She fumbled with the keys, managed to put the right one in the keyhole and she practically fell through the door. He did not like to use mind control, but in this case it was warranted. The last thing he needed was Caitlin’s best friend badmouthing him for rejecting her advances. He made his way to the end of the terrace on the opposite side of the road, leapt up and hid amongst the old chimney stacks. Then he made his way over to the one facing their house.
He had been reduced to stalking. He needed to know if Caitlin was with the boyfriend. It had been bugging him all night. He clenched his fists. He could not do this. He made his way back to the end of the terrace, leapt down and decided to go for a walk – a long one.
An hour later he returned, unable to keep away. A light was on in one of the bedrooms. A huge oak tree stood majestically opposite the house, but it had no leaves to give him any cover. He retraced his steps and resumed his position amongst the chimney stacks of the opposite Victorian house. From the vantage point he could see Caitlin on her bed, as he suspected she was not alone. They were lying down together – still clothed. That was a relief. The boyfriend was holding her against him as they watched something, probably television. It should have been him with her. A jealous rage overcame him and he fought against the urge to go over and get rid of whoever it was.
This was the reason she was ignoring him – he was the reason.
As he mulled over what he should do, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he saw them kissing just as the lights turned off.
A split second later he was on his feet. If anyone looked up now they would see him standing on the roof. He did not care. Taking a leap of faith he lunged towards the roof of her house and flew across the road. He landed in silence. He did not know he could do that. Hunched against the roof tiles, he concentrated hard to hear what he knew he should run away from. The sound of kissing became audible and he groaned. It was leading to more. His expression pained as he heard someone else make love to his woman.
A few minutes later he raised his head in surprise.
She had uttered a name.
His.
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Chapter 28
Caught Out
In a dazed state, Caitlin noticed Daniel freeze.
Daniel frowned, rolled off her and stared up at the ceiling. ‘Who’s Steven?’
‘What?’ she asked, just as confused.
‘Steven, you just said Steven,’ he repeated, anger starting to seep into his tone.
‘I don’t know why I said that. It-it just popped out of my mouth. I swear I don’t know anyone called that. I don’t know why I just said that.’ Her thoughts were in disarray.
Daniel barely moved a muscle. ‘Can you turn the light on?’
The moment was gone. He was not buying it. She thought she remembered Steven, but there was no way she’d admit her bizarre dreams.
‘Sure,’ she replied. She reached out whilst holding the covers over herself.
As the light came on, they momentarily squinted and an awkward silence ensued.
‘Can I ask you something?’ Daniel asked, bitter. ‘Have you slept with someone before?’
Caitlin could not believe she was hearing right. ‘What do you mean? As in, have I done it before?’
Daniel sat up and folded his arms. ‘Yes.’
‘No, of course not, you’re the first.’ Now it was her turn to get angry. She could not believe what he was insinuating.
‘The thing is,’ he started. He sounded suspicious. ‘It did not feel like that was your first time. Trust me I have been with someone who was a virgin and you are not. It sounded like this Steven was the guy who popped your cherry.’
‘What are you saying? Are you calling me a liar?’ She sat up, appalled. She could feel the constriction on her throat as the tears welled up.
He turned away from her and put his feet on the floor. ‘You say you haven’t been with anyone when it’s pretty obvious you have.’
‘How is it obvious?’ she retorted, angry now.
Daniel focused on the window, ‘Are you bleeding?’
‘I don’t know, err…no, I don’t think so. What does that have to do with it?’
‘You should have been, if it was your first time.’ The reply was to the point. He got off the bed; put his pants and trousers back on and started to button his shirt. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come. I’ll go back and leave you to think about things. For now though, we’re over. I don’t like to be deceived.’
This was desperate. She had no idea what had just happened. ‘Please, don’t go, I don’t know who Steven is…,’ she said. In mid plea, her expression changed as she saw the face in her mind. The face she loved. A face she knew well. It did not make sense. It was Steven, or was it Simon? It was so confusing. Yet, the face had been a dream, nothing more. She was still a virgin. Nothing made sense.
Daniel grimaced as he studied her confusion.
When the door slammed shut, she threw her face in her hands and crawled in a ball under her covers. The sound of the front door slamming resounded in her head. How had a magical night gone so wrong? She felt like she was going crazy.
***
Steven watched Daniel storm out of the entrance and drive off in his car. A smile inadvertently graced his face. At least he was out of the picture now. He yearned to comfort Caitlin, to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to explain that she was not insane. He knew he had been right to come back for her, it was not over. If only he could tell her the truth.
Suddenly, the obvious hit and he laughed.
There was nothing to stop him from telling her the truth. Only the truth could get him back into her heart. He knew a way to get her to remember, he had known how to do it for some time now. He just did not realise its potential. It had to be worth a try.
Caitlin’s tears ebbed and became a muffled moan. He heard Gemma stumble in to comfort her, but in her inebriated state she was not the most sympathetic. Caitlin told her she was fine and just wanted to be alone. He heard Gemma yelp as she bashed into something a minute later. Shortly after, the light went out.
Steven was tired of sitting on the roof. Indecision clouded his judgment. The black clear sky dotted with twinkling lights above was fascinating; he had studied all of the star systems several times. He had to wait. Soon, she would be fast asleep. He longed to see her peaceful face.
He eased off the roof and climbed towards the window ledge outside her room. He was amazed at the amount of grip his fingertips had against the walls. He made a quick decision and pushed up the sash window. It made a loud cracking sound as it opened. He looked around and climbed in quickly. Then he lowered it again, it made less noise now. He stood frozen by the window and listened. All he could hear was Caitlin’s steady breathing.
He tiptoed over to the bed. She was lying on her front partly covered by her duvet. Her hair was swept to her side leaving her neck exposed. It would be so easy for him to take advantage of the situation. He knew what to do now to make her his.
Instead, he knelt down next to her, placed his hands on her head and sent out his thoughts in the manner Eilif had described during a hypnotic lesson. At the time, he had been a reluctant student – the art of hypnosis, memory repression and recall was not a life skill he thought he would need. He was wrong about that. With luck he would do it right.
He concentrated hard on the memories they shared.
The first time they’d met and she’d dropped her bag, their first kiss and the first time they made love. It flooded through him in a wave. He remembered the last night they were together when she had heard the truth about his past, and then he filled her in on his journey to Brazil.
He stopped there. She did not need to know about the rest yet.
The main thing he wanted her to know was that he still loved her and that he did not mean her any harm. Gently, he eased his hand away from her head and took a seat in the corner of the r
oom. When she woke, she would have a lot of questions.
***
The amber eyes, speckled with streaks of gold, entranced her as she leaned in. His firm hold, athletic build and mesmerizing smile turned Caitlin to jelly. She could not hold back a gasp as the kiss became more intense and they started to explore one another. As his hand eased under her top she tensed. Eager to respond, she traced her finger along his back. The way he shivered made her smile. In a wanton trance, they started to peel back the layers of clothing. It was too much – he was too much.
Then the visions started to appear, one after the other, just like a movie. Events in her life that looked so real. Playing pool with Steven; going for a walk with Steven; holding hands with Steven – her memories of Steven. How could she be dreaming something like this, and why?
Her subconscious drifted further into the unknown. All of a sudden the ground swayed and she realised she was sat on a boat surrounded by dense undergrowth. It had the appearance of a desolate and almost prehistoric place. She was sure she had never been there, it just seemed like she was. It was like travelling back in time. She was definitely hallucinating. She could not understand where she was going and then it hit her that she was not going anywhere. It was Steven. He had gone there. She did not know how she knew it was him, she just did.
The scene flicked over again. Steven stood in front of her, soaked to the skin. She leapt against him, so excited to see him again, and could not resist. She had missed him. The feel of his body against hers awakened the raw passion, the lust. She wanted to touch him; she wanted him to touch her. She needed him. She knew him. She was in love with him.
The thought made her rouse, almost in shock, as reality took hold.
She turned in her bed and curled up in a ball. Was she in love with Steven? How was that possible? The dreams always annoyed her, but this one was different. Most of them ended at the good bit, but this time the realisation hit her hard – the good bit had actually happened. It was not a dream. Steven was not a stranger. This dream was different. It was real. She just had no idea how it could be real.
Steven’s look of despair haunted her. It was weird he had turned up at her door all those months ago. It freaked her out when Steven tried to come in uninvited. Even so, she had never seen anyone so broken. Steven was adamant she knew him; he had even left her a note. He hoped she’d remember him. Did she remember him?
She did not understand what had happened on the previous night. Why would she call out Steven’s name whilst making love to Daniel? Daniel was her boyfriend. She loved Daniel. At least she thought she did, until she called out a different name. It was weird, shameful. She had no idea what she would say to Daniel when she next saw him. Was there anything she could say? Was there any explanation she could give that would make everything alright? She doubted it.
With a larger stretch, she spread her arms and legs over the tiny single bed. Her raging mind had woken her up. She did not want to think what the time was. Reluctant, she turned on her back to face the ceiling and slowly opened her eyes. It was still dark. As her eyes adjusted, a strange shadow in the corner on the room caught her eye. Her heartbeat accelerated as she moved her head a fraction and realised she was not alone. Braced to scream, the light turned on.
Confused, she blinked and rubbed her eyes. Then she sprang to a sitting position and gawped, speechless. It was him. Steven was actually in her room. Then again, she could still be in the dream.
‘Caitlin,’ the familiar voice said.
It was not a dream.
Eyes fixed on the blue and purple covers she replayed the scenes in her mind. She had been in love, besotted in fact, with Steven. That was his real name. Not Simon. It had all gone so wrong. She had been so scared. Those men, they told a story about Steven. She remembered wondering if her life was in danger. The person she thought she knew was a stranger. Steven was not normal. Worse than that, he was going to become a killer. Her eyes widened as she contemplated the thought – had he already become one? She gripped the covers tighter and looked up to face him.
There was no doubt in her mind. He was Simon. Simon was Steven. Steven was Simon.
She had seen things through his eyes. She had felt all of his concerns and emotions. It reminded her of how she’d felt the previous year. Inexplicably sad, as though a part of her had been broken. She remembered now. She remembered when they had made love for the first time. She knew it was all true. Her dreams were true. Steven had been her boyfriend, her first love. She was not a virgin. Daniel had been right to accuse her.
‘Don’t be scared,’ Steven said. His voice was soothing, not threatening.
Indecision overcame her and she fought back the urge to scream. She could not do anything. She could not speak, she was paralysed. She sat without making a noise and stared, still in shock. Only when she saw him blink and move his hand did she believe that he was real and not just a figment of her imagination. He looked back without saying a word. His face was kind, patient – loving. None of it made any sense.
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Chapter 29
Steven Or Simon?
Caitlin fought the urge to pounce. A part of her wanted to bash his lights out, the other to kiss him. The memory of the dream remained. She suppressed her desire. He was a liar and she intended to find out why. She shook her head and frowned, then blurted out. ‘Your name is Steven not Simon. Why did you lie to me?’
‘Do you remember me now?’ He sounded tentative, worried.
She was taken aback. He sounded unsure of himself. ‘Yes, I-I remember you,’ she answered, as she released the bed sheets. ‘I don’t understand anything. I-I should call the police. Breaking and entering is against the law.’
He spoke with a trace of humour. ‘You should. I am a dangerous criminal that should be apprehended.’ She remembered that crooked smile.
‘How did you get in?’
Steven smiled, ‘The window.’
She leapt out of bed and looked out of the window. ‘It’s high!’
‘I’m very good at climbing walls.’
She became aware of her snoopy pyjamas. She was not expecting company after what had happened. She took cover behind the curtains and studied him. ‘Why are you here?’
His scrunched his eyes together. ‘Do you remember?’
‘I just had the weirdest dream. It seemed real. Was it?’
After a few seconds, he replied, ‘It was real.’ His eyes furrowed, his smile replaced by a frown.
‘How?’ She could not stand being so close to him anymore. She turned away and sat on the furthest corner of the bed. She needed some space.
She could see him sway as if to get up. Then he stopped and sat still. ‘It was all true. That’s why I left. They took away my life, my existence. Everyone forgot me, including you.’
She swallowed as the words sunk in. Someone had erased her mind. It all started to make sense. ‘But how did I forget everything? How did everyone forget everything?’
‘It’s just something some of us can do,’ he shrugged.
The words rang in her head some of us. ‘How many of you are there?’ What she really wanted to ask was what are you? She still had time for that.
His eyes met hers. They sparkled, amused. ‘That’s a good question. I don’t know. It’ll take some explaining.’
‘I’ll bet,’ she sneered. She did not want to be nasty, but she was angry as well as confused. She brushed her face with her hand, her eyes narrowed. ‘What are you doing in my maths class? The Steven I knew hated maths. He wanted to be a lawyer.’
He chuckled, ‘I never intended to become one of the typical blood-sucking corporate types. I wanted to help people. Remember?’
She was glad he thought she was funny.
‘Is it really you?’ She leant forward, tempted to get up and reach out to him again.
He matched her and leant closer, practically off the seat, ‘Yes, it’s me. I had to find a way to get close to you. I seem to be qui
te good at maths now, don’t you think?’
This was definitely not funny.
‘Too good for my liking, it was nice to have something I was better at.’ She half smiled, she enjoyed their banter. ‘Why did you make me remember?’
He stood up and made his way around the bed, ‘Can I sit next to you, please?’
‘Sure,’ she chirped, her voice over the top and way too keen. She should have been saying no. She would be a fool to let him get close. Yet, she was. She couldn’t say no.
He sat down, reached out his hand and entwined his fingers in hers. She could not pull back. His touch was unbelievable. With his other hand, he raised her chin, lifted her head up towards his and looked into her eyes. ‘Isn’t it obvious?’
Before she knew what was happening, he pressed his lips against hers. It was just a light brush, but it was enough to send an electric shock pulsing through her body. She pulled back in surprise. ‘Sorry.’ She felt like an idiot.
‘Don’t apologise.’
She wondered if he had felt it too. ‘What was that?’
He gave a half smile. The smile that made her knees tremble. She remembered now. It was all flooding back.
‘Just us,’ he mused. ‘There’s a lot of tension between us.’
‘Is there?’ Her voice was barely above a whisper.
‘Can I see if it happens again?’ he asked, a deep penetrating look in his eyes.
‘For experimental purposes only?’ There was no way she could refuse.
‘Of course.’
He leant in and took her face in his hands. Then he kissed her again. His tongue caressed hers and she could not stop herself from responding. She gasped aloud as they explored each other. It was just like the dream. It would have been a travesty for something this good to exist only in her imagination.
After about a minute they simultaneously paused for air.
The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return Page 50