Dreaming Big

Chapter 16: Nightmare

Chapter 16: Nightmare

Charlotte's P.O.V.

"Fuck!" It was Carson who swore. I could imagine him, standing there, grabbing at his spiked blonde hair, staring at Ava in hurt, anger, betrayal. He would be glaring at Chase in a way that clearly showed how much he'd like murder Chase. There was the sudden sound of flesh hitting wood, and the house shook. Carson had obviously just punched the wall. While he was enraged, I just sat there on the moth-eaten couch in numb shock.

Ava had been staring adoringly into Chase's eyes while this was going on. Chase hadn't paid any attention to Carson. All of his focus was on Dominic's shell-shocked face. Dead silence radiated through the room. Ava continued to look at Chase, by this time clearly not wanting to meet my or Carson's eyes. Chase turned his head a fraction of an inch to the side, and maybe it was just habit, but his eyes met mine. All it took was a split second of those gorgeous blue-green eyes to make the rush of emotions crash down all around me. I was on my feet before I could process what my body was doing.

There was a flicker of something in Chase's eyes...something that I didn't want to identify. My mouth wouldn't move. My body wouldn't move. "Char," Chase choked out in a strangled voice. He went to take a step forward, but was restrained by his arms which were still wrapped around my sister's waist. That should be my waist. The thought crossed my mind with another dizzying array of emotions. But this time, it was all too much to handle.

I spun around on my heel and all but ran to the trapdoor that lead to the attic. "Char! Char wait!" I ignored Chase's shouts of protests, and pulled the string from the ceiling. A rickety old staircase came down, which I scaled in a flash. I had pulled it up after me, and locked the door from the top before the others had even realized what I had been doing. Their shouts echoed from below the door, just seconds after I locked it; begging me to come down.

I ignored their pleads and ran to the very back corner of the dusty and dirty room. To the place I had blankets stored, from years before, when I would come up here crying because my mother hit me. I collapsed into the faded blankets, a cloud of dust flew up around me. I didn't care. And unlike years before, no tears came to my eyes as I laid staring at the back of the wall. I closed my eyes from the image of my sister and Chase smashed against each other. Despite everything that had happened today, exhaustion closed around me. I was asleep before I could stop myself.

The nightmare came back.

**********************************************************************

"CHAR! HELP ME!" The voice pierced the air. I opened my eyes, not at all surprised to back in the dark cathedral room. Why should I be shocked, when I had been having the same dream with the same voice for years? Panic filled me as the voice let out a long scream. I ran to a random door and pulled with everything I could, but it wouldn't budge. "CHAR!" The voice was in torture. I whimpered, feeling his own dread fill me.   I bolted to another pure white door, and tugged. It didn't open. I let out a whimper and sprinted to a door at the opposite side of the room. The silence hits me like a truck. It's too quiet. It's never this quiet. A horrible, blood curling yell pierces the air. "CHARLOTTE! HE'S KILLING ME!" There's nothing more I can do. There's no way to get to him in time. I sink to the ground, pulling my knees into my chest as he scream in horrid pain. I can't stand it anymore.   "I'M SORRY! CHASE, I'M SO SORRY!" The scream leaves my mouth. I stop breathing. The familiar voice...it was Chase's. He continues to scream, and as reality rears its ugly fangs at me, I find myself shrieking. *************************************************************************************

I wake up to pitch blackness, screaming at the top of my lungs. The wind rips from my throat as I stumble over to the trap door. I can hear the thumps and shouts coming from downstairs as the others are aroused by my screams. I all but fall from the attic in a fit of terror.  

My sister reaches me first. "Lottie! What's wrong?!" She grabs my shoulders and tries to get me to make eye contact. My cheeks are wet, and I realize that I'm sobbing. I rip her arms off me and spin around, finding the boys clustered around, eyes huge with fear. Chase is standing behind them, hands clenched into fists, looking around for whatever made me scream.  

"Chase," The strangled word managed to come from my mouth. Everyone's watching me, their faces growing even more scared as they see the tears running dripping off my chin. Chase's eyes meet mine, and he opens his arms a moment before I fly into them.

I wrap one arm around his neck, pulling his face into my shoulder. The other arm is around his waist, holding him close to me. I didn't know or care where his arms were on me. I needed to make sure he was really okay, that he wasn't being ripped from me.  

As stupid as it seemed, I had no idea what my feelings were for him. Did I love him? He annoyed the living daylights out of me, was narcissistic and arrogant and I wanted to part of him to be involved with my life...but when no one was noticing he was the sweetest boy I had ever met. Whatever I felt for him would now have to be hidden, anyway, given that he was with my sister.  

All these thoughts raced through my mind as I pulled back and put both of my hands on either side of him face. I touched his cheeks, his nose, ran my hands through his hair, down his neck and shoulders and arms, down his chest and stomach; making sure he was all really there. I was close to hyperventilating as I examined every inch of him. "Oh my God, oh my God," I couldn't stop whispering to seemingly nothing.  

I put my hands back on his cheeks, realizing that I was shaking. Chase's eyes were massive, and extremely concerned. At the same time, there was a desperate lust in his eyes. He put one of his large hands over my shaking on, never breaking eye contact with me. I breathe my first sigh of relief, laying my head on his chest. It's the first time I'm aware of his hands. He runs a soothing hand through my tangled hair, his other arm wraps tighter around my back.

  My sister clears her throat behind me, and I remember that he's now hers. He's hers, and not mine, and for the first time in my life, it breaks my heart.