Page 84 of Scrooged for the Holidays
I place my hands on my hips. “And what is that?”
He takes a small step forward, his woodsy pine scent stronger than I remember it being. The corner of his lips curve up as he holds out the slippers once more. “You don’t know?”
I may hate Christmas, but I’m a smart woman. I spent a lot of yesterday attempting not to think of what my nightmare was or why I had it in the first place. During my musings, it occurred to me it was oddly similar to that old movie,A Christmas Carol. Avery and I watched the Muppet version when we were kids, before I ruined Christmas for her and for myself. But to think that it’s happening to me? It’s irrational. It’s…
Impossible.
I don’t look away from his intense gaze as I say, “If the answer is Christmas Present, I’m going to knee Nightmare You in the balls.”
Remi chuckles. “I’m not a nightmare. Now, you could try to harm me, but it won’t do anything.”
I tap my foot. “Why? Because you’re also a half human, half angel?”
The shadow of his smile flattens, and the serious look on his face tells me the answer. I’ve hit the nail on the head.
“No! NOPE!” I shake my head. “Your answer just confirmed that you are, in fact, a nightmare. Nephilim don’t exist. Whatever is going on in my brain right now is just my subconscious doing weird things to me because I’m trapped in this odd little Christmas town and my routine is all off. I haven’t been able to work, and I’m feeling things—”
I cut myself off and turn to my bed. Now is not the time to feel emotions.
I chuckle to myself disbelievingly. “This is just another nightmare like last night. I’m going to go back to bed, and when I really wake up, I’ll be alone.”
Alone. Alone with nobody to make me remember the past. No hot guys to give me orgasms in the present. Just me and my work like it has been for years now.
I take the covers in my hand, but Remi’s grip on my shoulder stops me from doing more. It’s warm, and it feels real. As real as he felt touching me only hours ago.
“Greer.” He gently turns me around. His features are soft and kind, green eyes understanding. I don’t like it. I’d actually prefer if they were dominant and ready to order me to get on the bed like they were before. “I don’t want to force you to see what you need to see. I want you to come willingly.”
God, this is really happening, another nightmare I can’t wake up from with a version of Remi that’s not human. I could go willingly, but it’s not in my nature to back down so easily, even if I am curious about what he wants me to see and why he wants me to choose to go with him when he could just make me, like Kai did.
“Why?” I ask sincerely.
“Because.” He twirls a lock of my hair between his fingers. I don’t move or tell him to stop—I just wait until he tucks it behind my ear. His touch lingers, trailing over my round jaw before his hand falls back to his side.
“You’ll be more open to what I have to show you if you come of your own accord. I think that even though you want to fight this—want to believe it’s all a nightmare—you know it’s not. You’re curious about what you’ll see.” He gives the ends of a strand a gentle tug, sending a spark across my scalp and raising goosebumps along my arms. “And I think you’ll find answers to questions you’ve been carrying about why you’re here and why you’re feeling so much.”
He’s right—about it all. Ihavebeen feeling a lot. Even more so after spending time with him, Kai, and the bit of Sam I experienced. It was everything I don’t think of myself to be: fun, spontaneous, warm…
Emotions are a liability. Control is power.
I clear my mind and glare at him. “Can you just tell me everything I need to know now without all the fanfare? If you’re magical or whatever, you can just get it over with and save us both the trip.”
His small smile returns. “I’ve always preferred visuals. Often observing can show you more than a speech, don’t you agree?”
My cheeks flush because I know yesterday was full of visuals. Not only yesterday, but also when I peeped in on him and his lovers the night before. But how does Nightmare Remi know that? And how does he know my emotions have been trying to get out of my control?Because what he’s saying is true,my brain screams.
But that would mean this isn’t a nightmare, that he’s a Nephilim and so is Kai. That I saw the past and the Kai today was the Kai in my “nightmare” yesterday. That the Remi standing here knows all he knows because he’s the Remi I spent my day and evening with. The one I shared my body with.
I search his eyes, ones that remain understanding and kind. I could continue to deny what he’s saying, or I could accept it. It would still all be weird, and so many things would be unexplainable, but I can’t deny that everything I’ve seen and done during my time in Elysian Pines has felt real. Very real.
Despite everything, I’m still not completely convinced. There’s just too much weird and improbable about it all. But he is right about one thing: I’m curious about where we’ll go, and I’d rather be in control of something than nothing. I can’t deny I’d also like to know why this is all happening and why I feel so…different.
I puff out an exasperated breath. “Fine. I’ll go with you.” Remi smiles enough that a bit of his white teeth show. I clear my throat. “But make it quick, alright?”
He bites back a laugh and nods, holding out his hand. I should probably hesitate to take it, but for all the reasons I just came up with, I don’t. Our palms fit together, and yet again, everything inside me screams at how real this feels.
He squeezes my hand. “Hold on.”
I do as he says, anchoring myself to him as the scenery around us shifts. I expect to be back in my parents’ house or Avery’s or maybe even my own condo. But we’re in the foyer of a home I don’t recognize. The noise of a baby crying echoes from somewhere in the house.
