed. I had thought it was all a dream until we had talked about our dreams.”

“But, why didn’t you tell me when you discovered it?” I accused,
Was his withholding information from me becoming a trend?
Despite the fact that I loved him, I still had trust issues. He had withheld his true identity when we first met—that his last name was actually Worthington, not Riley, and would eventually be CEO at his dad’s company, Teleco Wireless, a subsidiary, while his dad would inherit the CEO title of the main company, the very successful Worthington Enterprises, once his grandfather retired. I could understand the reasoning behind keeping his name a secret, because people used him for his name and what it could provide, but this?
Just another secret
.

Sensing my distrust, he replied, “I didn’t know if it was a onetime thing or if I would be able to do it, again. I’ve tried to repeat it, but have only been successful a couple of times at the beginning, when I held you as you slept. I haven’t been able to reproduce again, it until tonight; otherwise I would have told you. I know Ray said our powers would develop over time, but I wasn’t sure if this was one of them or just some freak accident.”

Okay, so maybe I overreacted a little. His reasoning made sense. If I discovered something new, I would want to know that it wasn’t a fluke.

“Could you get me some water to drink?” My throat was parched and I needed to change the subject.

A smile spread across his face, knowing that I’d forgiven him, “Would you like me to try to flash out and get it or do it the old fashioned way?” His eye brows made a little suggestive wiggle.

“You can transport something with you?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know, never tried.” He stuck his head out the door to see if there was any movement in the house. He turned back toward me, closed his eyes and then vanished. A couple of minutes later, he reappeared with a glass of water.

I reached for the water with shaky hands, still not believing that he could actually do that and wishing I could have some unique power like that. He sat down beside me as I drank. “Maybe, when you are better, we can see if I can transport with you.”

“Why not try it now?” I was very enthusiastic about testing it.

Concerned, he replied, “I can’t guarantee your safety and don’t want to drop you.” He looked over to the clock and sighed “It’s late and I have a busy day, tomorrow. Can I just hold you in my dreams, instead?” He shot me his quirky little half smile, knowing I couldn’t resist him when he did that.

“Okay,” I was disappointed, but understood’ and who knows where we might have ended up.

Before I could even get the word out of my mouth, he was already under the sheets and pulling me gently into his embrace.

My mind settled as we both found each other on the plains of our subconscious minds. He wanted to steer our dreams toward our future, showing me his ideas for our wedding. However, my mind wanted to push toward learning more about Hannah and Aaron. Gregory’s mind was much stronger, wanting to soothe my dreams; so I allowed happy thoughts and visions of various wedding attire to drift through my mind and finally found peace enough to sleep in his arms.

I could hear his alarm clock being turned off and a gentle kiss placed upon my cheek. I cracked my eyes enough to see him beside me. “I need to get ready for work, my lovely. Go back to sleep and know I will watch over you.”

My mind drifted back to the edges of my dreams, where I found myself fantasizing about different wedding venues. We were limited on options, since Ray had insisted we push up the wedding date and keep it a secret. Our parents would know, but extended relatives and Gregory’s siblings would not find out until the last minute, once the wedding had started.

The one venue that seemed ideal was Gregory’s parents’ house. Their manicured garden, overlooking a scenic lake, seemed an ideal setting. I just wondered how they would like the idea. Lorraine, his mom, wanted to do either a country club event or rent a ballroom at a luxury hotel. My mom had no specific opinion, as long as we were both happy. As for Gregory and I, we just want to be together and have all this talk of dark spirits over with. I envisioned taking our vows at the edges of the lake, at sunset, with the sky awash with color.

I realized I was losing control of my thoughts when a cloud of darkness began to creep along the ground and circle at my feet. The ominous voice of the witch could be heard through the shadows. “You did not heed my warning to not seek him out. The prophecy must not come to pass. You escaped my punishment once; but you will NOT escape it, again! Life as you know it will forever be changed.” I wondered why she didn’t make an appearance this time.

The shadows began to swirl around me faster, until I saw myself seated at a table with a single hand-dipped candle wearing a gown and petticoat, my hair coming loose from under my white, fabric cap. I nervously unfolded a wax-sealed letter, hand delivered by a courier. The note read:

Tears rolled from my eyes as I read and re-read Rebecca’s note, feeling the love Hannah had for her Aaron. But, who is this Rebecca? I needed to find out.

I watched as the note began to glow with red and orange hues before bursting into flames. I yelled out as the flames licked my hands. Someone held tight to my shoulders. “Jordan, you need to wake up. Come on, wake up, NOW!”

My eyes flew open and were met by Gregory’s, his hair dripping wet and only a towel covering the lower half of his body.
I could easily get used to waking up to him like this.
His eyes were frantic as he grabbed for my hands, ripping the damp towel off himself and wrapping my hands with it. I stared mesmerized and embarrassed by his nudity, when I suddenly felt the burning left from the note.
Keep calm and focus on your hands, Jordan. You’re going to be married to this man soon.