“I’ll let you rest for a bit.” Norma smiled and turned to leave.
“Mom,” she called out.
“Yes, honey.” Her mother grasped the empty cup in one hand and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with the other.
“Do you love Stephan?”
Her mother gasped. She placed the cup on the chest of drawers and then sat down at the edge of the bed. “That’s a strange question to ask.”
“Do you, though?” Aspen insisted.
Norma gazed up at the ceiling and thought for a bit. “I suppose I have to. Don’t I?”
“No, you don’t. You don’t have to do something you don’t want to,” she whispered. Turning on her side, she held her mother’s hand in hers.
“Oh, really? Well, just remember you said that.” Her mother grinned and playfully pinched Aspen’s cheek, then tucked the quilt under her body and rose from the bed.
“Don’t worry so much, honey. Things will be fine. Just rest, okay?” Norma blew a kiss at her and pulled the door shut as she left the room.
Aspen jumped up and switched off the light before she slipped back under the covers. Not really sleepy, she lay there thinking about Miriam, and Dylan, and her strange dreams.
Soon Stephan’s bike roared into the garage, and she winced when his voice rose in anger at her mother. She couldn’t hear exactly what was being said since he was downstairs, but it couldn’t have been good.
Miriam’s bedroom door slammed shut an hour later, and she shouted, “Great, now my TV isn’t working. Did the brat come into my room tonight?”
This was followed by more shouts and door slamming. Aspen squeezed her eyes shut and clutched the quilt firmly, angry at the way she and her mother were treated.
After a while, the house became quiet again. In the pitch dark, she finally drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 5
First Bolt
“Where were you at lunchtime?”
Aspen opened her eyes and felt the soft green grass under her hands. She blinked at the two shapes above her and sat up. Sandy and Dylan looked down at her.
The sky was a familiar lemon color, and the air was pleasantly warm. It was so nice here; she wouldn’t mind having this dream every night, even though she kept dreaming of people at her school.
“Hello. I’m back again,” she said as she smiled at them.
Sandy frowned. “I waited for you.”
“Leave her alone, it wasn’t her fault.” Dylan glared at the tiny girl. Her long blond hair was braided, and she wore a faded pair of jeans and a dark brown shirt.
Standing up, Aspen dusted herself off and looked at her surroundings. A gently sloping hill lay before them. It was blanketed in a forest of pine, birch, and sugar maple trees. Patches of red soil broke the line of grass just before it reached the trees. A narrow trail spiraled between the thick foliage and disappeared up the hill.
She felt more confident in her dream and turned to study Dylan openly. It was just a dream, after all. It would be over soon.
He had finely chiseled cheekbones and a strong jaw. His lips were full and expressive, and thick eyelashes rimmed his eyes. Black hair completed the almost painfully good-looking picture, and her heart fluttered as he stared straight back at her. She reached up and ran her fingertips along his collarbone, and shivered as prickles of pleasure danced across her skin.
He stared at her bemusedly.
“I like the way you make me feel,” she whispered. “All tingly inside.”
“Aspen!” Sandy exclaimed in shock.
Aspen shrugged. “It’s true. This is just a dream, so I don’t mind saying it.” She turned to face Sandy. “I don’t feel anything when I touch your skin, but touching Dylan makes me feel good.”
“Well, someone’s going to regret saying those words soon.” Sandy rolled her eyes and grinned broadly.
Dylan ignored Sandy and stepped closer to Aspen. “I broke her TV. Did that make you feel good too?” He took her hand and rubbed his thumb up and down her wrist.
Aspen closed her eyes and soaked up the sensation. Then realizing he’d asked her a question, she said, “Excuse me, but whose TV did you break?”
“Miriam’s. She’ll have to wait until tomorrow before it can be fixed. Did you like that?”
“Yeah, cool. Thanks.” Her dreams were getting better all the time. Even her clothes were playing the game—the skirt had been replaced by a tight pair of jeans, which looked good tucked into a pair of hiking boots.
Sandy smirked and said, “Come on, Ms. Walker, time for your training. We’ve been waiting for you forever.” She motioned for Aspen to follow her, and Dylan released her hand. She missed the contact with his skin as soon as he’d let go.