Forever (3 page)

I can tell her the truth and hope she
doesn’t think I’m crazy.
Emilee, I am a magical fairy man that makes
people have nightmares, but instead I decided to fall in love with you in
yours.
Yeah, because that didn’t sound like a dream at all.

I turned and slightly kicked the wall
with the toe of my shoe in frustration. Folding my arms together, fists
clenching tightly, I raised them, sandwiching my forearms between my forehead
and the wall. I closed my eyes and tried to block out everything—my thoughts,
my feelings, and anything else that would keep me from feeling sane.

Suddenly, there was a soft hand on my
shoulder. Emilee said nothing and I stayed still because I didn’t know what to
say. I felt lost in that moment. My brain was telling me one thing—this was
stupid and I was over reacting to something I probably wouldn’t even remember
in a few years—but my heart was telling a different story. I knew I wanted to
be with her without thinking about consequences or the fact that I was
immortal—but everything about her forced me to consider these things. After a
few moments she withdrew her hand. I worried that I’d hurt her feelings, guilt
urging me to look up, but she shifted again before I could.

My pulse quickened as her hands slid and
clasped each other around my waist. She rested her head on my back and sighed
deeply. I was sure she could hear the pounding of my heart and would feel the
sweat that had formed everywhere. I swallowed hard and tried to breathe
normally.

“What’s the matter, Raith?” she asked
softly, squeezing me a little tighter for a second.

And then I knew what to do.

I stood up straight and turned around
slowly to face her, reveling in the feel of her arms. Her honey eyes were laced
with concern as she searched for an answer to her question. I placed my hand on
her cheek and she leaned into it, a small worried smile forming on her perfect
face.

I felt a moment of panic, but I pushed
it aside. I’d made up my mind and I wasn’t going to let anything, not even
myself, get in the way of what I wanted.

“Your hair looks lovely tonight.” I
smiled at her. Whatever she had been expecting me to say, that was not it. She
glared at me and pursed her lips.

“That’s not an answer to my question!”
She scolded but did not release me from her embrace.

“Maybe I intend to make you wrestle the
answer out of me,” I laughed, loving that she was so concerned about what
bothered me.

She thinks it’s just a dream.
I brushed my
thoughts aside. I wanted her to take the bait I had laid for her.

“Wrestle it from you, huh? Why would you
think I’d do something like that?” She looked at me curiously and I suddenly
felt stupid for trying to get her to hold me closer. The cold slap of rejection
stung my heart.

“I, uh,” I lowered my hand from her face
and tried to find an apology. I felt like a heel—like some stalker who had
imagined the object of his desires had returned his affection. My head dropped
in defeat. My eyes pricked strangely, and I just wanted to leave.

Then, suddenly, Emilee grabbed my hand
and started twisting it.
She’s trying to wrestle you. It worked!
I
laughed as I realized what she was doing and she broke into her perfect smile.
Weight lifted from me and everything felt right again. I wasn’t about to go
down without a fight though; I began to retaliate.

I was going easy on her at first, not
wanting to hurt her, but it turned out she was pretty strong on her own. I
wanted to move on to what I’d planned for after the match, so I threw my all
into it, hoping to end it right then. I couldn’t help the shocked laughter that
burst out when Emilee matched my strength. It was unclear who was winning—we
weren’t really keeping score anyway—but we were having fun, our laughter mixing
together and echoing off the walls of the empty dance hall. After a few
moments, Emilee broke away from me and ran toward the other end of the room. I
chased after her—feeling more alive than anytime during my whole existence—and
caught her wrist in a few steps. She laughed and spun around like we were
dancing only to discover she had backed herself up against the mirrored wall.
She had nowhere else to go and she knew it.

We were both out of breath and chuckling
when the moment suddenly changed from mirthful to serious. Her breath caught
and a blush crept across her face as she looked into my eyes. I stepped closer
to her, our bodies almost touching, and repositioned my hand from her captive
wrist to her hand. I raised it gently to my mouth and kissed it softly. My
mouth went dry as my heart pounded like I had just run a marathon. The familiar
burn began to start on my lips and I wanted more. I wanted to kiss her with
everything I had right then, but fear whispered in the recesses of my mind. I
studied her face carefully, searching her eyes for any hint of resistance, and
released her hand. Her unreadable gaze never left mine. We looked at each other
for a moment without touching but close enough to feel the heat from our bodies
mingle. And then Emilee slowly wrapped her arms around my waist again and I
closed the distance between us.

My mouth was so dry I was sure she
noticed how many times I’d swallowed by now.
Don’t mess it up, don’t mess it
up!
I could feel my hands were ready to shake and I pushed the nervousness
as far away as I could.

I wanted to kiss her right then, but she
suddenly looked nervous and shy—her eyes flicking down and away from my face.
My heart hurt from wanting to touch her face so I rubbed the back of my hand
over her cheek. How I loved the blush that appeared there! It was warm, her
face as soft as the silk she’d worn before. I could have stood there forever
touching her face if I didn’t need so much more from her. She still didn’t look
at me, though. Instead she chose to bite her lower lip.
I have to do this
right.

I placed both of my hands on her neck
and slid them up into her hair, removing the pins that held it in place as I
went. The smell of her shampoo hit me like a wall, calling my name over and
over again. After every pin was gone and the lovely curls freed, I picked up a
strand and took a deep breath. Fear reared its head again and my stomach tossed
and turned while my hands gave in to the shaking. I leaned in farther and
kissed the lock of hair wrapped in my fingers, letting it slide away as I did
so. The silk strands whispered as they left my grasp, as if pleading for more.
I looked down at her face to gauge if I was coming on too strong, but her eyes
were closed. She looked as if she might faint, though her grasp remained firm.
Keep
breathing,
I told myself. I caressed another strand of hair, kissing it
softly as well.

She doesn’t feel the same.
I started to
pull away from her, worried that I had ruined everything I held dear. Yet her
grip on me tightened and she finally looked me in the eye. She smiled softly
and my heart soared. A happy grin—one I was sure looked dorky—appeared on my
own face. I wanted to tell her everything and confess the knots in my stomach
and the anticipation in my lips, but I remained silent. My cheeks reddened
slight as I caressed her face with my hands, tangled my fingers into the hair
at the nape of her neck, and leaned in closer once more.

Our lips met and my world exploded.
Everything that seemed important to me before became nonsense. Any ties I’d had
left their previous home and centered on her.

The fire—if the fire that came from
holding Emilee in my arms had caused me to keep seeing her this many times then
the fire from her kiss would hold me captive for eternity. She tasted better
than anything I could ever remember or describe. Her lips were softer than
downy feathers. I was feeling overwhelmed at all that was happening. I
knew
I loved her more than words could describe. I was prepared to give anything and
everything up for her. My heart seemed to sputter and try to restart itself,
making comprehension of the love I was feeling impossible.

I kissed her chastely and pulled away
slightly to look at her. She was blushing. Suddenly, she giggled and pushed
herself away from the wall, looking away and biting her lower lip.

“Stop that,” I said, trying not to come
on too strong. I wanted her close to me again.

“Stop what?” she asked, confused. She
bit her bottom lip again. I couldn’t handle it any more—I wanted more of those
lips.

I stepped forward, crushing our bodies
together and pressing her against the mirrors. Capturing her mouth once more, I
ran my hands down her sides and lustily tugged her hips closer to me. I could
feel the fire everywhere; it felt like I would explode all over again from touching
her.

She matched my passion, and ran her
fingers through my hair, giving me chills. We held each other as tightly as we
could—I feared that I might float away from the bliss. I grabbed her back,
touching any part of her that was acceptable, but still wanting so much more.

I kissed her that way until we were
ragged and out of breath. When I finally let go and stepped away, my muscles
ached.

She was even more beautiful! Her lips
were swollen and red, her hair somewhat tangled from my hands running through
it over and over again. She was looking at me with a smile, trying to catch her
breath, as she leaned against the wall. I took a few more steps away from her,
trying to cool down and relax I desired many more kisses and wasn’t about to
mess up my chances now. I could have lived in her embrace—my heart still raced
from our encounter—and I already felt the need to kiss her again.

As we caught our breath, I straightened
my crumpled shirt and vest, realizing she had been holding me as tightly as I
had her. Emilee fixed her hair and ran her hands over her skirt to smooth it. I
needed her in my arms again, but I didn’t want her pushed too far either. I
took a deep breath and bowed, offering my hand in a dance invitation—the only
acceptable solution I could think of.

Emilee grinned and curtsied. Taking my
hand and positioning herself in my arms, she was much closer than she had ever
been before. She looked at me with shining eyes as if she’d never seen me, and
my heart tightened.
How will I ever be able to live without her?
The
other half of my soul was in my arms, and I never wanted to be without her
again.

We danced until I felt her mind leaving
mine and I swooped in for one last kiss, wishing she could stay with me longer.
Already I counted the hours until night fall.

Chapter Three

When I entered Emilee’s dream the next
night, I was surprised to find the usual dance hall gone. If I hadn’t been
familiar with the feel of her subconscious, I would have thought I was in the
wrong dream.

I was standing along a thinning line of
trees, much like the one I stood in every night as I joined her dreams. The
view here was much different from a sleepy little town though; it was a
beautiful, white-sanded beach, met by the cool, blue waves of ocean water,
which softly lapped along the shore. It was just after sunset and a soft glow
hung in the air. There were fireflies gently floating on the breeze. It felt
very peaceful and serene here, almost like there was a permanent blanket of
calm touching everything I could see.

I smiled as my eyes fell on Emilee who
wasn’t dancing as she had been every other time I’d seen her. She was walking
in the surf—her bare feet buried themselves in the sand with each step. The
sundress she had on very closely matched the dancing dresses she previously
wore. Its turquoise-blue color nicely complimented her tan skin and the damp
skirt stuck to her legs. Her hair was down the way I liked it, swaying with the
breeze and her movements. I was struck by how graceful she was, dancing or not.

I stayed where I was for a moment,
choosing to be the silent observer. She managed to take my breath away every
time I saw her. I hoped that would never end. I kind of loved the suddenness of
it all—like I was in a whirlwind romance. I felt a rush whenever I was with her.
My palms tingled, my heart raced, and I didn’t know what my future held for me
anymore. It was invigorating—an emotional high.

Still grinning, I walked out from the
trees barefoot, jeans rolled up to my knees, with a plain black t-shirt. It had
been a while since I’d been anywhere near a beach, and I found the change
refreshing. I wondered why Emilee had decided not to dance tonight, what had
prompted her to dream of this place instead. A sudden onslaught of nerves
caused me to falter as I neared her—paranoid she would be upset over the
previous night’s events.

I decided to be brave and walked up
right behind her in the surf, wrapped my arms around her waist and nuzzled my
face into the hair at the nape of her neck. All of the addictive feelings
rushed to the surface once again, restoring me to my high. She smelled
wonderful, as always, and I felt like I would never be able to get enough of
her.

“Good evening,” I said softly before I
slid away. She turned to smile at me and—in a familiar motion—ran her fingers
through her hair.

“Raith,” she smiled wider. “I was
worried you wouldn’t come tonight.” She turned her whole body and threw her
arms around me in a tight bear hug. I loved the feeling and laughed. I could
hold her forever like that, but I also wanted to see her eyes and hear her
voice. Everything she did felt good and I was constantly at war with myself
over what I wanted to do with her.

“Why wouldn’t I have come?” I asked
curiously, opting for talking.

“Well, you’ve only come to see me when
I’m at the dance hall,” she explained, stepping away. “I didn’t know if you’d
be here on the beach tonight.” I smiled softly at her, twisted my fingers into
her hair, and leaned in closer.

“I promise I will always come to see
you, no matter where you are,” I whispered. She smiled and leaned in to meet my
kiss.

It was better than I remembered—if that
was even possible—her lips cool from being out in the night air. I gently
tightened my fingers around her hair, pulled her closer, and deepened the kiss
as she wrapped her arms tighter around my waist. The waves lapped our feet
softly, making the moment more serene. I couldn’t remember a time when I had
been happier.

My hands released her hair as I eagerly
stepped closer for more. I slid my left hand slowly onto her shoulder and then
down to the small of her back. I brought her up against me, stopping the kiss
only for a second to look into her wonderful eyes. An overpowering rush of love
overcame me. As we stared at each other, I knew right then I wanted to tell her
the truth—I never wanted to be without her, that I loved her more than I’d ever
thought possible. I wanted to ask her if she’d be mine forever—to never leave
me again—and hear her say she felt the same way about me.

I attacked her lips once again as we
held each other tightly, our hot breath mingling together. Before I knew what
was happening our tongues were wrapped around each other, adding a whole new
level to the fire that raced through my veins.

I didn’t want to stop. In desperation, I
grabbed her by the waist and picked her up, guiding her legs around my waist.
Somewhere in my mind there was a warning light going off, but I didn’t care.
All I could focus on was the need I felt. I clutched her to me like she would
disappear at any moment—since that was an actual possibility. The anxiety was
almost as strong as the fire.

I hadn’t noticed the water rising when I
arrived, or the waves becoming stronger around us. As I tenderly carried her
out of the water, kissing her all the while, the sea suddenly plowed into us,
knocking us over into the wet sand.

Emilee rolled out of my arms,
simultaneously laughing and spitting sand out of her mouth. Her wet curls stuck
to her face and her dress clung against her tightly. I lay in the surf for just
a moment longer, catching my breath as I found my bearings. A disappointed
twinge flip flopped uncomfortably in my stomach, but my brain was calm—the
warning light finally switched off. The next wave started rolling in and we
both scrambled up the beach to safety.

As usual, Emilee’s laughter was
contagious and soon we were both on the dry sand, cuddled in each other’s arms,
giggling and staring up into the night sky, which unfolded above us. I felt
like a silly little boy.

A boy in love,
I thought and
smiled to myself.

“This place is beautiful,” I said,
talking more about her than I was willing to admit out loud. My eyes drank her
in as I spoke. “Where are we exactly?”

“Just somewhere I saw in a picture
once,” she explained. “I haven’t been many places. I’ve always wanted to see
the world, but I don’t know if it will ever happen.” She frowned and looked
away down the length of the beach. I didn’t know exactly what to say so we
stayed in an awkward silence for a while. I wanted to get down on one knee and
swear I would take her to see anything and everything she wanted, but I knew
that would seem odd. Instead, I chose to say nothing. All I could think of was
to keep cuddling.

“Raith,” she suddenly started, and
turned to look at me. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” I replied immediately. “You
can always ask me anything.” I smiled down at her, and raised my free hand to
play with the damp hair around her face. I would have bought the moon for her,
if she’d asked me to. Maybe if she hadn’t, as well.

“What are you?” she whispered, looking
straight into my eyes. My throat tightened and it felt like I had a mouth full
of cotton.
Crap, crap, crap . . .

“What do you mean?” I stammered. My
heart started racing.
What do I tell her? Do I lie?
I didn’t want to be
dishonest with her. In my mind I felt like we were in an exclusive
relationship. I winced a little bit as I thought of how that might not be true,
but I pushed that away as she spoke again.

“Raith, I know when I’m dreaming. I
always have,” she said. “I’ve always been able to do whatever I wanted in my
dreams, but not with you.” Her expression remained the same while she spoke,
calmly and curiously. Her eyes penetrated mine with a burning focus. All I
could do was look at her; I didn’t know what to say. The stupid alarm light was
going off again. When she didn’t get an answer, she continued.

“I didn’t bring you into my dreams,
Raith. I’m sure of it. The only thing I can think of is that you’re
something—maybe something not human—that keeps coming to see me. Why is that?
And what are you?” I closed my eyes to escape her gaze and focused on
breathing.
This is why my powers don’t work on her. She knows how to control
her dreams . . . very well apparently.

“I am . . . ,” I
began shakily. It felt like the rest of my life would be determined by the
answer she sought. I was panicking—I knew she could tell I was—and I imagined
she wasn’t too impressed with me at that moment. I didn’t know what to do, and
then a miracle happened. I could feel her consciousness begin to fade away.
Has
it really been a whole night? Thank the gods!
I smiled at her, and opened
my eyes. I kissed her quickly, sweetly. Knowing I didn’t have much time and
feeling courageous, I began my answer again.

“I am your friend,” I said truthfully. I
softened my gaze and ran my hands into her hair.
Be brave. You love her.
Just tell her the truth!

“And I think I’m very much in love with
you already.” Emilee’s eyes widened some and she smiled shyly. My heart was
racing a million miles an hour as I waited for her reply, but then my miracle
ended. She was gone before she had the chance to say anything in return.