Nightmares from Within (7 page)

“Well you’re wrong!” he yelled back. We were back to gathering unwanted attention again. “It killed me having to watch you go through all of that, but I couldn’t do anything. The consequences would have been unbearable for the both of us if I’d intervened. My hands were tied, Taylor.”

“Then what changed?” I demanded. “Why are you allowed to step up now but not back when I was just a little kid, scared to death of the things I was seeing? Why not when I really needed you?”

“Because this is it, Taylor!”

I immediately recoiled. Not at his yelling but at his words. We both remained silent for a long time while Daniel tried to calm himself and I tried to process what he just said. Finally, I whispered, “This is it? What does that mean?”

He put his elbows on the table heavily and I cringed at the pain that must have caused. He placed his head in his palms and scrubbed his face. “Whether you believe in God, Allah, Buddha or whoever you choose to worship, the fact is, there is a higher power out there. When that higher power created humanity, the theory of natural selection was put into play but lines began to be crossed so often that they eventually blurred. The evil that wasn’t taken into consideration started causing the numbers to become…uneven. The Seers were created to level the metaphorical playing field, so to speak. The people that come to you in those visions are innocents who aren’t meant to die yet. Evil has intervened and plans to take them before their time and it’s up to the Seer to try and prevent that death before it happens.”

I felt like my head might explode from everything he was saying. It was too much to take in.

“There can only be so many Seers and when one isn’t doing their job of saving the lives that are taken before their time then…eventually, their visions start to fade. That’s what’s happening to you right now. You’ve ignored your visions for so long you weren’t able to see the woman’s face in the vision you had last night. There comes a point where you can’t get that back and you’re almost at that point, Taylor.”

I took a second to process his words and decided that it didn’t seem like a bad thing. I’d wanted the visions to stop from the moment they began. “I’m okay with that. I don’t want these visions. I don’t want this fucking gift. Let them take it back.”

He shook his head and I knew I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “It doesn’t work that way. Your visions will never fully disappear but you won’t be any good as a Seer because you can’t
see
who it is you’re supposed to be helping. I already told you there can only be so many of your kind. If you don’t start embracing your visions and do what you can to help the people you see, then another Seer must be born to take your place.”

“Okay. So let another one be born. I’ll gladly step aside for them to take over.”

He let out a frustrated growl. “Taylor, listen to me carefully. For another Seer to be born with their full gift, one must die to relinquish all of the power that they hold.” He paused to see if his words were sinking in then drove his point home. “If you don’t start doing the job that was given to you, you won’t make it to your twenty-fourth birthday.”

Everything stopped; the noise from the people around us, the grinding of the espresso maker, the clanging sounds of the baristas working behind the counter. Everything was silent except for the blood rushing in my ears. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until the pressure in my chest brought me back to reality. I sucked in a breath and pinned Daniel with a hard stare. “So you’re saying my only options are to live the rest of my life seeing things that will more than likely drive me insane or die? All because I’m being punished for not using a gift I didn’t want in the first fucking place!”

“I’m sorry,” he stated weakly.

“You’re sorry. I’m going to die or go crazy and all I get from you is ‘I’m sorry’? Wow, you really suck at this. How in the hell did you even get this job anyway? Because I seriously think you need a demotion or something.”

“I had just as much choice in it as you did,” he demanded somewhat coldly. My insults had obviously hit their mark.

A bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat and I couldn’t hold it back. “Then what a pair we make, huh? Just two people being royally screwed by the universe.”

When the tears I’d been holding back finally broke free Daniel reached for my hands and laced our fingers together on top of the table. “I’m doing everything I can, Taylor. Now that I’m actually allowed to intervene I’ve been doing everything in my power to get through to you.”

“The nightmares,” I guessed.

He gave a slight nod and looked almost heartbroken. “It was the only way. The dreams were the only way I could keep these women at the forefront of your mind. Once you accept this and start trying to help, your visions will come back to their full strength and the dreams will stop.”

I pulled my hands from his and reached for my purse. “Nightmares, Daniel, not dreams. There’s a huge difference. What you’ve been doing has resulted in a total of eight hours of sleep in a week. I’m terrified to close my eyes at night.”

I stood up and started to step away from the table when his voice followed after me. “Embrace this, Taylor. Please. I can’t save you if you don’t and I’ve already failed you enough as it is.”

I turned back and looked at his face. He really was handsome even when his eyes were squeezed shut and his forehead was creased in defeat. “Your hands were tied just as much as mine were.” Daniel’s eyes popped open and narrowed on me as I spoke. “You’ve done your job so you can sleep easy now. At least you have that. I’ve got to get to work.”

And with that, I turned, walked out the door of the coffee shop and left Daniel to stare after me.

When I pushed through the door of Benny’s, I was twenty minutes late for my shift. Cassie came rushing up to me with worry etched on her pretty face. “Taylor, are you okay? You look upset.”

I tried to smile, but my lips didn’t want to cooperate. “I’m fine, just slept through my alarm. Is Benny mad?”

I heard her approach me from behind. “Of course I’m not mad,” Benny replied in a raspy voice. “Child, you haven’t been late for a shift in the five years you’ve been here. I wasn’t mad, I was worried.”

“Thank you for the concern but everything’s fine.” I tried to walk around her and toward the back office to drop my purse, but for an older, out of shape woman, Benny was surprisingly quick on her feet. She cut me off before I could even take one step. “You haven’t been sleeping, you’re late for work, and I didn’t want to bring it up, but…well…you’ve lost quite a bit of weight, sweetheart.”

I placed my hands on my waist and leveled her with a stare. I had the utmost respect for my boss, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t piss me off. “What are you trying to say, Benny?”

I shouldn’t have asked.

“I’m saying you look like shit and you need a vacation,” she responded with the attitude I could imagine a mother using on her teenage daughter.

My mouth dropped open as Cassie stood beside me laughing hysterically.

“Unbelievable,” I grumbled as I pushed past her and stalked to the office. “I’m not taking a vacation so deal with it,” I called over my shoulder.

“Well if you keel over in the middle of the dinner rush, don’t expect me to do more than step over your boney little body. It’ll be your own damn fault.”

This day can’t possibly get any worse.

I threw my purse into my locker with a little too much force and the contents spilled out, rolling all over the floor.

I spoke too soon.

I was more pissed off than I’d ever been as I snatched up an apron, leaving my purse and everything in it on the floor, and headed out to the dining room. I was starting to look forward to losing myself in the monotony of my day when I heard a voice that had my eyes rolling in annoyance.

“Well, well, well. Looky what we have here. You’re looking mighty fine this morning if I do say so myself,” Stevens, formerly known as Stank Breath called out.

I’d never been one for confrontation. I’d spent my life shying away from anything that could draw attention to myself, but his pompous attitude had me wanting to yell out something that could have possibly gotten me fired. That was, until I spun around and saw that he was sitting with Jordan. If he looked good yesterday, he was damn near edible today.

He’d looked fine in jeans and a Henley when I’d first seen him, but today he was in a white button down shirt with the cuffs folded up to his elbows, showing off his thick, muscular forearms. My blood heated and I felt like butterflies were going crazy deep in my belly. Seeing as I’d never allowed myself to get too close to people before, my instant reaction to him confused the hell out of me. I wanted to get closer…wanted to explore all of the new feelings he brought out in me and that was a very dangerous feeling.

It didn’t make sense, especially considering I knew nothing about him, but the turmoil that was constantly floating around me seemed to lessen whenever he was around. I didn’t know if I should be concerned with the fact that a man I hadn’t even known for twenty-four hours could affect me the way he was, but I couldn’t stop the heady rush I felt from wanting him that swept over me just by looking at him.

He made me feel things I didn’t know how to describe. I’d never felt more alive, but at the same time, scared out of my mind. It felt exhilarating just being near him. I’d never experienced anything like it in my twenty-three years and a large part of me hoped that I’d feel that way for years to come.

Then sadness dragged me down faster than I ever thought possible. My earlier conversation with Daniel let me know I might not have many years left to live. I might not have the chance to know what it felt like to have a boyfriend or to love someone else. I might not ever get the chance to really lose myself in a man. I was being dragged down by the decision I had to make, lost to the sadness it caused. That high I was feeling just moments before was gone.

As if he sensed the change in my demeanor, the smile slipped from his sexy lips and a frown creased his brow. “What can I get you guys?” I asked, not taking my eyes off my pad.

“Reuben for me and turkey club for this asshole here,” Stevens replied.

I scribbled down their order, and then before I could stop myself, my mouth opened and the words just poured out. I never initiated conversations with other people but I found myself wanting to do or say something just so I could hear Jordan’s voice. “Same sandwiches two days in a row. Either the food here is better than I thought or you guys can’t cook for shit.”

Stevens let out a loud guffaw and slapped the table. “Nah, the food’s okay but not that good. We just came back ‘cause this loser’s got a thing for ya and was in the mood to get shot down a second time. He offered to pay so I thought why the hell not?”

My head shot up in surprise and I flicked my gaze from Stevens to Jordan who looked about ready to commit murder. “You’re paying for your own damn meal now, dickhead.”

Stevens let out a groan that caused his potbelly to jiggle and I feared for the buttons on his shirt. “Ah, come on man. I was just laying the foundation for you.”

“Go sit over there,” Jordan said with a growl as he pointed to another table.

Stevens grumbled under his breath as he stood and made his way to the other table
not
in my section. I couldn’t make out everything he said, but I was pretty sure I heard douche bag, cock sucker, and—my favorite of them all—son of a horse faced crack head. I had to hand it to Stevens, he was a tool, but at least he was a colorful one.

I tried to suppress my laughter as I turned back to Jordan, but when I caught him biting on his bottom lip to keep from laughing himself, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. After a second, Jordan joined in and the sound of his laughter warmed my soul. Thoughts of pressing my lips to that beautiful mouth flooded my brain.

“Sorry about him,” he grumbled once we’d pulled ourselves together.

“No problem. We already established yesterday that he had some permanent brain damage.”

He rubbed the back of his neck in nervous strokes. “It seems like every conversation we have starts with me apologizing. Maybe I’ll get it right one day.”

I bent my head to try and obstruct his view of my reddening cheeks, but I knew it didn’t work. At that moment I would have given anything for a tan just to hide the flush on my face. “There it is,” he murmured and I could hear the smile in his voice. “Ahhh…there’s the blush.” His eyes warmed. “You’re beautiful, Crimson.”

I looked at him with a small smile. “Thank you,” I whispered so low I knew it was barely audible.

I fumbled with my pad and pen and tried to beat a hasty retreat. “I’ll just go put in your order.”

Before I could walk away, he spoke. “He might be a jackass but he’s right, you know.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Stevens. He’s right. I came back hoping for another shot. I’m more prepared this time though. I gave myself a pep talk in front of the mirror this morning and everything.”

The cheeky grin he gave me showcased his perfect teeth and lips and I was surprised to see that he had dimples.