Page 36 of Forever Love-Reimagined

“If Ty trusts you, so do I. Besides, I can usually read people pretty well, and something in my gut is telling me you’re honest. You don’t need to give me ammunition to hold against you. Unless, of course, you want to share, then I’m all ears.”

“Well, if you’re up for a good story later, remind me to tell you about tortilla shells, hiking, and nature calling.” His face lit up with what appeared to be mischief.

“All right. I’ll hold you to that.” I chuckled. “So, I’ll bring you both up to speed about what happened. Ty, as you’re aware, I was hanging badly, and I needed ten days of sleep. When I got home, I took a shower and then crawled into bed?—”

“Okay, sister. We don’t have that long before we arrive, so why don’t you skip to the good stuff?” Ty interrupted me.

“All right. Sorry. Anyway, I fell asleep and immediately went back to that dance floor from before. This time, I was able to make out so many more details. I got to touch her again, and oh my God! She had a tattoo with something written in Italian, and I meant to look it up but forgot.” I immediately pulled my phone out of my clutch and typed into Google Translate, “Ti trovero.”

“Well, are you going to leave us hanging or what? What was the tattoo? What did it say? Did you see what she looked like?” Ty rapid-fired at me.

“Hold on a second, eager beaver. I was looking up the meaning of the words. So, about the tattoo, it was a puzzle piece surrounded by these vibrant watercolors and said, ‘ti trovero’ inside of it. My Italian is a little rusty, but I recognized the language immediately. I Googled what it means, and it’s, ‘I will find you.’ Do you think it has something to do with me?”

“Girl, I need more information. Then, we’ll dissect the significance. What else happened?”

“Okay. The tattoo had my attention, but I was breathless when I turned her around to face me. She was androgynous, with high cheekbones and just-out-of-bed hair that was probably styled that way but looked effortless. Not to mention her almost silver-colored eyes that were like pools I wanted to swim in. I don’t think this person could exist, but she was very lifelike in my dream. Now, here’s where it goes off the rails a bit.”

“You think this has ever been on the rails?” Ty asked disbelievingly.

“Whatever. This is where it gets squirrelly, okay? So, after I see her, I’m transported to a new place and time in my dream, and there’s someone else. She was completely different from the woman I’d seen previously, but when we came face-to-face, she had the same aura and the same eyes. Even though the body and features were different, it was her. And it happened one more time. Oh, not to mention that my body changed, too. I was redheaded and pale in one of the visions.” I laughed, but saying that out loud sounded like I was losing my mind.

Ty held up a hand, and David peered at me earnestly from the front seat.

“Wait a minute. So, you changed bodies, yet it was still you?” Ty said as an almost knowing look crossed David’s face.

“Blake, I’m not an expert by any means, but it sounds like this person you saw in your dream was you in a past life. That might be a little out there, but sometimes, when we get glimpses of things that seem real to us, and we don’t remember living it, it’s a memory from a previous life. This woman might have known you before, and now you’re fantasizing about her because you’re supposed to meet in this life.” David was so genuine in his assessment, but he also appeared a little in awe.

“Why would I just start dreaming of her?”

“Well, there are different possibilities, but the ones that make the most sense are either you crossed paths with her in this life, and it sparked your memories, or maybe something is wrong, and her soul is reaching out to you for help.”

“Okay, but if I met her in this life, I’m certain I would’ve remembered her. She’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous. There is no way I would’ve seen her and not noticed.”

“Then maybe her current soul needs help, and you’re somehow connected to her from another life.”

“Let’s pretend for a second that’s even a possibility. How will I track her down? When I dream about her, I don’t get a lot of answers. And, if she’s in trouble, I’d probably need to find her quickly, right?”

“We’re here, and we should continue this convo another time. But if you go to the hypnotherapist appointment on Monday, she might be able to help.” Ty chimed in for the first time in a while.

I wasn’t ready to stop talking, but I didn’t want any of this information to leave this car.

“Okay. Let’s go in and try to have a good time. At least this should be a drama-free night. No Steph. Hopefully, no time-lapses and no drinking. I’m going to enjoy a night off from everything.” I was ready to spend time with Ty and David and eat a good meal.

My life was more like a telenovela with all the unexplainable stuff going on, and I was ready for something more conventional.

We’d been sitting down for about thirty minutes when a server came to our table to take our orders. I got Island Duck with Mulberry Mustard and Honey-Glazed Carrots, while Ty and David ordered Butter-Basted Rib Eyes with Garlic-Roasted Mashed Potatoes.

The night was going well, and I was having fun. But that all changed when I turned my head toward the door and saw the last person I expected or wanted to see right now: Steph. And she wasn’t alone. Greg had his arm wrapped around her waist and the phoniest-looking smile plastered across his face.

“Holy shit. Did you—” Ty stopped midsentence, probably noticing where my eyeline was.

“Breathe,” I said out loud, hoping my lungs would heed my advice, but my chest tightened.

Had they been loved up since our fight? It wasn’t that I cared, but the entire scene seemed like a ploy. I wouldn’t give either of them the satisfaction of thinking they’d affected my night.

I turned my attention back to my table. “So, David. Let’s hear the tale of the tortilla shell.”

He laughed. It was sonorous and how I’d imagine Santa Claus would sound if he didn’t ho-ho-ho. “Well, I’m not sure if it’s appropriate at the dinner table. Why don’t you come and dance with me, and I’ll regale you with the story while I spin you across the floor?” He stood and held out one hand while tucking the other behind his back as if he were Prince Charming.

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