Chapter 1

Angela was dreaming. Blake was there…and Thomas…and Steve. Something about that wasn’t right, but she didn’t know what it was. She felt anxious in the dream and she knew that she needed to wake up…but she wasn’t sure how to do it. Blake…it was so good to see him, if only in a dream. She hopes that he’s happy and no longer in pain. She looked at Steve then and smiled. Then suddenly back at Blake. Is he going to be angry with her? He smiled again and he nodded at Steve. Blake was telling her it’s okay, at least that’s what she thought he was trying to say.

Why is Thomas here? Thomas was watching her in the dream the way he always does. Something about the way he looked at her in the dream made her remember that she was supposed to be wary of him in real life…but why? Thomas would never hurt her. She looked back at Blake. He was furiously shaking his head. Did he agree with Joanne and Steve? Was he afraid that Thomas would do something to harm her? That’s not possible. Blake loved Thomas like a brother…why would he worry now?

The dream ended abruptly, for which she was glad. It was bizarre and she had no idea what it was supposed to mean…if anything. She was suddenly shaken back into reality. She slowly pulled open her eyes. She was in her bed…but something about that didn’t seem right. She didn’t remember going to bed. The last thing she remembered was having dinner with Thomas. They were supposed to watch a movie…did they watch a movie?

She pulled herself up and sat on the edge of the bed. Her body felt sore, like she’d gone out running or she’d worked out hard. She blinked her eyes against the sun coming in through the blinds. Why is it so bright? Oh shit! Why is it so bright? What time is it? She searched around for her phone. It wasn’t there. She used the phone for an alarm. Did she have too much wine last night? Is that what the grogginess and the lapse in her memory were about? Is that why she’d gone to bed without her phone? Forgetting the time again because she was having a hard time keeping her thoughts straight, Angela looked down at herself. Why am I wearing this shirt? She pulled up the shirt and looked at her panties. They were there, at least. She was wearing a white pair that she’d actually been looking for. Where did she find them?

Shit! What time is it? She finally got her eyes to focus on the clock at the bedside. 8:42 a.m. damn it! Do I have work today? She blinked a few more times. No, no work today. It’s Saturday and I’m supposed to be having breakfast with Steve…at nine. She brought her hands up and rubbed her face hard. A shower will help, but first she has to find her phone so she can call Steve. She stood up and for a second, the whole room began to spin. What the hell is that about? She reached out and took hold of the edge of the dresser to steady herself. After a few seconds she felt like she was able to walk in a straight line, but as she did, she realized that she’s really sore, in places where she shouldn’t be sore at all.

She made her way out of her room and down the hallway. She could smell something cooking and it instantly made her feel nauseated.

“Well, good morning, sleepy head!” Thomas’ voice was booming…it was too loud. Angela just gave him a look and continued over to where she usually leaves her purse. “Did somebody drink too much wine last night?” he asked her. Again, she ignored him. She bent to pick up her purse and her stomach rolled. She fished around inside of it until she got hold of her phone. When she turned back around, Thomas was staring at her. “Are you okay?” he asked in a softer tone.

She nodded. That made her head start pounding again. “I feel like I got drunk last night.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You did kill a bottle of wine,” he said. “That was all you too, I wasn’t drinking.”

“I’m feeling it,” she said. “I don’t even remember getting to bed.”

“I helped you,” he said. For some reason that admission sent a chill down her spine.

“You helped me? You didn’t…get me dressed, did you?”

He rolled his eyes. “No, geez! You help a person out these days and you get treated like a big pervert.”

“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I just usually wouldn’t wear this stuff to bed…”

He shrugged. “When I helped you into your room you were still wearing what you put on after your bath. I’m not sure what brought about the wardrobe change.”

She finally looked down at her phone. There were two missed calls from Steve. She needed to call him back before he came pounding on the door, thinking Thomas did something to her. “Well, thanks for your help,” she said. “I guess I need to practice what I preach and check how much I’m drinking.” She started back down the hall and he said, “Wait! I made waffles and sausage.”

Her stomach reacted to the idea of that and then she said, “I’m sorry, Thomas…I can’t eat. I feel so sick to my stomach this morning.”

He looked disappointed but he said, “Okay, well…I’ll save you a plate.”

She forced a smile at him and said, “Don’t worry about it. Steve and I are having breakfast today. I actually overslept. He’ll be here any minute. I need to call and warn him I’m not ready.”

As she spoke, her eyes were on his face. She thought she could see something dark cross his face…but she couldn’t be sure. If she did, he recovered quickly. He replaced the look with a smile and said, “Okay, I’ll see you when you get back.”

She smiled again, nervously. Maybe it was listening to Joanne and Steve, or maybe there really was something “not right” about Thomas lately…either way, she was getting a weird vibe from him. Maybe it was just the way her morning was going…so far, it sucked.