Page 19 of Wicked Dreams

“Oops,” she shrugged, feigning sorrow. “I heard you smell like fish. I figured you might like some water.”

The back of my eyes burned with my tears. I rushed past them as they laughed loudly, shouting obscenities at my back.

Needless to say, gym class sucked. By the end of it, I’d been hit in the face twice by a dodgeball thrown by Eddie, and Caleb had knocked me to the ground a few times. And notoncedid anyone say anything about it. Coach Barnes just looked the other way, acting like he didn’t see a thing. When Mrs. Ruiz was absent, we had co-ed gym. And everyone knew co-ed gym combined with dodgeball was an excuse for the school douchebags to take their aggressions out on us lowly students. I seemed to catch the brunt of it though.

By the end of class, I was near tears. Not only was I exhausted, but I was just sick of their crap. Stepping into the shower, I hoped to just wash it all away. I tuned everyone out and focused on my breathing as I tried to avoid a panic attack. Giggles tinkled in the background, but I paid the girls no mind, too lost in my thoughts of sleeping.And Donovan.And how much I missed him even though he’d only been in my dreams three times. I’d caught glimpses of him a few times when I’d doze off. I knew he was only there because my subconscious needed a friend, one that wouldn’t judge me. Deep down, I knew even Anita grew tired of me.

When I moved to grab my towel, I found it gone. My heartrate kicked up. Frantically, I looked around and saw everyone had left. With a sinking feeling, I glanced down. My clothes were gone too.

“No,” I whispered, my body trembling. I rushed over to the bench where I’d left my stuff and found thateverythingwas gone, even my bag. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. A flood of emotions overtook me, causing me to sob loudly, my cries echoing around me in the empty locker room.

I anxiously scampered around, trying to find something—anything—to cover my body with. There was nothing. Desperate, I started pulling the rolled paper towels out, hoping I could somehow wrap it around my wet, trembling body. All I succeeded in doing was making a mess, the bits of wet paper clinging to me. Knowing I wasn’t about to leave the locker room, I returned to the shower where I slid down the wall in tears, my soft sobs echoing around me. I had to get out of there. Closing my eyes, I took the only escape I had.

Sleep.

* * *

I was backin the forest. The sunlight streamed through the cracks in the trees, warming my skin. I peered down at myself. Thankfully, my subconscious had put me in a white, off-the-shoulder dress that hugged my body. It fell to the tops of my bare feet in soft, gauzy, flowing material. I let out a breathy sigh and spun slowly in the shards of sunlight sprinkled down on me with my arms out wide and my eyes closed.

“You’re beautiful,” Donovan’s soft voice called out to me. Before I could open my eyes, strong arms wrapped around my waist, his warmth radiating through me. A smile spilled onto my lips, wiping away the sadness from my waking life.

“I’ve missed you,” he breathed out, his breath hot against my neck as his chest pressed into my back and his arms tightened around me. “So fucking much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I admitted, butterflies flapping madly in my chest. His lips brushed against the sensitive skin of my bare shoulder, igniting a fire within me I knew I had no control over. He was my arsonist, adding fuel to the already uncontrollable fire he’d set ablaze in my heart.

His fingers twisted in my wild, red hair as he tugged my head back, so he could rain delicious torture on my neck in the form of his hot lips.

“Where have you been?” his words were a rough contrast to the soft kisses he pressed to my neck.

“Scared,” I breathed out as his hands roved up my body. He stopped his kisses and turned me around to face him. I drew in a sharp breath as I stared up into his dark, stormy eyes.

“Tell me.” He brushed my hair from my face tenderly, his eyes searching me. “Why are you scared, Livvy?” The use of the pet name made me crinkle my brows. I'd never been called that in my life, and yet, somehow, it was familiar to me. It was like being called home.

A sad smile touched his lips. “You know the name. I used to call you it when we were alone. I’d make love to you and whisper it to you over and over.”

“I-I don’t understand.” I frowned up at him. He reached out and thumbed my bottom lip tenderly.

“You don’t need to. Not yet. Now, tell me what has my girl so scared.”

“This,” I whispered, my voice shaking as I admitted what was on my mind, his words making my heart jump. “I-I feel like this is so right. Being with you. From the first dream, I felt something. I can’t explain it. All I know is that it’s just a dream, and I shouldn’t want it… But if I could sleep forever just to be with you, I would. A-and now you’re calling me by a name that feels right, that I feel like I should somehow remember. It’s like having something on the tip of your tongue and not being able to say it.”

A soft chuckle slipped from him as he stroked my cheek affectionately. “It’ll come to you.”

“Will it?” I ventured, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “Or is this just a really good dream?”

“It’s the best dream.” He leaned in and planted a kiss on my lips. It started slowly, the heat unfurling a voracious beast in my stomach. It leisurely came to life until it filled up my core, the heat from it spreading to areas of my body that begged for release.

“Donovan,” the moan slipped from my lips as his hands tugged my dress down, spilling my breasts for him.

“Livvy,” his soft sigh against my mouth had me writhing in his hands as he pressed his body against mine. I dared to open my eyes, finding the world around us swirling quickly passed, only us not moving. We were stuck in a hurricane of emotions—our bodies the eye of the storm, neither of us relenting in our needs as our hands searched each other’s bodies for what we’d both been missing.

“I want you so badly. You don’t even know, baby,” he managed to choke out between his deep, frenzied kisses.

“Then take me.” My fingers slid through his dark hair. He let out a moan as I gave it a gentle tug. I’d been such a fool to try to stay away from him.

“I can’t.” He slowed down, his once deep kisses turning softer as he spoke between them. “I can’t. I don’t want to hurt you. Not again. I’d cease to exist if you were ever harmed. I-I couldn’t do that to you again.”

“Donovan…” I planted a sweet kiss on his swollen lips. “This is just a dream.”

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