A hand brushes the hair away from my face and I look up into the stranger’s eyes. "Who are you?" I ask, breathless from running. He’s always here, watching over me. I feel like I know him, but no matter how hard I try he never gives me more than advice.

"Don't worry, Valerie. I'll be there at the right time. You just have to be patient, love."

"Why? Why do I feel this way? I don't know you!" I exclaim, the frustration overwhelming me.

He smirks and pulls me close. "I know, love. But you will."

 

I groan as I roll over. Why do these dreams keep happening?

Since my car accident I've been dreaming about this mystery guy who comes in and sweeps me off my feet. Our first kiss happened when I turned eighteen. I was depressed because my father hadn't shown up, but when I went to sleep that night I dreamt of a man who had set up a room complete with a giant red-velvet cake. He made the roof disappear and we had lain on a bed of warm blankets and talked about anything and everything. He listened to me as I told him about the day I’d had. We talked about what we like to do. While we lay there and watched the stars, the man in my dreams made me feel complete.

My therapist thought maybe I had developed an imaginary figment to help deal with the stress in my life. We worked through a lot of strategies but, no matter how hard we tried, he always popped into my dreams at least once a week.

I still have no name for him. Every time I ask he changes the subject or distracts me. It feels wrong to just give him a name — like I am waiting for him to find the right time to tell me.

"Valerie?" Jax murmurs my name and I look around, trying to figure out what happened. I notice the bed next to me empty.

I look over at the other mattress to find it's also empty. Jaxson is seated on the bed beside me, fully dressed and with a smile on his face.

“Hey, beautiful.” He smiles down at me, reaching out and stroking my cheek affectionately.

"What's going on?" I ask, confused. The last thing I remember was falling asleep with his arm wrapped around me as Carter faced me, a soft smile on his face.

"We’re leaving you to have some space. Carter mentioned that he thought you should call your friends. He thought you might like some space after the revelations last night, but I just wanted to let you know we’re here. I’m not leaving you after what we did. Just giving you the space you need.”

I nod as he smiles down at me softly, placing a kiss on my head before leaving. The door closes and I leap to my feet, the full conversation from last night coming back to me. "Holy shit," I whisper under my breath. That was real. That wasn't part of some messed up dream. Holy shit, I had sex with Jaxson!

I run into my room, grabbing my phone from the nightstand. I scroll through and call Sally, knowing Jess will be with her on a Sunday.

As the phone rings I pace around the room, my heart racing, when Sally answers sleepily. “Hey, Val. What's wrong?" she asks, her concern clouded by sleep.

"I need you guys. I have no idea what to do."

I hear Sally move and Jess's loud voice comes through the phone. "Oh, now you call us? You've been happy to text us all week but now you call us? At six in the frigging morning on a Sunday?" she screeches, making me pull the phone away from my ear with a smile.

I missed hearing her voice. Both her and Sally. We may not have been as close as Nat and I, but we were still close.

She rants and rants for a good two minutes before I get a chance to speak again, and I just spill the details that will capture her full attention. "My stepbrothers want to have a relationship with me."

The phone goes dead silent and I know she heard every word I said. “Uh, Jess?" I ask, waiting for her, but all I hear is breathing on the other end of the phone. Whispers start on the other end of the line and I swear I can hear Sally whispering, "Her guardians? Already?"

I frown, not sure I heard her correctly. Maybe she said brothers? That would make much more sense.

“Yo, Val? You still there?" Jess's voice comes out loud and clear. "I put us on loudspeaker so we can both talk to you," she explains.

I hear movement, someone obviously getting comfortable, before Sally’s voice comes through just as clear. “Hey, Valerie. I hear you need some advice?" she chuckles.

"Uh, yes please." I proceeded to tell them the events of the past few days.

The kiss with Zane, while unexpected, was very much reciprocated. The sudden kiss with Cooper which almost led to sex — if we hadn't been interrupted it most likely would have. Then the shower sex with Jax. That was the hardest thing to explain. I can’t even begin to describe the connection I have with each of the guys, and I don’t want them to think I just let my stepbrothers into my pants because they are convenient.

They listen and at the end I am met with silence. I wait a good two minutes before I can’t take it anymore. "So? What do you think?"

Jess laughs through the phone, as if she was waiting for my outburst. Finally she calms enough to speak clearly. "I say go for it. You only live once, Val. Worst case scenario? You break up and have to see each other every day."

"Jeez, thanks Jess. That makes me feel loads better,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes in annoyance. “What do you think, Sally?" I ask, hoping for more in-depth reasoning.

She sighs through the phone and I have a feeling I may not like what she’s about to say. I listen anyway, hoping it will help me make a decision.

"I don't know, Valerie. It seems very complicated.” She pauses with a sigh before continuing. “First, you'd be dating brothers who live with you. You would have to be super aware of each of their needs to keep the relationships functioning. You couldn't ignore one for a week in favor of another without hurting someone’s feelings. Then you have to think about the long term implications. What happens if you fall in love with only one of them? Meanwhile, what if they each fall in love with you? You'd be breaking three of their hearts and potentially ruining a family of brothers who are obviously close from the way you talk about them."

I sigh and feel a pit forming in my stomach. I know she is being logical but my heart is having issues accepting her words.

"And what happens if she falls in love with all four of them, Sally? Did you think about that? Val has never been in a relationship longer than six months because they were all douchebags. What if she is destined to be with more than one guy? It could be destiny that she ended up living with four guys who want to date her." She pauses and I feel a pressure building in my head before she laughs. "Or the world just wants her to get laid.” She is now laughing so hard she snorts.

"Thanks. I’m glad my struggle amuses you." I smile, the pressure in my head going back to a dull throb.

"Valerie, you need to listen to your heart on this one. While most of what Jess said is rubbish, she's right about something. What if you learned to love all four of them? Is that something you would be interested in? My honest advice would be to let it play out. Keep going the way you are, ask questions so you know what's expected and just let life happen. If it's not meant to be, you'll feel it. If you fall for all of them, then problem solved."

I relax, stopping my pacing to sit on the edge of my bed.

"You're right. I just need to let things happen naturally. I don’t know where it will lead me, but I won’t waste my life on what-ifs.” I sigh in relief and feel a weight lift from my shoulders. “Thanks, girls."

Sally chuckles through the phone. "You're welcome. Though now that we finally have you on the phone, do you want to know what we found out?"

"Found out?" I ask, slightly confused before Nat's face pops into my mind. Shit, I’m a horrible person for not even asking about her. I let my insignificant life veer from finding out what happened to her.

"Guys, I’m so sorry. I forgot about Natalie. Fuck, I’m a horrible friend," I admit, tears in my eyes. How did I forget someone who was so important to me?

Jess's voice softens soothingly. "Val, it's okay to live your life and be happy. You didn't forget about her, you just had other things going on. She would understand that."

"She would hate for you to brood over her, so I think you're doing exactly what she’d want," Sally adds, making me feel slightly better about things.

“Thanks, girls. It still feels weird without her by my side. I think the guys just distract me so much I don't notice her absence as much. There are times when I laugh and want to tell her something and the realization that I can’t crashes into me." I take a deep breath and gather my thoughts. "Anyway, what did you find?"

There's murmuring before Sally speaks, taking control of the conversation. "Well, we think your mom had something to do with Natalie’s death."

My heart stops. “My mom?” I question, not sure I heard her correctly.

“Yeah, Val. She said your mom.”

My mind goes into overdrive thinking she must be wrong because my mom wouldn't do that. Would she? What possible reason could she have for being involved with Nat's murder?

"What do you mean? Like she covered it up or something?" I ask, hoping that it's just a misunderstanding of some kind. Maybe Mom actually covered up Nat’s death to protect me? Or maybe Nat didn’t die and my mom made it look like she did? There has to be some kind of explanation.

"No, like … I think she may have been the one to kill her. I think she used your blackouts to her advantage and covered you in fake blood. I also think she remembered our project and made the exact same formula we did."

I’m shocked into silence as Sally keeps speaking. "Jess managed to connive her way into your house and we found all kinds of weird stuff in the basement, including the stuff we used to make the fake blood.

“While we were there she seemed to have lost her grip on reality, talking to people who weren’t there and cleaning nonexistent spots on the floor. We went to the cops but they didn’t believe us. We did, however, call your father but he told us to leave it alone. He said he would look into it. We debated telling you but figured you'd want to know."

“Uh, huh, " I murmur, feeling numb. This is the evidence Dad had? Why wouldn't he tell me?

“Okay, girls, I think I should go. Thank you for telling me," I tell them in a monotone.

My mom could be involved with killing my best friend and my dad knew but didn't tell me.

I hang up despite their pleas and walk outside, not caring that I’m in my pajamas. My heart feels broken and I feel betrayed by my father.

As I walk outside water splashes on my exposed skin, a crack of thunder echoing in the sky. I look up at the darkened sky, my tears mixing with the rain that is hammering down. I should feel cold but I just feel … empty.

Why would my mother do that? Why would she plant the fake blood? Not much of this is making sense to me. Am I really such a horrible daughter that my mother would do this to me? What could possibly motivate her to do those things?

Tears fall down my cheeks as I walk down the drive, my mind needing something to help me understand this.

The pain of the gravel under my feet helps me grip on to the reality of here and now. I keep going, no destination in mind when I start to jog. I pick up speed until I’m in a full run down the long driveway, unsure where I’m going. 

Thoughts swirl in my mind and I resolve to find out exactly what happened to my best friend. No one will stop me from reaching the truth.

I stop, panting, in the middle of the road as lightning hits the ground a few feet away. I stand shocked at the closeness of its strike when a car careens around the corner and speeds down the wet road straight for me.

I blink, not able to move, frozen with fear at a flashback of being on the inside of a careening car.

A body tackles me, sending us rolling into the small ditch on the side of the road, narrowly avoiding the car who seems to gain control before speeding off again. What a fucking douche for not stopping!

I'm on the ground, the stranger hovering over me as the pain starts to register. My body is running overtime as I process the near miss but my heart stops when the person above me leans back giving me a view of his face.

The soft stubble across his jaw, his delicious pink lips and bright green eyes make me gasp in shock. "You!"

He climbs up to his feet and pulls me with him, holding my shoulders gently while looking down at me with a frown. "Hold still, love."

He runs his hands down my arms, down over my hips, then down to my legs, making me extremely aware I’m only wearing my pajamas. A warm feeling rushes through me where his hands traveled, and in no time the pain disappears. I look down at the scratches on my body and gasp as I see them healing before my eyes. How the hell is that possible?

When he rises he has a smirk on his face and reaches up to push the wet hair from my face. "You need to stay safe, love. It's lucky I was here or you would have been roadkill.” He frowns down at me, the slight anger in his voice making his accent more pronounced.

"Who are you? Why are you in my dreams? Am I dreaming right now?" I ask question after question and his frown turns into a wicked smirk. He pulls me close to his body and leans down to whisper in my ear. "Hold on, love. This is going to be a little weird."

The world shifts and my ears ring. I close my eyes to block out the world that’s spinning around me. When we still, his voice whispers against my cheek. "Come on, love, open those beautiful eyes for me."

I squint open one eye, not sure what to expect, and my eyes go wide, not understanding what’s going on. We're no longer in the ditch on the side of the road. We’re in the bathroom of the pool house. How the hell did he bring us back to the pool house?

"What just happened?' I ask, frightened that I've well and truly lost my mind.

"Don't worry, love. It will all make sense soon, but I didn't want you out in the rain for much longer. You'll get sick otherwise and that's the last thing I want."

He sets me down on the bathroom counter and walks into the shower, turning it on before coming out, water glistening on his tattooed arms.

I watch the way he moves, each step filled with power, just like my dreams. He’s wearing jeans and tank as if he just finished working out at the gym. His clothes, however, appear untouched by the rain.

None of this is making sense. Am I dreaming? Am I dying on the side of the road in a ditch? Is that what’s going on? I’m having one last dream while I’m in a coma.

I reach up and pinch my arm but nothing happens, I’m still here. The man walks towards me, smirking wickedly.

"Don't worry, love. I’m not a figment of your imagination. I’m here.” He stands between my legs, his face getting increasingly closer. “Why don’t I prove it?” he suggests, and before I have a chance to ask how, his lips meet mine in a fire-filled kiss. I thought he was a good kisser because he was a figment of my imagination but this is no dream. I feel the moisture pool between my legs and he pulls back with a cocky grin.

“Who are you?" I ask, hoping he'll explain.

“Oh, where are my manners. I'm Hades.” He winks at me, causing me to go slack jawed.

I play along, thinking he must be messing with me. "Hades? As in, God of the Underworld Hades?"

“Don't worry, I’ll explain it all another day. For now I want you to get in the shower and warm yourself up." He looks down at his watch and frowns. "I have to get going, love, but please look after yourself. I'm not watching you all the time," he leans over, giving me a kiss and disappearing before my eyes, leaving me to wonder what on earth just happened.

I strip down and hop in the shower hoping it will clear my head, but it's impossible. So many questions today. What the fuck is happening to my life?