“A dream,” she gasped. It was no more than a whisper and her eyes darted to the sleeping man. With no sign of having disturbed him, Abby moved swiftly and carefully towards the bathroom door. Once secure behind the closed door, she let out a sigh trying to steady herself and dropped her shirt to the ground. Everything from the castle to the monster had seemed so real. She closed her eyes and there behind her lids, she still saw the beast. Immediately she popped her eyes opened and she reached for the sink.
She twisted the knobs to release the water and cupped her hands. The frosty stream spilled into her hands and she splashed herself trying to push the dream out of her mind. After a few moments dousing the water onto her burning face, she turned off the water and sat on the toilet.
“There are no such things as dragons.” Her mind raced back to the dream. The sight of the monster filled her mind. Its razor-sharp teeth and big reptile eyes pierced her thoughts. She leaned down and snatched her shirt from the floor. With lightning speed she threw on the garment and took a deep breath.
“Pull yourself together,” she thought and gave herself a nod. She reached for the knob of the door and pulled it open, as quietly as she could. Her eyes darted about the room searching for the rest of her clothes. The moment she saw them on the floor, next to Ty, she tip-toed over and collected them.
Ty moaned and turned to his other side holding the pillow as he moved. Abby smiled watching him sleep. There was a childlike quality about him that made her pause. Everything from last night washed over her and she cupped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened, and she tried to refrain from giggling.
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted the red digital numbers on the clock and gasped, “Oh shit.”
She threw on her clothes and rushed out of the bedroom. Although it was the weekend, she was running out of time. Her midterm paper was due on Wednesday and she hadn’t started. She raced down the hallway and threw open the front doors, escaping into the city.
It didn’t take her long before she found herself on familiar ground. The brick buildings of the college rose up to greet her as she made her way to the dorms. Everyone she passed took a double take and snickered. Often times she had been on the other side laughing, at those girls who did the walk of shame, and now she was that girl.
“Never again,” she promised herself as the double glass doors of the dorm building flew open. She raced to the stairs and climbed them in twos, until she made it to her floor.
The moment she found her room she sighed with relief. She pulled open the door and found Jess inside, wide eyed.
“Where have you been all night?” Jess asked with a smirk on her face. She leaned back in her chair watching Abby close the door and plop down onto her bed.
“You know where I have been.”
“Was it worth it? Did you, well, you know, do it?”
“Don’t be such a juvenile.”
“So you did!” Jess screamed and stomped her feet. She pushed the chair over to Abby’s bed and leaned down.
“Tell me everything.”
“No. Besides, there really isn’t that much to tell.”
“Oh, come on, you don’t disappear all night and say nothing happened. Something had to have happened.”
“Nope,” Abby lied turning her back on Jess, to face the wall.
“You are so lying.”
“I’ll tell you this much, Ty is an amazing person.”
“And?” Jess rolled her chair over to the foot of the bed and tugged on Abby’s foot like a five-year-old begging for attention.
“And we talked a lot.”
“Think you might see him again?”
Abby shook her head and buried her face in the pillow. Although she would love to see him again, she knew the consequences of her actions. The only reason they did anything was probably out of guilt. She bit down on the pillow trying to push the negative thoughts out of her mind. Once her mind was clear, she rolled over to face Jess.
“I would love to see him again. But I don’t think that it will happen.”
“He saw the scar didn’t he?” Jess leaned back in her chair and pressed her lips into a tight line. It wasn’t difficult to see the look of disappointment flashing in her eyes.
Abby sighed, “Yeah, he did.”
“Awe Abby. I’m sorry.”
“It’s cool. At least I had last night right?”
“Well, what happened when he saw it? Did he like freak out or anything?”
“No.” Abby sat up and with a smirk stared at Jess. “He said he thought it was amazing. He didn’t seemed bothered by it at all.”
“Well, this is good news. Maybe he is into things like that.” Jess waved her hands in the air and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter though; you might have another shot with him.”
“I don’t know. It’s not that I wouldn’t mind it,” Abby paused and smiled. “Because let’s face it, I wouldn’t. But there is something about him that I can’t put my finger on.”
“You have been crushing on this guy for years and finally you have a chance with him and what? You’re playing chicken? I don’t think so.”
Jess spun around in her chair and rolled back to her desk at the opposite end of the room. Before Abby could ask what she was doing, Jess had her phone in her hand and was dialing a number. Abby shot up from the bed and scrambled to her friend.
“What are you doing?”
“You cannot leave everything to chance. Sometimes you have to help it along. Now shush, it’s ringing.”
“Jess, no,” Abby hissed as a familiar male voice answered. Abby’s heart drummed in her ears. No matter how hard she tried to hear Ty’s soothing voice, panic consumed her. She sucked in deep breaths trying not to pass out as Jess held up one finger to keep her at bay.
“Ty?” Jess’s voice was light and airy. Abby shook her and moved back to her side of the room.
“Hi this is Jess, I was just wondering if Abby was still with you?” The long pause held Abby in place like glue.
“No, she hasn’t come back here yet, and she isn’t answering her phone. So I thought I would call.” Jess sounded so confident in her lying that Abby wondered how many lies she had told. Abby reached for the pillow and curled up into it she listened to Jess drag out the conversation.
“That’s awfully sweet Ty, really, but I don’t think you need to go out looking for her. She might be at the library doing research or something for her paper.”
“Okay, well I will pass on the message and I am sorry to have woken you.”
Jess clicked the end button and broke out into a fit of giggles. Abby watched her roommate’s face turn a darker shade of red as she tried to regain her breathing.
“What?” Abby tossed the pillow between her arms at Jess. The soft down feathers smacked Jess on the side of the face, causing her to keel over and laugh twice as hard.
“What? Will you tell me?” Abby’s frustration grew as her heart rate slowed. It was clear that something was beyond hysterical; she just knew it was at her expense.
“He,” Jess puffed. “He told me to ask you to dinner.”
“Why is that funny?”
“Because he is at the library right now thinking you are there, but you’re not.” Tears flowed down her face and Abby shook her head wishing she had another pillow to throw.
“Your humor is beyond me.”
“Even so, you might want to get dressed for the day. It seems to me like you have a date waiting for you.”
Abby glanced down at her disheveled clothes. Her eyes widened, and she understood.
“Crap,” Abby gasped flying to her closet to pick out something to wear.
“There’s the punch line.” Jess said amusingly to herself as she watched Abby scramble out of her old clothes and into fresh ones.
“There,” Abby said with her arms out. “How do I look?”
“Well, you’re no Julia Roberts, but you look good.”
“Thanks,” Abby said and grabbed her purse and
flew out the door. Her heart pounded from the excitement as she raced to meet Ty.
Chapter 4
Abby rushed through the double glass doors and skidded to a stop. Every eye was on her as she pulled in deep breaths.
“Sorry,” she whispered trying to act completely normal, as she walked past the librarian’s desk towards the huge bookshelves. People shook their heads as she passed and she waved at them each with an apologetic smile before stopping at a large shelf.
She sighed once she was hidden behind the bookcase. With no eyes on her, the pressure of the silence lifted. She always hated going into the library because of the seriousness lingering in the air. Abby shook her head and turned around to find herself in the mythology section. Books upon books lined the shelves. As she scanned the jackets, she noticed each title pertained to some mythological creature.
A smile played on her lips as the idea for her thesis snapped into her mind like turning on a light bulb. She moved further down the aisle picking up books pertaining to the lore and legends of various monsters, once believed to have roamed the earth. She paused when she found a particular thick book on the shelf with a dusty jacket and she plucked it from its place.
Once she had enough books to satisfy her needs, she moved carefully with the stack to the back of the library and sat down in an oversize armchair. The books in her hands dropped to the ground in a thud, breaking the silence.
“Shh,” came from various places in the library and Abby’s face burned from embarrassment. She pulled in a deep breath and leaned down to grab the first book her fingers touched.
“Drop something?”
Abby’s eyes shot up to find Ty standing in front of her. She whipped her head around and scrunched her brows.
“Where did you come from?” she asked filled with surprise. She thought she picked the perfect spot to see him before he could see her.
“I was outside. I saw you come in here.” Ty picked up the book and studied it before handing it back to her. Abby blushed and snatched the book from his hands.
“Interesting topic you are writing about.”
“Actually,” Abby glanced at the book in her hand. “I haven’t made up my mind what topic to write about. But historical creatures seemed like a good place to start.”
“What class is this paper for?”
“English. The teacher just wanted us to write a report on something that we are passionate about.”
“Are you passionate about mythical sea creatures?”
“Well it’s possible they could have existed. Take the Loch Ness monster for example. It could have been a dinosaur that lived in the sea and was trapped by a land slide in Loch Ness. I mean it’s possible.” Ty smiled as Abby continued without missing a beat.
“Take the pterodactyl for example. Did you know that men from the Civil War shot one down in the South? It was in the paper and everything, with government men standing next to the creature. So, what if all the creatures that were considered to be just myths and legends are, in fact, real creatures that lived in prehistoric times?” Abby sucked in a deep breath and leaned back.
“Well, it seems you have your paper already written.”
“Not exactly,” she said setting her book down and crossing her legs. Ty glanced around the library before turning his attention back to her.
“How about we go get something to eat? After all, you need fuel to burn if you are planning on writing all this right?” Ty extended his hand down to Abby. She glanced at his outstretched hand and then at the pile of books.
“At least let me check these out first. Then we can go. I would hate to find out someone else had grabbed them.”
“Then you should let me help,” Ty said bending down to collect the stack of books at Abby’s side. She rose from her chair and followed Ty to the librarian’s desk. The young woman glared at Abby as she stamped the books and then returned them to her. Ty shook his head and collected the books.
“Come on,” Ty said over his shoulder to Abby. “I know a great place we can go.”
Abby smiled and quickly caught up to Ty. She noticed the girls in the library staring at them as they walked out together. A pang of dread filled her chest, and she paused at the double glass doors.
“Maybe I should get this to my dorm room first before going out. I would hate to lose the books. Besides, I need to check in with my roommate. I haven’t seen her since last night.” The lie was easy on her lips.
Ty paused and sighed. His delighted expression shifted and his eyes narrowed. Abby waited a moment before reaching for the books he was still clinging to.
“How about I walk you to your dorm and help you drop these off, then we can get some food?”
“Okay,” Abby said hesitantly. Ty held onto the books keeping them close to his chest as Abby led the way to her dorm. Every so often she glanced over her shoulder to find him right next to her with a smile on his face.
Abby pulled out her key and slipped it into the lock while twisting the metal handle. The door clicked open and Abby pushed her way through. To her surprise Jess was nowhere in the room.
“Looks like your friend had somewhere else to be,” Ty said handing Abby the books.
“I guess I’ll have to leave her a note.” Abby took the books from Ty and set them on the small desk on her side of the room. She quickly pulled open the drawer and ripped a sheet of paper from one of her notebooks.
“Out with Ty, be back later,” she scribbled and set the note on Jess’s desk before turning her attention to Ty.
“I guess I am out of excuses now.”
“Come on,” Ty said holding out his hand. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
The pang in Abby’s stomach intensified, releasing a flood of panic bells within her. Ty smiled and Abby swallowed the lump of fear in her throat.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” she thought taking his hand.
Ty moved swiftly out of the room pausing only to let Abby lock the door before whisking her down the hall and back outside. The yellow sun rose high in the sky and Abby’s heart thumped.
“So where are we going?” she asked as they turned the corner and started away from Main Street and away from the campus.
“Some place special. A place that very few people know about.”
Abby’s legs throbbed from the walking, but she wasn’t about to complain. There was still plenty of light in the sky and a few people running through the park. But the fear in the pit of her stomach was beginning to turn to paranoia. The further away Ty took her, the more she wondered what his intentions were. After all, they had already had sex, so it wasn’t as if he was after that, but being so far away from everyone else made her nervous.
“Are we almost there?” Abby asked pulling her hand away from Ty’s and stopping. She looked up to the canopy of the trees and sucked in much needed air.
“Just a few more minutes I promise. Trust me you are going to love this,” he said with a crooked grin. Abby nodded and continued to follow him.
The trees of the park opened up into a huge field. Abby’s eyes popped to see the stunning meadow before her. Purple and yellow flowers sprang from the ground. In the distance she spotted a family of deer grazing and she raised her hands to her mouth in awe.
“This place is stunning.”
“I knew you would like it.”
“You know, I have to admit, when you pulled me so far away from everyone I thought you were trying to kidnap me or something.” Abby giggled as her fear subsided.
“Well,” Ty’s smile dropped. “You should have listened to your instincts.”
Before Abby could react Ty grabbed her by the arm and shoved her to the ground. Abby gasped as Ty whistled. Abby lifted her head up from the grass and she saw dark figures coming out of the shadows of the forest.
“You know,” Ty said as his grip tightened around her arm. “I didn’t think I would find you. But yet, here you are in the flesh.”
“What are you talking abo
ut?” Abby pleaded, trying to keep one arm up for protection.
“Oh Abby, you don’t remember a thing do you?” Ty leaned down and stared into Abby’s tear-filled eyes. She frantically shook her head side to side.
“Well, sometimes it’s best this way.”
Before Abby could say anything the strangers had surrounded her. She stared at each one and shook her head.
“Please, whatever you have planned don’t. I am not the girl you think I am.”
“Actually, you are,” Ty said pulling her to her feet. Abby tried to kick and squirm to free herself but his grip was too strong.
“Now hold still,” he grunted as his free hand lunged for her shirt and lifted up the fabric to reveal the scar across her chest. Humiliated Abby burst into tears.
“Is this some kind of joke?” she screamed, spitting her words at Ty. “What is your malfunction? Do you sleep with girls just to get them to give you something that you can share with your buddies?” Anger flashed across Abby’s reddening face.
From the depths of her being, a slow burn rose until it was a full blown raging inferno. Every ounce of her burned with a rage that she couldn’t quench. She screamed, in a single blast of anger and fire burst from her hands.
Suddenly Ty was no longer beside her, but flying through the air. Trembling Abby scanned the meadow. The yellow and purple flowers smoldered and burned like charcoal. With her knees shaking she tried to pull herself together.
“Run!” A voice inside her head screamed. Abby didn’t need to be told twice. With all her strength she forced her legs to move at lightning speed and didn’t stop until she pushed through the shrubs of the edge of the park. Only once she saw other people around her did she stop. Her lungs burned as she gasped for air. Her hands shook and her heart raced as she surveyed the area looking for a place to hide.
“Think, dammit,” she growled at herself. “Where can I go?” her mind raced with possibilities as her inner voice whispered reason with her.
“You can’t go back to the dorm room. He’ll find you there,” the voice said as Abby shifted on her heels to head back to campus. She shook her head and gasped looking for an escape route.
The Fate of the Dragons Series Box Set Page 3