Inexplicable

Chapter Eight

When I reached home, I noticed that Megan and John were gone, and relief washed over me. I didn't want to confront either one yet, and I was thankful I had yet to hear what my punishment would be. I was sure it would be the worst, but I tried not to dwell on all the possibilities.

I quickly did the little chores I had and then went to hide out in my bedroom before Megan and John came back. It's already late, but I flip on the TV and fumble through the channels. As I watched the movie I settled on, my eyes began to grow heavy, and before long, it was like I was being pulled straight into the dream.

I stand at the castle gates, already aware that this is a dream. This was always as far as I went before the dream reset, and I would start from the beginning. No matter how hard I tried, I could never find a way into the castle.

I don't say anything when I feel him walk up beside me, very aware of his presence. All I wanted was one dreamless sleep. Just one. I didn't want to deal with the figment of my imagination right now.

"I saw you today, " he says, leaning back on the gate, eyes fixed on me. "At the building on Third Street."

"Then why didn't you answer the door?" I fold my arms around my chest.

He shrugs. "I chickened out." His smile reminded me so much of Jax that it had to be my subconscious, manifesting them into the same person.

"Nope. It's because this is all in my head. You're not real, and you're not Jax." I say matter of fact, but I can't tell if I was trying to convince him or myself. "This is all just my imagination playing a trick on me. Or perhaps I'm certifiably crazy and should be locked away."

"You're still skeptical, though. That's why you questioned him today." He pauses a moment before correcting himself. "Questioned me." Like Jax's, his voice was soft and as smooth as velvet. Have I never noticed before?

I rub my hands over my face, trying to wake up. "You don't even look like him," I point out, but that was a mistake.

"Don't I?" I look over at him and see him suddenly start to morph. His hair grows longer and darker, and the blue in his eyes melts away into a pool of dark brown, almost black. His features stay the same, apart from him looking a little older. I'm left speechless at the realization that I was actually dreaming of Jax.

Or he was invading my dreams.

"Until Monday, Sapphire." He says as the dream fades away.

I snap awake, taking only a moment to rub my eyes before throwing on some jeans and a sweatshirt. I moved quickly so that I couldn't talk myself out of the crazy decision I made. This was utterly ridiculous, I know, but I had to try one more time. I had to know with a hundred percent certainty that this was all in my head. I grab my keys and quietly slip through the front door, careful not to wake the Smiths this late at night.

With new determination, I speed through the streets, making my way to the other side of town. Then, I come to the little parking lot, where I leave the car running. The headlights are pointed at the door, allowing me to see through the dark. I had to know if it was him, and I had to know what he wanted with me.

I bang on the door, and as the seconds pass with no answer, I bang again. Still, nothing, and the adrenaline that coursed through my body seconds earlier slowly dissipated as I felt increasingly stupid. I walk back to my car, convinced I should be admitted into a psychiatric hospital, but as I approach, I hear the door screech open behind me. My heart pounds hard in my chest, and slowly, I turn to see the answer I dreaded.

Jax.

There he stood, in only black sweatpants and no shirt. A large tattoo decorated the right side of his chest, creeping onto his shoulder. He pulled a hand up to his eyes and squinted in an effort to see me since the headlights hid my identity.

"It is you." My voice was small, and it was all I could say. I couldn't react; my feet cemented to the ground. My greatest fear manifested before me, and I didn't know what to do. Everything I thought wasn't possible was. My world felt like it had shifted on its axis, and everything felt different.

"Sapphire?" The urgency in his voice is evident, and I see his eyes grow wide. I suddenly turn to open my door, but he's faster and holds my door shut, keeping me in place. "Please, talk to me." His breath comes out fast and urgent, but he waits patiently for my answer.

I kept my head down, knowing the tears had started to fall, and my body shook all over. My voice was barely a whisper when I spoke again. "Please." I squeeze my eyes shut to make the tears stop. My voice shakes with my following words. "Don't make me do this right now."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Sapphire." He whispers, swallowing hard. "I would never hurt you. Just please, hear me out. I can explain everything."

"I don't want to hear you out!" I snap, turning to face him. He takes a step back, hurt washing over his face at the sight of me, but still has me trapped against the car. "Stay the fuck away from me," I say, but my voice has lost all its confidence, coming out a shaky whisper.

He hesitates, clearly torn on what to do before finally moving away. Without hesitation, I open my door and climb in. I throw the car in drive, and as I look in front of me, we make eye contact one last time. I couldn't quite place the emotion on his face, but it made me freeze momentarily. Was it shock? Horror? Guilt? This obviously wasn't what he wanted to happen.

My mind raced as I sped back home, circulating with hundreds of theories. Nothing was impossible, not anymore. Not now that I know for a fact that Jax could infiltrate my dreams. Was he even human? What else was he capable of? Were there others like him?

Of course, the biggest question was about what he wanted with me. If he was going to kill me, I gave him a golden opportunity by showing up at his front door in the dead of night, but he let me go. I was more confused than ever, and even once I was safe back in my bed, my heart didn't stop pounding against my chest.