Dreamers (The Dreamers Series) (18 page)

She snatches a towel that hung on the back of the rocking chair, covering herself in horror. She is less than amused as she turns to stomp into the cabin, tripping over her towel.

“Fuckers!” Her face is twisted and her chin pokes out as the door slams behind her.

The small chuckles turn into bolstering laughter. Either the stress or the overwhelming amount of emotion has finally cracked us all into insane crying-laughing hyenas. Strange combo, but I’ll take it over fighting.

“Cayden, you better get in there STAT, before she schedules a de-balling. Not to mention, I need to talk to Heather—alone. You two shake hands and turn this shit off. I’m done with stress. It’s not good for the Monster. We are supposed to be unloading for the weekend. Get your testosterone in check. The baby’s father is MY concern, not either of yours. Understand?”

The both agree and shake hands, perhaps only to appease me, but it settles the argument for the moment, hopefully giving us a chance to enjoy the remainder of the weekend.

“Now, no more fights or we’ll have to look at Mia’s boob again.” I shudder.

“I’m okay with that,” Cayden says, winking at Heather as he heads into the cabin to find Mia.

“Get some, dude,” Heather tosses in.

“Both of you shut up. Go away Cayden, and Heather—let’s walk before we hear some freaky noises that we don’t wanna.”

We crack up once more as I turn to Heather hoping to re-cement our relationship for the second time in the last couple of days.

“Well, as you heard, I only found out yesterday. Also, the father is not someone I feel comfortable talking about right now. I was never messing with your head or leading you on. I love you, I just can’t talk about Nick with you right now. It’s—complicated.”

“I’m sorry, Syd. I know you’re going through a lot right now. I have no right to put extra pressure on you.” She touches my face sweetly. “Forgive me?”

“It’s already forgotten. Let’s enjoy the rest of this amazing vacation. I’m getting in that hot tub, even if it’s just for a second. I don’t think Little Monster will mind.”

“Do I even want to know why you call it that?” Her eyebrow lifts.

“Nah, I doubt it.” I kiss her cheek, without any motive or expectations—simply because I love her.

***

The rest of the trip is a wonderful time. Cayden and Mia made up pretty quickly, unless those were wild animals we heard on our overly long walk, I choose to believe the latter for my own reasons. I repeatedly own Cayden and Heather on the pool table. We spend our time eating, gossiping, and then eating some more. I get in and out of the hot tub while Mia and Heather continue to scold me on behalf of Little Monster, eventually sneaking into it during evening hours with Cayden instead. He and I have long conversations while sipping cocoa on the front porch. He tells me about Nick, shows me pictures in his wallet of when Nick was a child. He was such a handsome little boy; I hope Little Monster looks like its Daddy with that beautiful wild black hair and curious aqua eyes. I would love that. Tears come and go as I wonder how much the baby will actually get to know Nick, how long Nick will be around—if it’s even right to bring Little Monster into Nick’s world. All these things are in the forefront of my mind, lurking around like a disease. Cayden comforts me; he is such a gentleman, somewhat like Nick in that way. Cayden is more refined and stable than his brother, but the similarities are there, making me thoroughly enjoy spending time with him. He gives me a picture of Nick at age twenty-seven, the age he died. He isn’t smiling, he looks lost and sad. Poor Nick.

“Keep it.” Cayden refuses the picture as I hand it back to him.

“Thank you, Cayden. Just being able to see Nick’s face is comforting. I miss him.” I lay my head on his shoulder.

Heather sits beside me, delivering a fresh cup of steaming cocoa. I accept it from her with thanks. It burns my fingers as I wrap them around the cup. To avoid spilling I set the cup down quickly on the side table next to the rocking chairs, clumsily dropping Nick’s picture to the floor. I panic as Heather bends down to retrieve the photo, especially as I see her eyes widen. She recognizes him.

“This is Nick?
THE
Nick?” she asks cautiously as she begins gnawing the inner part of her lip.

After everything that’s happened between us, I can’t lie to her again. The truth is going to have to come out. If she intends to be a part of my life, and I a part of hers, we are going to have to learn to accept each other’s choices, good, bad—or insane. It’s time. She needs to know the truth—the whole truth.

“Yes, Heather. That’s my Nick—you might know him better as Dominick.”

“Cayden, can you leave us in privacy?” Heather asks quietly.

Cayden waits warily for a moment, mentally deciding whether leaving us in privacy is a smart move. His distrust in Heather’s unpredictable temperament is spread clearly across his worried face.

“We’re fine, Cay,” I offer a reassuring hug.

“I’m only a shout away, Syd.” His eyes turn to Heather sternly. “No more fights, she’s in a very touchy point of pregnancy, with
MY
niece or nephew. Got it?” he warns.

Although Cayden wasn’t exactly rude, the implication that Heather might hurt me or possibly flip out seems to strike a nerve in her, as her face scrunches in displease. She pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to breathe through the aggravation. It’s easy to pinpoint that this isn’t going to end well when her eyes begin to steam in anger as she hatefully glares straight into his blue eyes.

“You know, you don’t have to treat me like a fucking baby, Cayden. I wouldn’t hurt, Sydney—ever. Just piss off and let me talk to my girl—alone.”

“She isn’t your girl. She’s my
BROTHERS
girl,” he snickers.

I’m so exhausted with these two and their fights. Every time I turn around I have to listen to the childish bickering. It’s getting old. As much as I care about both Cayden and Heather, if they don’t learn to get along I am seriously going to consider hanging myself, or possibly drown them both in the hot tub. The latter option is becoming more appealing by the second as I mentally explore how I can hold them both under water with my one hundred and forty pounds.

“Y’all are getting on my last damn nerve, acting like a couple of hormonal teenagers. Shut up or go away. Cayden, stop being a douche bag. And Heather, stop being so defensive.” I roll my eyes at both of them as they stand, still fuming.

Cayden breathes heavily through his irritation then smoothly turns his heels walking into the door entrance, leaving us in privacy. When it comes to me, he is quite the gentleman and would never disrespect my wishes.

No sooner than he’s away from hearing distance Heather relaxes, taking a seat in the rocking chair closest to the hot tub, and begins fiddling with her hair as she stares blankly at the picture of Nick.

“What else should I know, before we go any further? I’m sick being the only schmuck in the room every time I turn around. I want it all, the entire truth. If you can’t give me that, then I really don’t know where we are supposed to go from here.” She sighs loudly.

“I never meant to be dishonest, I just didn’t really know how to say it. Look what happened to Lana when she fessed up, you had her committed. You would have thought I was crazy—you DO think I’m crazy.”

A nervous laugh creeps from her mouth showing off her gorgeous white teeth. I can detect sweat beading across her hairline as she contemplates my comment.

“There is a major difference in crazy and sane. With or without Dominick Manning in the picture, she was a flipping psycho. You aren’t crazy, you just seem to have a lying problem—a big one.” She scowls.

“My intentions were good. And I’m not a liar, I withheld things for a reason—a good reason. I hate that you’re so mad at me. I was protecting us—trying to, anyway,” I speak genuinely.

“I’m not angry with you, Syd. I just can’t keep being the only person in the dark about what’s going on with you in your life. If you want a life without me, that’s something I have no control over, but if you want me here by your side you have to make me a priority and start trusting me a little. So no, I am not mad—I am, however, scared as hell for you. This little situation of yours is
NOT
normal. You have no clue what you’re dealing with here.”

“Lana was my only threat, and now she’s gone and won’t be returning. So you can relax, there is no need to be fearful for me.”

“I’m not talking about outside threats; I’m referring to the direct source. The Manning family is twisted. I’ve done my fair share of research. A ghost—or whatever he is—the entire situation makes me explore ideas I never believed in. I don’t like people screwing with my reality. And I don’t like people screwing with you. Even alive, Dominick Manning was bad news, Sydney. He was an outcast, a freak with strange abilities he wasn’t even aware of. It eventually led to some mental problems. He was—
IS
bad news.” Concern clouds her stern face.

I am honestly taken aback at how much she knows about the man in my life. These revelations are hitting me at a speed that knocks the wind from my lungs. While I’m glad I can finally share all parts of my life with my best friend, I’m still troubled at her perception of Nick. I don’t like it one little bit how she is portraying him as some sort of monster. He had no control over the conditions born to him. Yes, the situation is as far from normal as the Earth is to the Sun, but that doesn’t make me love him any less. I have to set the record straight. She’s going to have to accept the situation for what it is. He’s a part of me now, in every literal sense possible. Without him, there is no me. Without me, his legacy will be lost, forgotten—as if he never existed.

“I’m well aware of Nick’s mental problems, Heather, and that is not his fault. He is no more dangerous than you are. I understand this is a hard thing for you to understand, your interactions with him haven’t exactly been roses and champagne. But you must understand that he has been trapped in your home for two years. He had no other option but to assume that his death was linked to you somehow. That’s why he has been so aggressive with you. He doesn’t want to hurt you or anybody else, all he wants is to find out what happened to him and why he is where he is. You can’t be angry at him for wanting answers. I’m sorry I’ve left you in the dark. I won’t hide things from you again, but you have to promise to do the same. You haven’t been honest with me either. I know you and Nick have had run ins before I even moved in, he told me everything. I’m aware he came into your dreams. I’m aware that you blocked him out with medication. I know that the night Lana drugged your wine he used a candle to knock some sense into you. I know a lot more than you’ve given me credit for. Why did you deny his existence to me, especially if you think he is a danger?”

She ponders the question quietly. It seems that words are hanging off her tongue, yet something is holding them back. She remains silent for so long I startle as she finally responds.

“At first I thought he wouldn’t be able to get through to your mind,” she sighs.

“Why not? He got to you, he got to Lana. Why not me?” I challenge, unsatisfied with her answer.

“I’m a weak personality. I was tormented so much in my youth that it eventually broke me down—I’m vulnerable. Lana too, she was—unstable on a good day. You aren’t. You’re strong and willful. I told myself it was a nightmare at first. When he got to Lana, I knew it wasn’t just my mind playing tricks on me.”

“Why didn’t you just say that then? Why lie?”

“For a while it’s all I thought about. I couldn’t figure out how he was managing to invade my dreams. I finally decided it was just flashbacks, or memories…guilt.”

“Why would you harbor guilt, or even memories? Did you know him while he was alive?” I quiz.

“Um—it’s a long story. I’ll get to that part someday, Syd. But for now I just want to make sure you know I wasn’t trying to hide things from you. Some things are just better left unsaid.”

Her lack of straightforwardness is beginning to piss me off. She expects honesty, yet answers my questions with sugar coated slivers of bullshit.

“You’re speaking in riddles. First you tell me you don’t know anything about him, now I find out you possibly even knew him personally. You’re manipulating your answers to where you have to admit nothing. It’s underhanded and sneaky. You know more than I thought. You better spill it. This is important. I want answers, not a puzzle to solve.”

“Look, Sydney, I’m already shaky when it comes to this paranormal nonsense; I choose not to acknowledge it because it creeps me out. I don’t want him in my head. Talking about it makes it more—real, I guess. Do know what I mean?”

“It’s real whether you acknowledge it or not. At what point did you decide to ignore his pleas for help and medicate him out of your mind?” I attempt to hide the disgust in my tone.

“He never once asked or pleaded for my help. There was only one thing on his mind, only one thing he had any interest in—
you
. It wasn’t hard for me to figure out that if he could get into my mind I could also get into his. He picked through my mind and found you there. When I picked through his mind, I saw nothing but you. His obsession for you was stronger than his need to find answers. I couldn’t let him get to you—even if through my mind. So I blocked him.”

As always, her intentions are always right on. Her execution really could use some work though. We have to learn to communicate better, if not we’re doomed to fall apart.

“That still doesn’t really explain why you denied him to me.”

“I didn’t know he had gotten to you. I thought your questions stemmed from the things I told you about Lana. If I had known you had already encountered him, I wouldn’t have denied it. I was nervous that if I told you about him—told you that he’s real—that you would open your mind to him and he would be able to get to you. His obsession with you is strong, Syd. It’s frightening how his mind works. He isn’t like me, or any other normal person you’ve known. I knew he would never let you go if he found you—ever. I was right. He already has you locked into his prison alongside him. I want you to back away from him.” Her eyes plead.

“I’m not locked into anything, I’m choosing it. And I don’t want to walk away from him. I’m here until the end. I am going to lead him home, and then I will be forced to mourn. Until then, I will love and enjoy him while I can. This is hard enough knowing I can’t keep him. I need support. You’ll eventually get your way on this, unfortunately there is no other way for this situation to end. Just don’t ask me to choose because you won’t like my answer.”

“’I’m not asking you to choose, nor would I. This is not as simple as you’re making it sound, Sydney. Emotionally, physically—you’re in one hell of a mess.”

“I realize that, especially now that Little Monster is in the mix. I know he or she will have a lot of questions about their father, but I will have to do my best to explain. That’s something Nick and I will decide together.”

She stares—hard. I don’t know the emotional reaction brewing behind those flaming caramel eyes of hers. As well as I know her, in this moment I can’t read her at all. Something else is clicking through her mind. I can virtually hear the squeaky gears grinding in her brain.

“I need a beer.” She shakes her head, looking confused as she quickly pops inside, returning from the kitchen with two frosty beers fresh from the fridge.

“Two? Thanks, Heather but I can’t drink that.” I assume the other beer is for me.

“They’re both for me, dumb ass. I know you can’t drink while you’re pregnant, I’m not a complete idiot.” She rolls her eyes at my ridiculous comment.

“Um, should you be drinking that either? What about the interaction with the medication?”

“I’m no longer taking that medicine, not since the night I went rabid on you.” She smirks.

“I hear you. Alcohol didn’t do much for my judgment that evening either. If I didn’t tell you already, I’m really sorry for the part I played that night.”

She shrugs it off and smiles lightly, yet a concerned look still clouds her face. Temporary silence fills the electrified mountain air. Her nails bleed from constant chewing over the last few days. This has been equally hard on her, and I have to admit she has been a trooper in this situation. Her loyalty amazes me sometimes.

“Sydney, I need to know if you trust me,” she asks in a near whisper.

“Yes, I trust you, Heather. Why?”

She fiddles with her hair like she does when she nervous. Her beautiful eyes glisten in the November sun like softened butterscotch.

“I never had the chance to talk to Dominick about anything that happened to him. Now that I know you guys are involved I need to know everything he knows about his disappearance—everything.”

“Why?” I question, considering whether Nick would want me sharing this with Heather.

“Because it’s important,” she offers simply.

“That’s all you are going to give me? It’s important?”

“That’s all I can give you. Trust—remember?”

I bite the inner part of my lip, now feeling the unease of nervousness myself. I decide after several minutes that Heather is trustworthy and I can tell her anything. Perhaps she even wants to help, which wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“Okay, but this is private, Heather. Nobody else can know.”

“Alright,” she agrees.

“The last thing he remembers is going to confront his psychiatrist, Mrs. Peyton, about a private issue. She crossed the line with him.”

“Meaning?”

“I think she wanted a relationship. His mom found out about it somehow, and she confronted Peyton about it, threatening to expose her. Nick went to talk to Peyton about the situation. The conversation apparently didn’t go well, and they ended up arguing. He walked toward the window, trying to grab a breath of air. He was feeling a panic attack coming on so he bent out to get some air. He felt a sharp pain in his neck and everything went black. He never woke up again. I don’t have proof, but I’m sure Peyton killed him. I think she pushed him from the window, and he broke his neck or something. That’s my theory anyway.”

Other than a shake of her head and a nearly untraceable smirk, Heather says nothing, so I continue.

“Lana said she has his body stashed somewhere. She also told me how to find Peyton, which I intend to do immediately.”

This revelation seems to catch her attention and irritate her all in the same as her face reddens and her breathing quickens.

“You can’t go after Peyton, it isn’t your place. Leave this to the authorities. Haven’t you had enough backlash from dealing with Manning already?”

“The authorities won’t even acknowledge that a crime has taken place so how can I do that? This is the only way. I can’t be okay with the father of my child trapped in this purgatory for eternity. Even if that means losing him forever, setting him free is the right thing to do.” I push back the tears that begin stinging my eyes.