Reignite | Currently Revising

Chapter Seventeen

~Melanie~

I awake with a jolt as I lay in my sleeping bag, drenched in sweat. I try to gain control of my rapid heartbeat and erratic breathing. My head is pounding, and I groan as I hold it, then look over toward James in his sleeping bag.

His eyes twitch slightly as he dreams. His brown bangs stick with sweat on his forehead. While it was chilly last night, it's now like a sauna in this tent. I slowly unzip my sleeping bag, grab some clothes from my duffel, and slip on my flip-flops. I unzip the tent as quietly as possible and then step outside.

The wildlife buzzes around our oval of tents as the bright sun blinds me. Damn this fucking hangover. I quietly zip the tent closed, then make my way to the cabin, hoping no one is already up and using the indoor bathroom.

I hate using the outhouse. Have ever since I was a child. It's just always so smelly, and don't believe Grandma Hansen when she tells you the potpourri helps mask the smell. In fact, it actually makes it worse.

I enter the kitchen and welcome the cool air inside. I look at the clock over the brown metal fridge and see it's five to seven. I take it as a good sign I'm the first one up, which doesn't happen often. With enough sunlight shining through the kitchen sink window, I manage my way around the circular wooden table toward the back hallway, passing the four bedrooms to the bathroom at the end.

I slip into the empty bathroom and grin in victory. I turn the shower on and place my clothes on the closed mustard-yellow toilet lid. I lean into the standing tub and turn the shower faucet on. Standing in front of the small mustard-yellow ceramic pedestal sink, I stare at my reflection in the oval brass-framed mirror as it slowly fogs up from the shower's steam. What was that dream?

I slowly undress as I replay the end of my dream.

'Oh, God! Yes, Ethan!'

I freeze, praying to God I didn't say that out loud in my sleep. I shudder as I step into the shower and let the hot water rush down my grimy body. I've never had a sex dream about Ethan before... Have I?

I shake my head as I vaguely remember I did only once before, back in high school, when my first boyfriend kept pressuring me to have sex. I had told him no, and that same night, I had my first sex dream, but instead of it being about my at-the-time boyfriend or about a celebrity crush, it was about Ethan. I don't remember much of it, not because it was years ago, but because my mind tried to shut it out the second it realized what it had dreamt.

I can feel myself getting worked up just thinking about Ethan again with those arms and those abs. I can't even begin to imagine his butt... I squeal, getting ahead of myself, but stop midway.

What is wrong with me? I'm with James, who loves me, who wants to spend the rest of his life with me, who wants to move into an apartment together less than a month from now. I groan.

~~~