Read Online Dream Lover by Kristina Wright (ed) - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kristina Wright (ed)
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for Chrissake and still believed in Santa Claus.
And it had been years since she’d felt even a whisper of anything. Except for when Elisha got pregnant and tried to hide the fact. Faith had been taking her to school one morning,
and as the sun broke over the mountains and light fell on her cousin’s belly, Faith had seen the baby shape and known. When Elisha protested, demanding to know how Faith had figured it out when she’d only just known for sure herself, Faith had shrugged, answered that Elisha was showing. But maybe it had just been a lucky guess.
Anyway, if it had been real, she couldn’t use it—whatever it was. Not anymore. She didn’t know how to wield it.
“You can,” he said. The man in the dream. “You’ll find a way. We need you, girl.”
He called her name. Not Faith, but her name in a tongue she didn’t herself know. The wind repeated it, whipping around and around, a cat chasing its tail, a vortex spinning faster and faster until she couldn’t hold on, until it sent her tumbling.
For the second time in a week Faith woke up on the floor, swore, and decided she needed to go back to her grandmother’s. She needed someone to talk to about this, before she completely lost her mind.
Linda Jade hadn’t said anything on the phone and she didn’t say anything as she opened the door, except to ask Faith how she was. But she looked at Faith from the corner of her eyes.
“David’s here,” she added as she started walking toward the kitchen, and Faith headed for the stairs to put her overnight bag away.
Faith stopped. “David?”
Linda Jade nodded. “Came by to bring me some sod for that side plot the dog messed up. Told him to stay for lunch.”
“But you knew I was coming!”
Her grandmother nodded, as if that explained everything.
“Figured you might wanna see him.”
And before Faith could utter a word of protest, she turned and
shuffled toward the kitchen with sudden agility. Finding herself defeated, Faith gaped at the empty doorway for a second more, then shook her head and went upstairs to put her bag down.
She didn’t want to see David again, not after the last time when he’d stormed out of her apartment, still shirtless. That was when she’d flung her slippers after him and told him to go, that if he was going to behave like a little boy she didn’t need him; knowing she’d been wrong for it. All he’d asked for was the chance to stay longer than a night, to see where it might go if she let it; to be more in her life than her occasional fuckbuddy. For stuff another woman would have been begging or demanding or nagging to have, she’d chased him off with slippers.
Sighing, Faith straightened her blouse, made sure it was buttoned up decently and walked down to the kitchen. David turned from where he sat at the table and raised both hands in a mock-protective gesture, grinning at her.
“Don’t throw anything. I promise to behave.”
Faith stopped, looked at him for a second or two and laughed.
“Shut up!” She came to sit at the table across from him. “I’m not in a throwin’ mood.”
“Good.”
“’Specially not in my kitchen,” Linda Jade added, before promptly shuffling back out.
Faith looked down at her hands, out the window. Finally she looked back at the man sitting across from her. He’d put on a little weight, but his long hair pulled back in a ponytail was still thick and glossy. His chest still looked rock solid under his T-shirt.
“So how’s life treatin’ ya?” she asked.
He shrugged, wide shoulders moving smoothly under the hugging cotton.
“Can’t complain. Was about to ask you the same. You look good, Faith.” He hadn’t lost an ounce of charm either.
“Thanks.”
She fiddled with a potato peeler on the table and wondered what to say next. Images of her dream visitor’s face filled her mind, his voice strange and echoing as if he spoke to her through a tunnel, yet deep and melodic like a flute—the kind of voice
And it had been years since she’d felt even a whisper of anything. Except for when Elisha got pregnant and tried to hide the fact. Faith had been taking her to school one morning,
and as the sun broke over the mountains and light fell on her cousin’s belly, Faith had seen the baby shape and known. When Elisha protested, demanding to know how Faith had figured it out when she’d only just known for sure herself, Faith had shrugged, answered that Elisha was showing. But maybe it had just been a lucky guess.
Anyway, if it had been real, she couldn’t use it—whatever it was. Not anymore. She didn’t know how to wield it.
“You can,” he said. The man in the dream. “You’ll find a way. We need you, girl.”
He called her name. Not Faith, but her name in a tongue she didn’t herself know. The wind repeated it, whipping around and around, a cat chasing its tail, a vortex spinning faster and faster until she couldn’t hold on, until it sent her tumbling.
For the second time in a week Faith woke up on the floor, swore, and decided she needed to go back to her grandmother’s. She needed someone to talk to about this, before she completely lost her mind.
Linda Jade hadn’t said anything on the phone and she didn’t say anything as she opened the door, except to ask Faith how she was. But she looked at Faith from the corner of her eyes.
“David’s here,” she added as she started walking toward the kitchen, and Faith headed for the stairs to put her overnight bag away.
Faith stopped. “David?”
Linda Jade nodded. “Came by to bring me some sod for that side plot the dog messed up. Told him to stay for lunch.”
“But you knew I was coming!”
Her grandmother nodded, as if that explained everything.
“Figured you might wanna see him.”
And before Faith could utter a word of protest, she turned and
shuffled toward the kitchen with sudden agility. Finding herself defeated, Faith gaped at the empty doorway for a second more, then shook her head and went upstairs to put her bag down.
She didn’t want to see David again, not after the last time when he’d stormed out of her apartment, still shirtless. That was when she’d flung her slippers after him and told him to go, that if he was going to behave like a little boy she didn’t need him; knowing she’d been wrong for it. All he’d asked for was the chance to stay longer than a night, to see where it might go if she let it; to be more in her life than her occasional fuckbuddy. For stuff another woman would have been begging or demanding or nagging to have, she’d chased him off with slippers.
Sighing, Faith straightened her blouse, made sure it was buttoned up decently and walked down to the kitchen. David turned from where he sat at the table and raised both hands in a mock-protective gesture, grinning at her.
“Don’t throw anything. I promise to behave.”
Faith stopped, looked at him for a second or two and laughed.
“Shut up!” She came to sit at the table across from him. “I’m not in a throwin’ mood.”
“Good.”
“’Specially not in my kitchen,” Linda Jade added, before promptly shuffling back out.
Faith looked down at her hands, out the window. Finally she looked back at the man sitting across from her. He’d put on a little weight, but his long hair pulled back in a ponytail was still thick and glossy. His chest still looked rock solid under his T-shirt.
“So how’s life treatin’ ya?” she asked.
He shrugged, wide shoulders moving smoothly under the hugging cotton.
“Can’t complain. Was about to ask you the same. You look good, Faith.” He hadn’t lost an ounce of charm either.
“Thanks.”
She fiddled with a potato peeler on the table and wondered what to say next. Images of her dream visitor’s face filled her mind, his voice strange and echoing as if he spoke to her through a tunnel, yet deep and melodic like a flute—the kind of voice
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