Love Me | Series Book #1

SIXTEEN

Mason entered my dreams last night.

It was Christmas morning, and the ground was white. I should have known from the start that it wasn't real. My family and I gathered around the tree, and my father was on his knees. My dad's not religious, but he is when I sleep. I can't remember what he said, but he prayed a long prayer, and his lips moved without words. When I opened my eyes, the room was empty. The tree which stood above had vanished to nothing, as well as all the gifts and decorations. But, I wasn't alone. There was a bitter chill in the air as my family surrounded me, watching me shiver on the floor. My dad's mouth was still moving while his glassy eyes stared. Frost weighed down on my eyelids, nearly gluing them shut. I called to them, but my pleas were nothing.

Then he was there. He carried a red blanket, and draped it over my ice-cold body. I didn't run although I should have. He cared for me, and I basked in the warmth, trusting him. I was all wrapped up, comfortable in his arms until I began to sweat. The heat was too much, and I became short of breath. I moved fought the blanket, trying to find it exit, but I couldn't. My arms were bundled in place. He had me, and he wouldn't release me. My mother and my brother watched, and my father prayed, and I couldn't speak. It was too hot. I was suffocating!

I woke up, drowning in my own sweat, and afraid that he was next to me. He wasn't, but I didn't go back to sleep.

When morning came, I gave Rachel a call, but she didn't answer so I left her a voicemail.

"Hey Rache, how do you feel about skating tomorrow night? Just a heads up, Leah's coming too, so try to behave. I'll see you soon."

I could already hear her now, throwing a mini fit claiming that Leah's taking Aly's place. But, it didn't matter. Even if Chase and Leah were getting closer, there was nothing she could do. And, I wasn't about to play devil's advocate to try and stir up any excessive drama between them. I liked Leah, and Rachel would have to deal with that.

I was gathering my transcripts in front of the computer screen when my phone started ringing. Rachel's number popped up.

"Hey," I put the phone to my ear. "So what's the plan, are you coming?"

"No."

As expected. I tried not to flinch at her harsh tone, and rather took on the opposite in my voice. "Let me guess, does it have something to do with Leah coming and Aly not?"

She scoffed into the receiver, but I knew just by that reaction that I was right.

"Do you really think I care that much? I couldn't give two shits about Leah and Chase together, it's nothing I haven't seen at the lunch table before."

"Then why aren't you coming?"

"Because I can't. Jacob's got a violin recital tonight, and Mom won't drop the whole we're a family, we support each other motto, even though David got out of coming to my program last year. "

She paused, and waited a second to continue. "But I guess that doesn't apply to him. Thanks by the way, for assuming that I'm really that sensitive. It doesn't matter anyway though, because I wasn't coming in the first place."

"Rachel-" I started. But, she hung up the phone. That left me alone with them. Chase and Leah. It was only just now that it occurred to me, I was going to be the third wheel. I'd never been put in that situation before, but Chase has. When Mason and I first got together, he didn't just get me, but Chase as well. If you can believe it, Chase and I used to be even closer than we are now. If there was a football game, I brought him along because I didn't want to sit in the crowd by myself. (Rachel hates football, and Aly was always too busy after school.) Whatever party Mason and I attended, Chase was always in the next room with his soccer team. We were a packaged deal. It wasn't until last year that he started backing off.