Wildcards

Chapter 7

Upon mastering the strength to bounce back from her mini breakdown, Everly checked her answering machine. Which was beeping since she came in, making her aware that there was a message or messages she needed to check.

Bracing herself, she sat down with a glass of water as one played after the other.

"Everly," uh oh. She knew that voice very well, she could probably identify it even in a dream. "I know you're disappointed. Or maybe even mad. But ignoring me is not solving anything. Please get back to me when you get this."

Another one played.

"Eve-" a deep sigh. Knowing that they were both frustrated made her feel better. Because the images of engagement rings or parties, weddings and honeymoons had been running around wildly in her head since their whole fallout started. And thinking about him living it up with the love of his life or whoever that woman was, wasn't helping her one bit in the 'getting over things' department.

"Listen, I need to see you." Voice rising, "you can't just ignore me all week like this!" Exhaling sharply, he seemed to realize what he had just done and retraced his steps. "Okay, I'm sorry. You can, seeing that you just did. But this is really hard on me and I just don't know what the right cause of action is in our case. Talk to me, please." Hard on him? She scoffed before another one played.

"It's funny how I always seemed to know the right thing to say every time I was around you." He said in a soft voice filled with affection. And then sighing, he went on "but now, I have no idea. Leaving messages like this feels strange too, because we've never had to do that. We spent so much time together. But it seems we've become strangers at a very frightening pace this past week." He rambled on. "And now it's hard to even string the right words together. I don't even know if you're getting these or not because you haven't responded this entire time. But if you are, call me back please."

She was moved by his efforts. But she didn't know if she was ready to talk to him,yet. And until then, she'd hold off the communication.

"I saw a video of a litter of puppies today." Everly smiled involuntarily when she heard this. "It instantly made me think of you and how it would make you laugh. But when I started to send it, I remembered that you aren't talking to me. It became hard to carry on with my day as normal after that. I know I should probably give you all the space you need, but it's really hard to. Not when everything I seem to do or see reminds me of you." After a moment of silence and frustration, he added "I miss you." In her mind's eye,she could see him running his fingers through his hair- in that frustrated way of his.

And just as Everly's own frustration and confusion grew, as the last one played.

"I don't want to be the creep who shows up on your doorstep unannounced. Well, especially not with how things are between us right now. But I'm running out of options here. I need to tell you everything. You have no idea how long I've lived with the fear of this happening between us. I'll answer all your questions, but only if you talk to me. Communication really is the only way you can learn the truth." That's what Jasmine had said too. Maybe it was some trick they'd both pulled out from a law book, she thought bitterly.

"If you want to cut ties with me after hearing what I have to say, I won't stand in your way. Just that it's maddening not knowing if you're okay, or what you're even feeling or thinking of me." That's what he was worried about? Her perception of him changing?

"Baby, I can't fix this if you don't let me. So, I really hope I'll be hearing from you soon." Damn it, 'he is good.' She thought to herself. Feeling herself slowly moving towards the verge of giving in.

She had already felt confused and frustrated before these. But after, those emotions seemed to have amplified. So she tried to distract herself with whatever she could find that weekend. Her assignments were all done. She knew she wouldn't have the concentration levels she required to study. So, she listened to music while cleaning her apartment. Messed around with new feng shui ideas. Which all brought a bit of temporary stability to her conflicting emotions.

When night fell, she settled on the couch with movie watching intentions. But her body proved to be invested in other plans. As she fell into a heavy sleep before she was even halfway through the film. And from there, she fell even deeper into a unexpected dream.

She looked up at him, intending to make a witty remark but his face was closer than she'd expected. Michael stepped forward, backed her up against the wall. He used his knee to spread her legs,until his thigh was pressed against her wetness. She was wearing a short summer dress,that to his delight- made her easily accessible.

She was surrounded by familiar sights when she looked around; earth tones lay around the living room in all the right places.

He grabbed her wrists and held them above her head.

He tucked away a straying lock of hair behind her ear, and then lifted her chin until their eyes met.

His face was open and tender as he regarded her; warm brown eyes aglow with some inner emotion that she couldn't identify. His entire focus was on her.

Staring into his eyes was like sitting by a fire, and enjoying the warmth it had to provide. In that moment, there was nothing in the world except those eyes.

As he continued to intently look her in the eye, as if he desired to devour her whole right then and there. She couldn't remember what she had been about to say. Or even remember her name.

Every aspect of his body--his lips, his hands, his scent--suddenly overpowered her. Making her feel warm all over. She wanted him to kiss her. Hell, every fiber of her being yearned for that kiss. And in the dream, they seemed to be copacetic. No arguments,no storming off and definitely no silent treatment.

They were aligned and in sync just like they were not so long ago.

Michael leaned in closely. Refusing to give her what she wanted right away; he let his fingertips wander across her back, hardly applying any pleasure yet causing goosebumps to rouse on her flesh.

With more consuming caresses; she felt her hands moving across her skin, down the sides of her stomach to finally rest in the curves of her hips.

His lips pressed a kiss just below her ear, against her neck, followed by another on her collar bone. When he returned to studying her face, he was very close. She could feel his warm breath against her open lips. She could taste his scent on her tongue.

She tilted her face towards his,and closed her eyes.

Then,and only then,did he brush his lips against hers.

To her joyous relief,his tongue soon found hers as he continued leaning down to meet her halfway.

Everything around her blurred as she locked her arms behind his neck. At around the same time his fingers braided themselves into her hair, securing her face to his.

Only his lips were in focus.

His face moved closer,as his mouth continued exploring hers. She thought it was the kind of kiss she had read about in books but never thought could actually happen.

His other hand slid down her back, pressing her tighter against his broad chest. Wrapping themselves together, they kissed. Quite thoroughly. And he never for a second pulled away to break the kiss first. Which made her blood boil within her. As she felt more alive in that one moment than she ever did her entire life.

When Everly jolted awake to a sweat soaked cushion, she couldn't tell if it was the result of the current warm Seattle weather or the deliciously steamy dream she had just had, starring the man in her life. The man she was avoiding and not talking to. All she knew for certain was that she was pissed.

Turning the still on TV off, she headed to the bedroom in hopes of getting better sleep there. Only to slip into another dream

"That one looks just like you." Michael teased her pointing at a pigeon.

The setting was different in this dream. They were near the lake they'd visited recently. A whole picnic seemed to be set just behind them. They stood barefooted on the grass just at the edge of the water; throwing croissant leftover crumbs to the pigeons floating nearby.

"You're skating on very thin ice, Mister." She gave him the most serious expression she could muster. Only to have it transformed into a wide smile, when he pulled her into his embrace. Planting a kiss in her hair, he said dreamily "you know you're too god-damned sexy to look like a pigeon."

Laughing at his manipulation tactic, "that won't fly. It'll take more than suspicious compliments to get you off my bad books."

Which made him grin wickedly. "I'll keep trying until I get it right. Starting right now." Catching her off guard, he locked her in a steel grip as his lips crashed onto hers.

"Am I breaking through the ice yet?" he asked, in a husky voice when they came up for air.

With a straight face that took a lot for her to summon up, she told him "Nope. You're not even close."

"More effort it is then." He literally swept her off her feet, and carried her to their picnic blanket. He laid her down on her back, then joined her.

When he kissed her again in that compromising position, they both lost themselves a bit. It nolonger was about their little game, but building an emotional connection.

When they broke the kiss, he lay his head on her chest while she played with his hair.

After taking a moment to recover, she taunted him in a small voice. "You know that didn't make the cut too,right?"

Rising, he took a moment to take in her mischievous facial expression. Then putting his game face on, he unexpectedly tickled her.

Everly giggled like a little girl when he tackled her to the ground, allowing no room for escape.

"Okay. I give up." She said between giggles, "you win!" She squealed.

Then with that, her dream ended without waking her or further interrupting her sleep.

When her alarm went off,she sat up in bed for a while thinking about her strange dreams.

She thought the dreams were disturbingly vivid, like she was going through a memory in her mind where all of that had really happened. And she knew that having their fresh mark etched of her mind this morning would be hard to ignore.

She stretched, relaxing the ache in her muscles which she believed had been brought about by her weekend jogging.

After making her bed, she pulled out jeans and a pale blue tank top to wear to class.

With a shower,a brush of teeth and a bowl of cereal- she was ready for the day.

"Oh,hey." Joey, the guy next door greeted her as she descended the steps. He seemed to have been surprised to see her around their building.

"Hi Joey," she turned on her dazzling smile.

"We've missed your pretty face around here. Where have you been hiding?"

Joey Rinaldi wasn't just the guy next door. Since moving into the apartment next to his the previous year, he had made his interest in her no secret. And maybe he thought laying it on thick with the flirting just might work out in his favor this morning.

"Oh,you know. Just around." She added a dramatic wave to her vague response.

"I see." He chuckled. "It's really good to see you."

"You too." She said continuing with her descent until he called out again.

"Everly?"

"Yeah?"

"Seeing you this morning- does it mean you're back now?"

Was she?

"I like to think so."

Hearing that seemed to please him, and a smile immediately lit up his face.

"Cool,cool,cool. I guess I'll see you around?" he wondered.

"Yeah." She said. And immediately started worrying about him mistaking her politeness for interest. She knew that not being ready to talk things out with Michael, didn't make her ready to explore prospects or even keep them interested. And if what they were going through was the end of their relationship, she knew it would take her a really long time to feel ready for another one.

As she pulled the exterior door to step out, she was greeted by the fresh morning air. And she stood for a second to just inhale. Something had changed in her mood and attitude that morning. And even though she could tell that there was a shift, she didn't want to dig deeper or question it-lest she ruins it.

In fact,she wanted to ride that wave for a bit longer. Maybe it would even help her forget her relationship troubles.

Thinking about that, brought back the images from her dreams. As if her subconscious mind was contradicting her or even saying 'Not in this lifetime!'