Page 67 of The Dare

She looks thoughtful, about to speak again but thinks better of it. Yawning again she curls up next to me. Her head resting on my chest as I cover us both with the blankets.

Once I feel her breathing has slowed to the point of sleep, I move gently and fish for my phone.

Opening my messages, and realizing it’s too late to call, I do something I’ve never done.

I commit to buying via text message.

I can rest a little easier now knowing I’ve made up my mind. And with Natasha’s warm body next to mine, I think about us, and our future family, and the place weallcan and will call home.

Chapter Twenty-One

Natasha

The sound of buzzing stirs me from my dream. A dream I’ve had since I was a little girl.

There’s a wide, wooden porch and an old house in my dream. Like a ranch.

As far as I can see it’s just flat and green, with mountains in the distance.

There’s the honk of a truck's horn, and the doll that I’m holding makes a sound too, a sound that morphs into the buzzing of my phone.

My hand strays to my belly, expecting to feel Michael’s hands still there, but by the sound of running water and the steam mixed with his cologne in the air, I can tell he’s in the shower.

No time for a dream analysis or the fact I’ve had the same dream over and over my whole life…

It’s Suze calling and judging by the light outside, it’s early.

I never get up early as a rule, and the lack of sleep from the train and our bedroom aerobics has me sore in a good but major way.

Before I can even say hi, or ask how everything’s going with Patrick, Suze blurts out everything at once.

Trying to give me an encyclopedia of information in a fortune cookie sized slip of paper.

“Wait a second, Suze.Slow down,” I cry, sitting upright, using one hand to support myself as I feel the pleasant ache between my legs tell me it’ll be around for the next few days at least.

Maybe the rest of my life if we do what we did last night every day.

Suze repeats herself but doesn’t slow down.

“She’s what!” I shriek, almost standing up in a single movement that makes me wince, hearing Michael call out at the same time.

“What’s that?” he asks loudly before going back to humming to himself. The sound of lathered hair being rinsed covering my voice, I hope.

“She’s coming home right now. I missed some calls last night. Patrick and I were… Well, I missed some calls and just now she called. Your mom and your dad, they’re about two hours away, they drove all night.”

I stand, stunned for a moment, Suze asks if I’m still there.

“W-what,” I stammer, frozen for a good few seconds before she urges me to do something.

“I’m getting out while I can,” she snaps. “Patrick’s gone to get his car and we are outta here…”

“Wait,” I cry. “You can’t go. Who will be there when they get back?” I ask, knowing full well now why Suze is calling me.

“Wherever you are, baby girl get your ass back home, okay? Look I gotta run, I’ll text you later. Keep me posted,” she says swiftly before hanging up.

And just as quickly as one dream was interrupted, another is threatened to be shattered.

Crap.