Page 68 of Careless

I want to save you, but I need to know where you are! I don’t know how to find you.

My visions have become so clear it’s like watching a movie. Also like a movie, it never changes, no matter how much you want it to have a happy ending.

Suddenly, the door bursts open and a small woman runs in, a hood pulled over her head.

This is new. Maybe she’s the mother, but then who is the dead woman in the corner of the room?

Who are you? Let me help you!

Almost like she hears my pleas, she looks up, and I scream when I recognize her face, the hood falling off her head.

Green eyes, short spiral curls framing her face, and brown hair with blonde roots poking out.

No! No, no, no!

My heart jumps to my throat. Francine, get out of here!I scream as she runs to the baby. My sister, even if she doesn’t know she’s my sister, can’t be here. It’s too dangerous. She could get hurt, or worse, killed. Why is she here?Get out! Save yourself!

Francine crouches and grabs the baby, sticking the bawling child in her zip up sweatshirt, before heading back to the front door.

Steps away from the threshold, the beam above breaks and drops to the floor, blocking her escape. More smoke fills the room as she looks around, but all hope is lost.

The room spins, the colors merging into one hue. Black. I peel my eyes open and all I see is a pair of tragically beautiful icy blues staring into mine.

“It's okay. It was just a dream,” Rian coos as he tries to soothe me, but my heart is racing too hard and fast.

“It wasn’t a dream,” I sob as he strokes my hair. “It was a vision. It’s Francine. She’s in trouble. I have to go—”

“Babe, it’s the middle of the night. You’re not going anywhere.”

“I have to!” I try to push his arm off, but he’s too strong for me to fight. My sister needs me. My friend needs me. That poor, innocent baby needs me.

“Calm down, okay? I’ll call Finn. Just chill the fuck out. Take a deep breath.”

I nod as tears fall unrestricted down my face. Rian pulls me against him, letting me hold him for comfort, as he grabs his cell off my bedside table.

“Hey. Sorry for calling, but Sorcha had a vision and is freaking the fuck out… It’s about Francine. That’s all I’ve been able to gather from her… Thanks, man.” He hangs up the phone and places a soft kiss on my temple before whispering. “You’re lucky I like you, or I would be kicking your ass for waking me up like this.”

With that, Rian climbs out of the bed, and to pull on his jeans and his shirt.

* * *

Finn stormsin the front door to find me and Rian on the living room couch, both of us exhausted from lack of sleep. I’m also emotionally exhausted as well.

Finn still doesn’t know we’re together, but Rian and I have always had a non-traditional brother’s best friend kind of relationship. He has always been a part of my close circle of trusted individuals, so it shouldn’t surprise Finn to find Rian here, or that Rian already knows about my nightmare.

“What is this about?” Finn complains as he plops down on the couch adjacent to me, the dark circles under his eyes intense. “It’s three in the morning. I have to be up for work in two hoursandI left Francine alone in my bed. If I’m not there when she wakes up, she’ll flip out.” He’s uninterested and only here to humor me, if anything.

Tentatively, I start, “I had a vision. I’ve been having them every night for a few weeks. It shows a room on a fire. There’s a dead woman on the floor in the corner and a baby screaming in a playpen.”

My brother’s eyes focus as he narrows them on me. “What about Francine?” he asks.

“She ran into the room. I think she was there to rescue the baby, but something went wrong. A beam snapped, and the room caved in. The door was blocked. She couldn’t get out.” I pause when the memory of what I saw becomes too much and the tears fill my eyes. “I think I saw the way she dies.”

Finn flinches at that last comment, but continues his study of me, a pensive expression passing over his face, before he groans.

“It was just a bad dream, sis. You don’t havevisions. That’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard. This is the real world and you can’t let Carmen get in your head like this.”

My flesh feels clammy as I gape at him. My brother… doesn’t believe me. He thinks I’m crazy to believe it's more than a dream.

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