Wanderlust Read Free Page B

Evergreen a little more than nine months ago. For some reason, his presence had kept my mind from falling victim to the night terrors that had once keep me awake night and day.
    An epiphany enlightened my still hazy mind. Despite my request, Chaseyn had not left Evergreen after my mom‘s wedding to Kevin a week ago. Though he had stayed away and pretended to be gone, he must have been nearby all the while. Had he truly been gone, the dreams would have returned earlier. This was the first time I was truly away from his presence. Suddenly, my heart grew heavy and salt water flooded my eyes. My shoulders heaved lightly, and I sobbed silently, or so I thought.
    “Lia, is everything all right?” Addie asked with genuine concern, shaking off the sleep that had embraced her for the past few hours.
    “He’s gone, Addie,” I cried through shallow breaths.
    “I know, sweetie. He left a week ago. I thought you said it was fine.”
    “No, Addie. You don’t understand. I mean, he’s really gone.”
    Eli twitched, his head falling on my shoulder, which I abruptly shrugged off. My swift action jolted him awake.
    “Lia, what’s wrong?”
    “She’s blubbering something about Chaseyn being gone,” Addie explained. “But he’s been gone a while, so I’m not sure why the sudden tears. She was fine before.”
    “It’s okay, Lia,” Eli whispered, smoothing my hair and wiping the tears from my cheeks. “I understand.”
    And, I knew he did. He understood in a way Addie never would. Never could. For this, I felt both grateful and guilty.
    Heartbreaking. That was the only word to describe the look on Addie’s face when she realized Eli and I shared a special connection. Still, I couldn’t help but snuggle into Eli’s warm embrace as he worked to soothe my mind.
    “Shhh, Lia. It’s okay. Let it out,” he whispered, his breath warm on my ear.
    His lips gently grazed my cheek, but I was too weak to worry about the implication. Instead, I let him comfort me, while Addie watched in stunned silence. Despite my emotional state, I made a mental note to find a balance—a balance between the best friend who had stood at my side through all of my teenage triumphs and tribulations and the boy-next-door--to my grandma, anyway--who knew my dirty little secret.
    “You should try to sleep,” Addie suggested, resting her hand on my leg.
    I shook my head vigorously in response.
    “If you don’t get some rest now, you will be wasted when we land,” she pressed.
    Addie was right. Our plane was scheduled to land at 9:17 a.m. London time, which translated to 2:17 a.m. Colorado time. By lunch time, it would be more than 24 hours since my last decent rest. And, to avoid the setbacks of jetlag, I would have to remain awake until at least 8 p.m. Ridiculous. But, I couldn’t close my eyes. Not for one minute. Slipping back into a series of obscure dreams simply was not an option.
    Last autumn, I had fallen victim to an uneven sleep pattern based on the fact that I was experiencing disturbing dreams that would stir me from my slumber midway through the night. The details were never clear, but the outcome was always the same. When Chaseyn arrived, the eerie dreams faded, and his calming presence became the main focus of my subconscious state. He had been there, keeping me safe. Now, he was gone. I was left to my own devices, with only Eli to protect me from impending doom. Albeit with his brawny biceps and broad shoulders, Eli sometimes seemed to have superhuman strength. But, he was just a boy after all.
    Just a boy.
    The one thing Chaseyn would never be. Something I needed…for now.
    Though I was well aware of this fact on a conscious, physical level, I knew my subconscious was still battling this knowledge. Once I had accepted this on an emotional plane, I could move forward, free from Chaseyn and the unnerving hold he had on me.
    Despite my mind’s unintentional response to his absence, my body needed to recharge, and occasionally, it