Page 66 of See You in Your Dreams

My annoyance ebbs as I stare into his hazel eyes creased with concern. My fingers flit over his. “I know how crazy this all is—trust me. But I can’t keep delaying forever. I have to try.” I take a deep breath. “Even if I’m terrified.”

His hand finds my cheek. “Whatever happens, I’ll be right here with you.”

The kiss he presses to my lips is precisely the balm I need. As I turn back around, however, I can’t help the tight knot of worry in my gut—the same one that’s always there when I dreamwalk with Dylan. As much as I crave his presence and tell myself I’d never do anything to hurt him, there are no guarantees. I hadn’t meant to hurt Harvey or my parents either.

For better or worse, though, Dylan’s carved out a spot in my heart, and I won’t—can’t—send him away without shattering in two.

Sleep eventually comes, Dylan and me opening our eyes onto what Dylan’s affectionately termed the ‘proto-dream.’ It’s as good a name as any for the rainbow swirl of infinite possibility that surrounds us.

We don’t linger in that liminal space long. After our practice sessions, I’ve grown adept at navigating its currents by focusing my mind. Like that first time over a month ago, I picture Greta, forming a pathway to her waking dream.

I share a glance with Dylan, raising an eyebrow. He responds with a firm nod. Grabbing his hand, I step into the portal I’d opened, reality lurching around us. In an instant that feels like an eternity, we arrive at the beautiful mountainous vista I’d reached once before. Greta stands in the exact same spot I’d left her, gazing out into the distance.

Dylan steps away from me, looking about. “It’s a stunning view.” His eyes narrow on Greta. “Even if she doesn’t seemcapable of enjoying it. Was she like this the last time you came here?”

I nod. “It’s as if she’s trapped in place, unable to break free.” I take a deep breath. “Until now.”

Marshalling my courage, I march up to her and rest a hand on her shoulder. It’s strangely cool to the touch. Then, bracing my feet atop the long grass, I imagine Greta awake.

Like before, the dreamscape wavers, the forest and mountains winking in and out of existence. This time, however, I don’t relent, bringing every drop of my will to bear. A sharp pain lances through my skull, and I stumble, almost losing my grip on Greta. I grit my teeth, fighting to hold on as I envision her alive and awake.

Greta, waving at me between classes. Greta, smiling and unfazed no matter how much vitriol I threw at her. Greta, always so eager to lend a helping hand even when I didn’t deserve it.

The pain in my head intensifies, everything else fading away until only the bright white agony remains. I’m on the verge of giving up when I feel a soft hand grip mine and squeeze.

Dylan.

His encouragement floods me, beating back the worst of the pain as his determination joins with and renews my own. He might not be a dreamwalker like I am, but here in this place, his support gives me everything I need, his shared will imbuing me with the strength I need to keep going.

All at once, a great shockwave rips through my core, the force of it dragging me to my knees. It’s as if my entire world has ruptured apart despite everything around me remaining exactly the same. Everything…except for one tiny little detail.

“Ash?” Greta shivers, her frozen body shivering to life. “Dylan? What are you doing here?” She blinks and looks around. “For that matter, where ishere?”

Dylan takes one look at me panting on the ground, then steps forward to take the lead, offering Greta a hesitant smile. “Hi, Greta. It’s, um, kind of a long story.”

I catch my breath and shakily rise as Dylan explains her car accident and the resulting coma. She takes the news in stride—better than I probably would have in her shoes. When Dylan’s done, she glances between us, wearing an uncharacteristic frown.

“While I appreciate you coming to wake me up, you realize how many unanswered questions that leaves, right? I mean, it’s not exactly normal to visit someone else in their dreams.” I share another look with Dylan, and she raises her hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. However you managed it, I’m really grateful you did.”

We’ve come this far—might as well go all the way.

Sighing, I say, “I’ve been able to dreamwalk since I was a kid. That’s how Dylan and I reached you. Ever since you went into a coma, I’ve been practicing so that I could try to help.”

Greta beams at me, her smile as radiant as I remember. “Ash, that’s incredible! I knew I sensed something special about you, from that very first day we met.”

A light breeze billows around us as familiar guilt constricts my chest and clogs my throat. The words I’ve held back for the past month finally come spilling out. “I’m sorry I was such an ass to you before. I don’t like it when people get too close because of my power, but that’s no excuse for how I treated you. You deserved better.”

She shrugs, still smiling. “Don’t worry about it. I know I can be a bit pushy. I probably should’ve just taken the hint and left you alone.” Her eyes flick between me and Dylan. My cheeks redden when I realize that at some point, I’d taken his hand again. Impossibly, her grin widens. “At least, one good thing seems to have come from my meddling.”

My words catch in my throat, and all I can manage is a shaky nod.

“So, what happens next?” she asks.

“Um…I haven’t really thought that far ahead,” I admit. “I sort of hoped that if I woke you up here, you’d wake up in the real world.”

She raises one arm, then the other. Bright sunlight casts her shifting shadow across me and the nearby hilltop as she moves. “I don’t feel any different than usual.”

“What about your memories?” I press, racking my brain for another avenue to pursue. “Do you recall anything that’s happened since your accident?”