Love Me, Dreamy: A YA Paranormal Romance with Breathtaking Twists

by Laura Burton

  “Come home with me,” he whispered. Amelia wasn’t sure if it was because of the curious recent events that had obscured her sense of reality, or perhaps their pretend play as they danced in the park to the brass band that left her wondering what was normal anymore. All rationale left her mind as she actually considered Toby’s offer, then with a cheeky grin, she nodded her head and simply answered, “All right, only if you promise to take me to one of your ‘proper’ lakes.”

  Toby grinned, kissing her once more.

  Chapter Eight

  A Golden State

  Amelia stood outside the airport in California holding a small carry-on bag in her arms like it was a newborn baby. Yellow taxi cabs lined the sidewalk, and there were floods of people filing in and out of them. A huge coach rolled in and parked beside a line of passengers who were waiting by a bus stop in groups.

  Tall tropical trees sat uniformly in a straight line across the road in front of another airport building sporting large pane windows. The air was full of hot vapour, which made Amelia’s lungs sore with every inhale. She looked over at Toby, who swept his hair to the side and looked relaxed, totally at home. He flagged down a taxi and the two of them climbed in before Amelia could take in any more of their surroundings.

  “Welcome to San Diego!” Toby exclaimed as the driver pulled off and they trundled down the road. Amelia looked out of the window and gazed in awe at the tall palm trees as they passed by. She noticed the sky was the brightest shade of blue she had ever seen. The golden sunshine cast a bright yellow shine over the clean-cut buildings as though she was looking at everything with a cheery filter.

  “This is where you’re from?” Amelia turned back to Toby and gave him a look of surprise. He nodded smugly and shifted in his seat as he fastened a seatbelt.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied. The taxi sped through the traffic, darting in and out of slower lanes and made good progress to the freeway. A single lane appeared to be the size of two English lanes, and cars were overtaking each other on both sides, rather than only on the right, as was custom in England. There were billboards overhead every quarter mile. Amelia stared at them as they passed. Lawyers, dentists, medication and elderly care homes seemed to be popular advertisements. They came across five fast-food establishments in the short distance from the airport to the suburban streets near Toby’s home.

  “Is there anything I need to prepare for? Is your mum okay with me being here?” Amelia asked nervously. It seemed like snakes were writhing in her stomach and her mouth became dry as the taxi manoeuvred the streets. The houses were huge, with large concrete driveways and neatly-trimmed hedges lining the streets. Outside every house sat a mailbox standing on a stick, just like the ones Amelia had seen in movies. The taxi slowed down and came to a halt outside a large house and Toby opened his door.

  “We’re here. This is home,” he said as he got out of the car. Toby walked around the back of the taxi and opened Amelia’s door. She took his hand as he helped her to stand up and she looked up at the suburban house before her. There was a small porch, with a double seat swing and wooden front door—a stark contrast to the white rendering of the house.

  “It’s a beautiful home. What did you say your mum did for work again?” Amelia asked as Toby paid the driver and picked up their bags.

  “This is my house. My mom lives with me,” Toby explained proudly. Amelia gave him a look of suspicion and a sudden flashback of the creepy men in dark suits came to the forefront of her mind.

  “Please tell me you’re not a drug dealer,” she said with a hint of amusement. She was almost sure he was not involved with shady drug deals, but then she still could not understand why they had been followed by those terrifying men. And why weird things happened when they were around.

  “No.” Toby laughed as he shook his head and walked up to the driveway to the front door. Amelia smoothed down her chiffon blouse and pulled the waist up on her black trousers. Her hair was neatly tied up into an oversize bun sitting on the top of her head, and not so much as a strand of hair was out of place. She was nervous to meet Toby’s mother and hopeful she didn’t do anything to embarrass herself. The door swung open and the two of them walked over the threshold. Amelia gasped as she looked inside. The entrance hall was bigger than her whole apartment, with high ceilings and a double staircase on both sides of the hall. The floor was shiny and looked like it was made of sandy-coloured marble. An elaborate rug sat beneath a beautiful black baby grand piano to the right and an ornate French-looking couch sat on the opposite side.

  “This is amazing.” She gasped as she lifted her eyes to see an extravagant chandelier hanging from the upper floor. The hall opened out to an open-plan kitchen and a few six panel wooden doors, perhaps leading to more rooms. Amelia decided to settle on the theory that Toby was a prince, or he was a spy. The house was like something off a movie set.

  “Welcome to my home,” Toby said simply. Then he spread his arms out and jumped up and down on the spot.

  “Toffee! Come over here! Nice to see you, bud.” Amelia craned her neck left and right to see what or who Toby was talking to, when she suddenly noticed a small tortoise-shell cat curled up nose to tail on the upholstered piano stool. Toby marched over and tickled under the cat’s narrow chin. Toffee purred loudly and rolled over onto his back with a look of serenity. Amelia followed Toby and stooped down to admire the feline. He had white paws that were hugging Toby’s arm. His amber eyes looked like they were trying to tell her something important. She leaned in closer and gazed in awe at this gorgeous cat, when suddenly a white paw lashed out at her outstretched arm and a claw penetrated the skin.

  “Ouch!” Amelia yelped as she backed away. The cat gave her a filthy look and flipped back over, then simpered off towards the kitchen with his tail held high. Toby shook his head and laughed.

  “That’s the thing about cats, we love them more than they love us,” he said as he took Amelia’s arm and studied the wound. Despite there being a small puncture in the skin, she did not bleed.

  “Right…,” Amelia said hesitantly, looking at her arm in surprise. Toby picked up her bag.

  “Come on, let me show you to your room.”

  Amelia clutched her arm and kicked off her shoes as Toby bounded up the oak staircase. The temperature was ice cold inside the house, which was a stark contrast to the furnace outside. There were small metal vents in the walls that shot out blasts of cool air conditioning, and there was a sterile smell in the home. Amelia wondered if they had an air purifying system. As they reached the top of the stairs, Amelia looked down at the plush cream carpet beneath her feet and wriggled her toes into the pile. She looked up to see that a strip of landing ran like a semi-circle to the second staircase at the opposite end of the room and three sets of large oak doors stood uniformly to the right. Toby opened the doors in front of the staircase, and it led to a small hall. Amelia followed Toby, unable to speak as she looked around. There were cheerful pieces of artwork on the walls and a small writing desk sat by a tall window at the far end of the hall. “This was my grandfather’s writing room. When he was buried into a novel, he would sleep in this room and write his manuscript, sitting at that tiny desk looking out at the garden.”

  “Really? But it’s such a small space, compared to the rest of the house,” Amelia remarked.

  Toby shrugged. “I guess he preferred it, maybe it kept him from getting distracted.”

  Toby pushed open another set of double doors and pulled Amelia’s bag into the bedroom. There was a large four poster bed with very plain sheets and large ivory throw pillows propped up at the headboard. An old armchair sat by the large pane windows framed by long white drapes. They were transparent and the sunlight shone through them filtering the yellow light to a beautiful white shine. There was a coat stand in one corner of the room and a whole wall of built-in wardrobes. The room had a faint aroma of peppermint and Amelia was suddenly transported back into her past as she was reminded of her grandma.


  “This is beautiful.” She sighed as she closed her eyes and savoured the smell.

  “So, this house is—was—your grandfather’s?” Amelia asked.

  Toby whistled. “Long story there, my mom came to live here when I was a baby and she cared for my grandfather until he passed away when I was a toddler. He disapproved of the circumstances of my birth, so he cut mom out of the will and left the house to me.”

  Amelia gasped.

  “What do you mean, circumstances—”

  “Born out of wedlock. It didn’t help that my dad just upped and ran when he found out my mom was pregnant.” He shrugged.

  “So, this house is mine, and I let my mom live here for as long as she needs.”

  “How thoughtful,” Amelia said sarcastically. “You’re still a teenager, though. What you really mean is that you let your mum live here to look after you.”

  “I’m not a teenager!” Toby replied affronted. “I’ll be twenty soon.”

  “Until then, you’re nineteen.” Amelia smirked. Then her smile faded as she remembered their kiss in Pittville Park. Oh no, I kissed a teenager. That is so wrong. There was an awkward moment when neither Toby nor Amelia said anything and seemed to be lost inside their own thoughts. Suddenly a meow broke the silence and Toffee strolled into the bedroom and leaped up onto the bed. The tortoiseshell cat acted coy and stretched his white paws out into the sky and wriggled into the bed sheets. Toby smiled broadly and tickled the cat’s belly as he spoke in a baby voice.

  “I have missed you, Toffee, yes I did, yes I did. Life is just so boring without you.”

  Amelia hugged her arm close to her chest as she kept a safe distance from the bed and watched.

  “Are you tired?” Toby said suddenly. His blue eyes scanned Amelia’s face as if he was trying to find any signs of fatigue. Amelia thought for a moment; she was a little tired. She wasn’t sure what time it was, because of the time difference, and she couldn’t even remember the last time she properly slept. She gave a little nod and Toby scooped up the cat in his arms. Toffee made a screech of protest and squirmed.

  “Come on, Toffee, let’s leave Amelia to have her beauty sleep,” he said in the same baby voice. Once he reached the door, he turned on the spot and looked at her tentatively. Amelia stared back, still holding her arm in a death grip and lost for words.

  “I’ll see you later, then? I’ll take you to the beach when you’re feeling up for a little adventure,” Toby said, bouncing on his feet and rocking his cat like it was a baby. Amelia shot him a sarcastic smile.

  “Toby, I live right on the beach.”

  “You think that’s a beach? I’ll show you what a real beach looks like. Spoiler alert—the sand isn’t brown.” With that, Toby closed the door with his foot and Amelia was left alone in the massive bedroom.

  Chapter Nine

  Painful Memories

  Searing pain shot up Amelia’s arm as the cold water made contact with the place Toffee clawed her skin. She grumbled to herself as she fiddled with the chrome shower faucet and tried to work out which way was hot. Amelia didn’t know how long she had slept, but the sky was dark outside, and her dreamless sleep had her waking up disorientated and confused. It felt like she hadn’t slept at all, but the lack of sunlight suggested otherwise. In her hasty attempt to pack for the trip, Amelia failed to locate her phone, so she was left without any means of communication or ability to find out the time. She stood under the warm shower with her brain in turmoil, two conflicting thoughts battling.

  What are you doing here, Amelia? Are you mad? You have no phone, no one knows you’re here, and do you really know this guy? Kid, rather. This is the most stupid thing you’ve ever done.

  Who am I kidding? It’s been so many years since I’ve done anything remotely exciting, and what’s the alternative? Stay in murky Weston-Super-Mare with no friends, writing mundane stories for the local paper and pretend that my boring existence has some meaning?

  But this is wrong, he’s a baby. He’s getting carried away with his emotions, and you are leading him on! Where do you think this will go? Age gap aside, he lives in California. You live in England. This isn’t going to work.

  So what? No reason I can’t have a bit of fun! I’ve never been to America before. It’s a holiday. Okay, so when the holiday is over, I might have to say goodbye to Toby and let him go to live his life… but there’s no reason I can’t enjoy the time I have with him now!

  Careful, Amelia, you’re playing with fire, and if you’re not careful you’re going to get burnt.

  “Ouch!” Amelia said as she sucked in a sharp intake of breath between her teeth. The water was now piping hot and was like daggers on her skin. She jumped out of the shower and stretched awkwardly around the spray to turn off the faucet. The water stopped running and Amelia’s tortured mind continued to battle as she dried off with one of the plush towels in the marble bathroom, then put on a yellow summer dress. She dried her hair and put it up into a thick messy bun and pulled on a white cardigan, then applied a small amount of mascara to make her lashes stand out. Amelia did not like to wear heavy amounts of make-up. With her dark curly hair and freckles on her nose and cheeks, she felt that she looked her best with minimal colours on her face. Sometimes, she would try a plum lipstick, but she hated the way it felt on her lips, and the fact that it transferred to her teeth, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it. Her grandma did not care for make-up either, and without a mother or any sisters to teach her, she was not very skilled at application.

  She stepped into a pair of silver sequin sandals and crossed the huge bedroom and opened one of the oak doors to peek outside. She tiptoed across the dark hall and pressed an ear to the doors leading to the landing. She couldn’t hear anything, so she pulled open the door and walked out. The double oak doors right across the landing were ajar and Amelia wondered if that was Toby’s bedroom. She held her breath and gripped the wooden banister that stretched across the landing to see another hallway. This one had a large bookcase across the wall and the double doors to the bedroom were closed. There was a strip of golden light underneath the lip of the doors and a shadow moving side to side. She could just make out a murmuring sound and had a mental picture of Toby pacing the room. Amelia knew better than to eavesdrop, but curiosity got the better of her.

  “Tell me what you want me to do.” The floor boards creaked and Amelia could hear heavy footsteps pacing back and forth.

  “I can’t do that… no, you’re not telling me I don’t have a choice.” Silence followed for a few moments, then she heard him ask, “Can you tell them that I’m trying my best?”

  Amelia frowned. Them? Is he talking to his bodyguards?

  “Look, I need some more time. Just leave Amelia alone for a bit. You’re freaking her out. She doesn’t know.” Amelia closed her eyes to concentrate on the sound of his voice, so as not to miss a word over the sounds of his pacing the wooden floor.

  “I know, look I know, but I can’t go yet. I need you to just tell them all to back off for a bit. I’ll come when I’m ready.” Then there was silence.

  Amelia leaned back from the door and tiptoed out of the hall and leaned against the banister on the landing. The door opened swiftly, and Amelia jumped at the sound of approaching footsteps.

  “Hey, you’re awake!” Toby said brightly, smoothing out his wavy hair as he spoke. He was wearing a pair of plain blue shorts and a white T-shirt. Amelia blushed as her mind worked quickly to think up a reason why she might be standing outside his bedroom door. Had he suspected she was there? Did he know she could hear him?

  “Oh, yes, sorry. I heard you on the phone so waited out here….” She trailed off, quite unconvincingly. She was never good at lying.

  “Ah, yes, well that was—”

  “Work?” Amelia offered tentatively. Toby grinned and pointed at her. “Yeah! That’s it,” he said his face flushed. He looked around the dark landing, perhaps searching for something to distract Amelia from asking any questions.
>
  “Do you want to take a swim?” he asked hopefully. Amelia raised her eyebrows.

  “Now? This late?” she asked as she peered over the edge of the banister. She could just make out the crescent-shaped window above the front doors and see pitch black darkness outside.

  “Sure, I mean, it’ll be light soon. It’s just after five-thirty in the morning,” Toby said confidently as he marched forward and descended the staircase. Amelia followed quietly.

  “Anyway, it’s a heated pool, so no freezing water to ruin your experience this time,” he joked, hinting at the last time they attempted to go swimming together. The Roman baths. Amelia smiled fondly at the memory.

  “You’re right,” she said as they reached the bottom of the staircase. Toby turned to look at her, his smile was serene and gentle.

  “About what?” he asked. Amelia placed her hand on on his arm and gave him a meaningful look. She tried to search his eyes for any sign that he might be insincere, but she could only see warmth.

  “I wasn’t sure if coming here was the right thing to do. You said it would be fun and you’re right,” she said softly. Toby grinned smugly and gestured her to follow as he strolled out to the sliding doors in the kitchen.

  “We haven’t even done anything yet,” he said as he flipped a switch and pulled open the sliding door. Amelia gasped to see the outside pool area illuminated with white fairy lights. The pool spanned across the entire width of the house, surrounded by smooth marble stone tiles and deck chairs. There were green pool lights that turned the dark water into a transcendental realm. It could have been the opening to a new dimension for all Amelia knew. The reflection of the twinkling fairy lights across the water surface made it look like it was made of stars.

  “Wow.” Amelia slipped her foot out of a sandal and dipped her big toe into the pool, casting sparkling ripples across to the other side. The water was warm and invited her in. She took off the other sandal and pulled up her dress to above the knee and sat on the poolside with her calves fully immersed. Without saying a word, Toby took his T-shirt off and dived into the pool creating a gigantic wave, which crashed over Amelia, soaking her. She coughed and spluttered as she tried to drag wet strands of hair away from her face, then blinked the water drops out of her lashes.