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“Watch.” He points to the water, and I gaze into the darkness. An orange glow appears from the deep. A glowing school of minnow swirls around our ankles, then darts off to the middle of the lake, the light fading as they go.
“Did you see that?” I ask Charlie. He grins and nods.
“Hold up your palm.” I do as he says, and he cradles my hand with his. I stare at my palm, waiting for the punch line, and gasp when a purple tendril of liquid light appears and forms into a circle hovering over my palm. It spins faster and faster and then a succulent forms, blooming in my open hand. It’s beautiful.
Charlie stares at it, his brows furrowed in concentration. Is he doing this? How it that possible?
“Am I dreaming?” I whisper. He looks up at me and the succulent fades away, returning us to moonlit darkness.
“Sort of?”
“You suck at explanations.” He laughs and moves his hand, so he holds mine.
“I’m sorry. It’s just something you have to experience to understand. But you will. And I’ll be with you to help you through the process.”
“Process?” I ask, even more confused.
He presses his lips together and his gaze snaps to the shore. “I’ve already said too much.” He grips my hand tighter and pulls me to stand with him, tilting his head to the side like he’s listening for something.
“It’s time for you to wake up. I need you to go straight to the house, ok?”
“What? Why?”
A wave of nerves slams into me as a war rages in his eyes. It dissipates, and his gaze narrows. “Did you feel that?”
“You’re not making any sense.”
He steps in front of me, leaving only an inch between us as he gazes down at me. A breeze picks up, and he brushes my hair behind my ear.
“Can you feel this?”
My eyes widen and I suck in a breath as desire swirls through me. His pupils dilate and he grins. “You’re an Empath, too.”
I shiver as the strange sensation amplifies and Charlie wraps me up. I rest my hands on his chest as the desire concentrates low in my abdomen. “Charlie…” He wants to kiss me. I can see it in his gaze, but I can feel it too. It’s something tangible, but just out of reach. My heart races because I want him to kiss me. He sighs and runs his thumb over my cheekbone. “So beautiful,” he whispers.
He leans closer so our lips brush and goosebumps form. “You’re going to get me fired,” he mutters and he’s kissing me. A strange breeze picks up and there’s a purple glow behind my eyelids. The kiss is comforting. Different from kissing Luke, but pleasant and familiar. And I never want it to end.
But it does. He pulls away, his eyes glowing a purplish hue for a moment before it fades. He winks, then shoves me backward. I scream as I fall, but my eyes fly open and I’m back on the edge of the dock. My feet are still in the water. I sit up and look around, but Charlie is gone. I rub my eyes and try to adjust to the light of the moon.
What the hell kind of dream was that? A twig snaps on the other side of the lake and I freeze, remembering dream Charlie’s warning. I climb to my feet and hurry to the house, taking a direct route and cutting through the grass, praying I don’t disturb a snake.
I make it the porch steps, and the eerie sensation of eyes on me makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Movement near the garage catches my attention and I sigh in relief when Charlie heads down his steps to his truck. He reaches into the bed and pulls out a pallet of energy drinks. When he turns, he spots me and grins. “Evening,” he calls.
“Evening,” I say. He pauses and shifts the pallet to his hip.
“Everything alright?”
I clear my throat and nod, remembering how soft his lips felt against mine. But that wasn’t real. “Yep. Have a good night.”
“You, too.” He smirks like he knows something I don’t, and I wonder for an insane moment if it’s possible my dream was real. But he turns and disappears into his apartment. I head inside and toss and turn all night. Not even thoughts of Luke can settle me. I press my fingers to my lips, remembering something that never happened, and sigh. Not even my subconscious knows what she wants.
