Page 12 of Dream (Fighting Fate)

I turned to face him, but I kept moving just the same, choosing to walk backwards instead of stopping. “It was perfect. Right up until the part where I woke up feeling like I was in the Antarctic.” I laughed at myself under my breath. I knew I must’ve looked like an idiot, so I wasn’t going to pretend I didn’t.

He laughed in response, his eyes sparkling with something I didn’t quite understand. I was so out of my depth. Giving him one last smile, I spun around and kept going.

Shaking the sand off my legs and feet, I stepped into the wet room, and turned on the shower, washing myself off as best I could. When I was done, I wrapped one of Aunt Jenny’s massive bath sheets around me and headed up to my room to change. I was about halfway up when I heard my cell phone ringing.

“Crap!” Dashing the rest of the way, I scooped it off the nightstand and pressed it to my ear. “Hello?” I said, my breath coming fast.

“Hey, precious. It’s just me.”

I recognized Aunt Jenny’s voice immediately. “Hey. How’s work going?”

She groaned. “It’s a complete fuck-up. Sorry for swearing, but it really is. I’m going to be super late. There’s a menu for Chang’s Chinese on the fridge. Order whatever you want. They’ll charge it to my card.”

“It’s okay. I can make something.”

“All right. You decide. If you can’t be bothered, just order in. I don’t mind,” she said in a rush. The phone crackled a little before I heard her muffled voice. “Jeremy, just archive it. It’s not that hard. Oh, for crying out loud.” She sighed into the phone. “I’m sorry, Liv.”

“It’s okay, but things sound a little stressed there. If you’re running too late, just stay there tonight. I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t want to leave you there alone, precious.”

I didn’t have the heart to point out that she kind of already had. “I’m a big girl, Aunt Jenny. I know how to lock a door. Trust me. Besides, I’ll be practically living alone soon anyway.”

She laughed a little, but it was strained. “All right. I’ll text you later and let you know what I’m doing. Love you.”

“Love you too. Go whip everyone into line.”

“Oh, I will be. Don’t you worry about that!” she said. “Talk soon. Bye.”

As she ended the call, I shook my head and tossed my cell onto the bed. As much as I thought Aunt Jenny had done well for herself, I would never choose to have such a high-pressure job. Writing was my style, and I would be happy if I made enough from it to put a roof over my head and food on my table.

My mind ran over lunch possibilities as I changed into some dry clothes. I knew there was some rice in the fridge. I could whip up some fried rice for myself, no problem at all. My stomach grumbled with agreement, settling it.

Hanging my bikini in the bathroom, I skipped down the stairs, and tossed the rice into the microwave. As I swung around the counter to fetch some eggs, the doorbell rang.

I frowned. I didn’t know why the thought of someone being at the door freaked me out, but it did. Cautiously, I made my way to the oversize door and peeked through the peephole, my heart rate slightly faster than usual. The sight of a guy and girl with a baby in her arms confused me, until I remembered Aunt Jenny’s spying on the house next door.

Opening the door, I gave the couple a confused but pleasant smile. “Hello?”

The guy smiled. It was warm and friendly, and immediately relaxed me. “Hi. I’m Daniel, and this is my wife, Amy. We’re staying next door,” he said. “We just wanted to say hi, seeing as we’re sharing a beach and all.”

“Oh, of course,” I said, extending my hand out to shake. “I’m Olivia. Nice to meet you.” I smiled at the little doll in Amy’s arms. “She’s so adorable.”

Amy beamed. “This is our daughter, Mae.”

“She’s beautiful. How old is she?”

“She’s almost eight months, but she was a preemie, so she’s small for her age,” Amy said, smiling down at her daughter. It was obvious she adored her.

They were the cutest little family I’d seen.

“Are you here for long?” Daniel asked as he placed his finger in Mae’s tiny hand.

“A month or so,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I’m just staying with my aunt until my parents get here.”

“Nice,” Amy said. “We’re not sure how long we’re staying for yet. I hope it’s that long. I love it here.”

“Yeah, it sure is beautiful,” I said in full agreement.

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