Dark Eyed Dreamers

Chapter Twenty
Raegan

Since the day Alex and I had left for Boston, I’d been truly happy. Sure I was good at putting on a happy face for the benefit of my friends, but for the first time in a long time I’d been legitimately happy.

I was curled up with Alex on my bed, watching Rob Zombie’s Halloween. He laughed as I dug my head into his chest, in sheer horror, and wrapped his arms around me.

“It’s just a movie, Rae, it isn’t real” he whispered, still chuckling.

“That doesn’t make it any less terrifying!” I stated, my words muffled in his shirt.

I turned around to peek at the movie.

“OH MY GOD!” I screamed as he slit his stepfather’s throat.

“Raegan, chill, I told you. It’s just a movie.”

“I think I’m just going to grab a bottle of water.” I said, climbing off the bed. “Do you want anything?”

“Do you have Dr. Pepper?”

“Of course I do. I’ll grab you some and then be back” I kissed his cheek before heading downstairs.

“Hey, Brae” I said to my sister who was lying on the couch, yet another carton of ice cream next to her.

“Hi” she mumbled, barely audible.

“What’re you watchi— The Golden girls?! Really?!” I said.

“What, it’s a good show.”

“Brae, just talk to him. He wanted to talk to you. I don’t know why you’re being so stubborn.”

“I’m not being stubborn, Rae, I’m just scared.”

“B, you’ve been dating him for over two years, you shouldn’t be afraid of him.”

“I’m not afraid of him, I’m afraid of getting hurt. I still love him, I really do. I just” she sighed.

I walked over and gave her a hug.

“Don’t worry, things will be better.” I promised her.

“Let’s hope.”

I grabbed the beverages and went back to my room.

Alex reached out to me and pulled me onto his lap. I smiled at him, but I knew he could tell I was thinking about something else.

“What’s up, Babe?”

“Brae’s still a wreck. I wish this would go away. I wish we could just make them talk, and get over this whole thing.”

“Well why don’t we?” Alex smirked at me.

“Dude, be quiet, you’ll wake Mikayla up and she’ll cut off your balls.” Alex whispered to Zack, whose hands were being held behind his back. He led him to the end of the hallway, opened the door, and flung him in to the room where my sleeping sister was.

“Guys! No! Let me out of here!” he scream-whispered through the door.

“Zack, you have to make this better.” I replied.

“She doesn’t wake up very easily. She’s always scary in the morning, and waking up to find me in here isn’t going to make things any better!”

“Just fix things!” I said in a final tone.

“Fine.” He said in defeat.

Zack’s POV

I tiptoed over to where she lay still on her bed. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and I knew it had been because of me and I hated myself for it. I hated seeing her upset. I loved her. I really and truly did. I wouldn’t have stayed with her for two years if I wasn’t absolutely sure she was meant for me.

“Braelyn” I whispered, shaking her shoulder lightly. “Baby, wake up.”

“Go away, I’m sleeping.” She murmured, annoyed.

“Baby wake up.”
She turned over, eyes closed, and said a simple “no.”

“Braelynnnn” I whined.

She opened her eyes and stared at me.

“Zack?” She asked quietly.

“Hey”

“Why are you here?” she asked in a stern voice.

“I-I-uh…” Why was I so nervous talking to her? “We’re locked in here together.”

“What?!” she nearly yelled, jumping out of bed. “Raegan is so dead.”

She walked over to the door and started fidgeting with the handle.

“They turned my doorknob backwards! The lock’s on the outside!” she said to me, looking very upset.

“Babe, calm down let’s-“

“DON’T call me that.”

I sighed, looking at the green shag area rug that covered the center of the hardwood floors. We sat in silence for a solid half hour, twiddling our thumbs, looking around.

“Can we talk now?” I asked when the silence became to deafening.

“What do you want me to say Zachary? That I was stupid and beg for your forgiveness?”

“No”

“Good, because I wasn’t going to. Do you know how hard it is to listen to you and the guys talk about how great touring is going to be? You don’t care that you’re leaving everyone who loves you behind. You just want to party.”

“Brae, I don’t want to leave you. I’ve been focusing on how much fun we’re supposed to be having because its better than thinking that our short time together is slowly coming to a close. I want to be with you all day every day, but this is my dream and I know that if I don’t chase it now, I’ll regret it forever.”

“I don’t want you to give up your dreams; I just don’t want you to be so eager to give me up either. We’ve been through so much. I didn’t think I was that disposable to you.”

Her words stung me more than anything else in the world. I couldn’t believe she felt like that.

“Braelyn” I said, reaching my arms toward her. “I love you, so much, more than anything else in the world. You’re the exact opposite of disposable to me. I hate myself for making you upset, I love you, Brae.” I said with tears welling in my eyes as hers soaked my shirt.

“I love you, too Zack.” She said.

We laid back down on her bed and just snuggled.

No music.

No television.

No one to interrupt us.

Just the sound of our heartbeats falling in sync.