Blink: 1 (Rebel Minds)

by C. B. Stone

  When we reach the opening, I gasp, stopping abruptly. It’s breath taking. The view spans the entire valley of our small city. The sun is burning just behind the mountains and I feel like I’m in some type of strange dream, at once surreal and yet so real I want to cry. My eyes well up, and he turns to me, his expression puzzled, wiping away the tears on my cheeks with a gentle finger.

  “What’s wrong, Aria? Aren’t you happy? I want you to be happy.” His voice is husky, his gaze soft as he studies my face.

  How do I tell him that me being happy is the problem? I’m so happy I think this must be dream. I’m so happy I want to stop living my life and live this life instead? I stop thinking it and just say it, like his very presence convinces me to be honest no matter what.

  “I am. I’m so happy with you. Is it possible to fall in love this fast?” I laugh, knowing how ridiculous it sounds. The words hang between us, and I stare up at him, my emotions suddenly raw and exposed.

  His face grows serious. “It is.” I see him swallow, like he’s keeping back tears of his own. His jaw clenches and unclenches, and I stare at the tiny muscle that flexes there, the moment heavy between us with things unspoken.

  He tugs me closer and kisses me again, and my mind goes blank. Everything in me is wrapped up in that kiss. Body, mind, soul. I’m his in that moment, and all else in the world is forgotten.

  We break away, and we both stare at each other, breathing hard. He turns to spread the blanket he brought out on the ground. We sink down onto it together, and my heart speeds up. His hands pull me close, his lips tracing warm, tingling paths along my neck. I exhale and all I thought I knew feels like a distant memory.

  After awhile, we stop before going too far, too soon, and he tucks me against him. We lie there together, cuddled close and staring out into rising sun. Birds chirp and sing in the trees around us, and the entire experience feels like some kind of fairy tale.

  Sometimes we talk, sometimes we kiss, other times we are just silent, enjoying the closeness of each other’s company.

  Chapter 7

  We stay there for a long time. I’m not sure how long, but I know that the sun is high in the sky when he finally sits up, pulling me back against him, fingers in my hair.

  “Aria, you are so beautiful.” He whispers it, his lips moving against my hair in light kisses.

  I grin, even though he can’t see it. “You’re kind of beautiful yourself.”

  His chest rumbles with laughter. We both fall silent for a few minutes, content. Then his voice rumbles against me again. “Wanna get married?”

  I sit up abruptly, turning to face him, my dark hair falling around my shoulders in a wild mess. I don’t even care how I must look. I search his eyes to see if he’s serious.

  “Really?”

  “Really.” He reaches out, cupping my face with his hands. They are warm, and strong, slightly rough against my tender skin. He grins at me, the twinkle in his eyes broadcasting his joy. “Nothing could make this day more amazing.”

  I still. Something in his words hits me like a slap to the face. I frown. A day. It’s been one day. Am I insane? I feel like I’m waking abruptly from a fantastical dream—the most perfect, fantastical dream. I glance around at the amazing view, the rumpled blanket, the trees around us, and confusion grows. How did we even get here?

  “Hey, babe, what’s wrong?” His brows dip down, creating wrinkles I want to smooth away with a kiss, but I don’t. I resist the urge with every fiber of my being.

  “I—” What can I say? I want to say yes. I should say yes, but something isn’t right. What isn’t right, Aria? Figure this out, you know something is wrong. I give a hard shake of my head, trying to jostle my brain into working properly.

  Suddenly ground rumbles and I reach out, clutching his arms in a vice-like grip.

  “What was that?” My voice is strained.

  “I don’t know.” His own voice sounds tense, and that makes me feel even worse. He pulls me up to stand with him, wrapping a protective arm around me, and runs his gaze along the tree-line behind us, frowning.

  The ground shakes again and I gasp, my legs feeling wobbly. I look to the cliff in front of us, my heart rate kicking up a notch. We’re not that near to the edge, but suddenly even the ten foot distance is too close. In the pit of my stomach I know we’re in danger.

  Another ominous rumble shakes the ground beneath our feet, spurring me into action. “We’ve got to get out of here. Come on!” I shout.

  He doesn’t move as I tug on his arm.

  “Hold on, Aria.” He looks left and right, his gaze perplexed. “This isn’t right.”

  “I know!” I’m so sure we’re not safe here, I don’t hold any doubt. How, I have no idea. My tone becomes urgent. “Wisdom, we have to go. Trust me, please.” I tug on his arm again, and he finally moves, though still hesitant.

  The earth moves again, and this time the rumble is louder. The shaking is so violent we’re torn apart and thrown to the ground. I cringe when I land on my knees, small rocks biting into my hands. Scrambling to my feet, I turn around frantically, and see Wisdom climbing to his feet, closer to the edge of the cliff than before. The quake must have thrown him off balance and backward. The space between us seems to stretch on endlessly, and adrenaline, coupled with fear, pumps through my veins.

  “Wisdom!” I scream out to him, the tears from earlier stinging again, though I don’t know why. What is going on? I put my hands up, squeezing my temples. My head hurts, pounding and sending blinding shards of light into my eyes, and I bend over in agony, trying to regain my vision.

  The next earthquake starts slow, like the growling of a hungry dog, then turns into a lionlike roar that’s nearly deafening. My vision clears, and I look up and see Wisdom once again scramble to his feet. A look of realization whitens his face, just as a fisher splits the ground between the two of us.

  “No!” Though it feels like a shout in my mind, my voice is small and hollow in my ears. Time slows and all I see are his eyes, those beautiful silvery-blue eyes, drawing me to him and yet clearly warning me to stay put, to not come any closer. My hands cover my mouth, tears streaking down my face as I stand, frozen. I shake my head in mute denial, but heed his warning look and stay where I am, my entire body vibrating with horror. This can’t be happening. This is a nightmare. It’s not right.

  Then… he’s gone.

  “No!” I scream, the sound piercing the air like a bullet. The ground he was standing on fallen from my sight like it never was. Faster than the blink of an eye. And with it, with him, my heart.

  Chapter 8

  “Aria?”

  Sierra’s voice breaks into my mind like light digging through cracks. My eyelids are so heavy I don’t think I can lift them. My mouth feels like it’s glued together and full of sand. I can feel my body, so I must not be dead, but its weight is like lead bricks on a hard bed.

  “Aria, sweetie, it’s me—Sierra.” I hear pain and fear in her voice, tinged with urgency. “Honey, wake up. Please. You can’t leave me here, okay? I need you to stick around awhile. I need you to wake up.”

  Leave her? I battle with my memory, demanding to know what happened to me, but not getting any answers.

  I try lifting my lids again, and this time I see her, blurry and hovering over me like some ghostly apparition.

  “Aria!” Her shout prompts my lids to clamp closed again with an inner wince. I feel her hand on mine, squeezing my fingers in a death vise. “No, no, please wake up, Aria.”

  “Stop yelling then.” The words are raspy, squeezing past the sand in my mouth and a tongue that feels too thick to be mine.

  “Okay, yes. Okay, okay.” She’s crying, her head against my neck. I feel warm wetness drip down my skin. “How dare you scare me like that. Seriously, you could have been killed.”

  Memories flood into my mind with a vengeance. The earthquake. Wisdom. I force my lids back open, fighting their weight and trying to blink away the blurriness. My heart speed
s up, thumping erratically.

  “Where is he? Did they find him?” I gasp the words out, feeling frantic. I have to know where he is.

  “Who?” Sierra sits up and leans back, wiping tears from her face. She searches my eyes, a frown pulling at her lips. “What are you talking about, Aria? Don’t you remember what happened?”

  I cringe, closing my eyes. I remember now. He was there, then he was gone. In less than a blink. “Wisdom. When—where is he?” Tears well up, burning against my eyelids and leaking down the side of my face like wet fire. Is he alive? Did he survive? Did they find his body?

  “Wisdom? What in the world are you talking about?” I open my eyes and meet Sierra’s worried gaze. “Honey, you got hit in the head by a beer bottle in the bar fight last night. Also took a few hits elsewhere. You’re pretty banged up. And really, that is the last time you’re ever playing there. Seriously, maybe even never gigging again. You could have been killed!”

  Bar fight? What?

  “No,” I struggle to swallow, to find my voice, “I—I was with Wisdom. Where is he? What happened to him? They have to find him. He fell—”

  I’m crying, the tears leaking from my eyes faster and faster. A sob gets caught in my throat.

  Sierra steps back, blinking rapidly. “I’m gonna go get the doctor. You’re obviously confused, hun.”

  “Wait—” I reach out my hand weakly, “I don’t remember a fight. I just remember…” I trail off.

  I remember Wisdom. His strong arms wrapped around me. His hot breath whispering over my skin. The intensity of his gaze. The mountains. His proposal.

  My eyelids flutter closed in memory. Wait. Confusion envelopes me. It’s impossible to get to the mountains from town. The truth stops my tears and my mind fights for purchase with the facts. How did we get into the mountains? Had he really proposed? Was I only dreaming?

  Sierra steps closer. “Aria?” She says my name tentatively, her voice tight and laced with concern. “What’s going on? Are you just remembering a dream?”

  I open my eyes again, staring off into space. I swallow the sob still caught in my throat, my body wracked with tiny shudder. “Maybe…maybe it was a dream.” I say the words but I don’t believe them. A dream? It was so real. It couldn’t have been.

  “I’m going to grab the doctor anyway. Just sit tight, sweetie. We’ll figure this out.” She squeezes my hand again and rushes out the door.

  My eyes close involuntarily and I see Wisdom’s handsome features again, plain as day. My mind rejects the story Sierra gave me, grasping onto my memories like a lifeline. He’s real. It wasn’t a dream.

  Chapter 9

  JAMESON

  The smell of baked goods is overwhelming, making my stomach rumble in protest. When was the last time I ate? I can’t even remember. I check my CP, squinting at the screen in the bright sunlight. Why hasn’t anyone ever come up with a cell phone screen you can actually see in the daylight? I squint harder, finally managing to make out the time. Score. I have fifteen minutes before I meet Rox for my weekly check-in.

  I veer to the left, making a beeline for the storefront the enticing aromas are wafting from. The doorbell jingles when I enter, making a cheerful sound. My knees go a little weak, the smell that greets me causing a new wave of hunger. My belly rumbles again. I think I’ll buy the whole store.

  “Morning, what can I do ya for?” The storeowners voice is chipper, tinkling much like the doorbell. I hide a grimace. The sound is overly happy at such an early hour, in my humble opinion.

  “Coffee. And…” I squint at the cases in front of me, the lights highlighting calories, prices, and the regions each of the pastries come from. My belly rumbles louder, and I peruse the spread of goodies, my nose twitching. “Three Hungarian Crepes, one Belgium chocolate muffin, and a Persian Peach tart.”

  “Hungry, eh?” The man behind the counter grins and starts to pull out my order, boxing it up. I grin. “Guilty as charged. I have a weakness for baked goods.”

  I step back, reaching for my wallet in my back pocket. My elbow connects with something directly behind me and I hear a soft grunt.

  “Oh, so sorry.” A woman speaks, the tone soft and smooth as velvet.

  I freeze, not turning around. I close my eyes briefly, squeezing them tight before opening them again. I know that voice.

  She steps to the side, coming up next to me to look at the case. I can feel the warmth of her body radiating into mine, and my breath catches. I can’t move. What is she doing here? She shouldn’t be here. On the heels of that thought is another, questioning whether or I can make it out of the store without her seeing my face or not.

  Not. In the next second she turns toward me. “What’s good he—”

  Her words fade and her eyes widen in shock. She sways slightly, and I resist the instinct to reach out and steady her. I can’t help but search her beautiful face. I see the healing scabs on her forehead where the bottle hit her and my gaze traces the soft curves of her lips. She’s here. In front of me. Real.

  “Wisdom.”

  My name escapes her mouth as a whisper. I clear my throat, shifting uncomfortably on my feet, thinking fast.

  “Jameson. My name’s Jameson. I think you have the wrong person.” I force a wicked grin onto my face. “Though I wish I knew you.” My eyes rove her delicate figure in a rude way, making a deliberate effort to offend her.

  She takes a step back, frowning. She shakes her head, her long dark hair clouding around her shoulders. “No. You’re name’s Wisdom.” Her expression registers confusion.

  “Trust me, babe, my name’s Jameson. I think I’d know my own name.” I curse inwardly. I hate myself for being a jerk.

  “But—”

  The owner shoves my order over the counter, and I hand him my paycard to scan. I snag my receipt and shove it into my pocket, trying not to look as though I’m rushing. “Thanks, man.”

  I flash another grin in her direction. “And believe me, I wouldn’t forget a hottie like you.” I wink and turn my back on her before she has a chance to respond. I stride for the door, my features set in stone at the realization that Aria remembers me. How is that possible?

  Chapter 10

  ARIA

  “Miss? Miss, are you going to order?”

  The store owners words echo somewhere in the distance but all of my focus is on the back of the man walking out the door. The strong, muscled back of the man I could never forget. The man who claims his name is Jameson. The man who I know is named Wisdom.

  “Miss?”

  I turn back to him, frustrated and confused. “Yeah. Give me a minute, will ya?” At the last second I remember my manners and follow up with a “Please.”

  He scowls, but turns to the back counter, giving me the space I need. My mind is swirling with questions. My head still throbs with a dull ache, and I touch the ugly scabs absentmindedly.

  Was I wrong? Did I just see something I only wanted to see?

  The thought crosses my mind that maybe I should ask the store owner if he saw the man too. I cringe. Am I going insane? What would I say? Hey Mr. Shopkeeper… did you just see that ridiculously attractive man walk out of here, or am I crazy?

  I want to laugh, but it’s not funny.

  I turn back to the shopkeeper and order my pastries to go. After paying, I step out into the sunlight, a light breeze wafting across my face, lifting the hair from my neck and making me shiver. I clutch my jean jacket closer to me and head to my car, my mind churning. It’s so strange. I’ve never even been here before and I’m not really sure why I’m here in the first place. I already have a favorite bakery, right next to the park where I like to sit and write songs. But today, for some unexplainable reason, I came here. To a bakery I’ve never even heard of.

  Once in my car I rest my head back against the seat, closing my eyes tiredly. Maybe you are crazy, Aria. Or maybe you’re just seeing what you want to see.

  I want Wisdom to be real more than anything. My mind can’t help but
continue to reject the idea that he was only a dream, like Sierra keeps insisting. Figment of my imagination or not, he’s the man I fell deeply in love with. And the man I lost in one, terrifying instant.

  Chapter 11

  I’ll search the earth, the moon, the stars

  I’ll give away everything that once was ours

  But I’ll never know a thing more true

  As the day I fell in love with you

  The leaves rustling in the trees are my only applause, but I don’t care. I set my guitar on the grass next to me and lie down. My gaze restlessly searches the sky for answers to questions my heart won’t stop asking.

  I penned the words weighing on my soul, just to get them out, but they don’t make me feel any better. Just a little more lost. A little more lonely.

  My lips quirk in a half smile. At least I’m writing. That’s something. The song is coming together, but it still feels incomplete. Like a fairy tale without an ending. I want to find my prince charming. I want to kiss that frog. I wrinkle my nose. No, scratch that, no frogs. But a kiss from a beast could be cool. I roll my eyes at the randomness of my thoughts.

  My stomach grumbles and I shift against the prickly grass, realizing I haven’t eaten in…a long time. Climbing to my feet, I pack up my guitar and start toward my car. I’m just coming around the crumbling walls of the rec house when I slam into someone. More like something—he’s so solid I think I’ve hit a wall for a second. “Oomph!” I almost lose my balance and he puts a hand out to steady me.

  His grip is firm and his hand warm on my bare skin. The jolt of electricity shooting through me at his touch yanks my gaze to his.