Vanessa could hear the whispers in the living room as she cleared out the final box for the kitchen. She tried to listen to the boys talking but the more she did, the more she felt awkward and pulled her attention back to the box in front of her. She counted the pans she pulled out of the cardboard container, double checking to make sure she had packed them all earlier in the week.

When Vanessa was halfway through the box, Talon came over to her side. He pushed a plate across the table, sliding two pizza slices closer to her. Vanessa looked up, smiled at him and grabbed the plate. She pulled it towards herself and eagerly grabbed a piece. After taking a bite she mouthed a thank you and quickly brought her hands up to cover her face.

"Of course, I just wanted to make sure you were eating." Talon muttered. He walked around the counter and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He kissed her neck leaving a trail of butterflies wherever his lips touched.

"Alright man, I think I'm going to head home. Let me know if you need help moving anything else. I think we got everything out of the apartment." Marcus said as he jumped up off the couch.

"Thank you so much for helping out today." Talon said. He pulled away from Vanessa and walked to the front door with Marcus. Vanessa watched as the men continued chatting for a few minutes. She smiled, knowing that Marcus was a good friend that was always there for Talon.

Vanessa grabbed the last few things out of the box and tossed it aside. She continued organizing and putting things away. She did her best to keep Talon and his mothers things where they were, as she felt uncomfortable moving his mothers stuff considering she had been here so long and just left so soon. Vanessa sighed as she looked around the house.

She was unsure where she was supposed to put her decorations, or how she was supposed to respect that this was Talon's childhood home.

"Is there anything I can do to help you out sweetheart?" Talon entered the kitchen again, startling Vanessa slightly. "Sorry I didn't mean to startle you." He chuckled.

"It's okay." Vanessa tried to laugh it off, but she could still feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

"What's this box?" Talon asked as he peeked over the edge of the now empty vessel.

"Done, that's what that one is." Vanessa clapped her hands in excitement, applauding herself for the job well done.

"Awesome, like I said anything you need me to help you put away." Vanessa shook her head as she looked around at all the empty boxes. "I guess you could help me tear these down so they aren't in the way, but everything else can probably wait until tomorrow morning."

"Sounds like a plan."

"How did things go with Marcus?" Vanessa asked, suddenly feeling curious about what the boys were talking about earlier today. She knew she couldn't just ask though because that would make her seem more insane than she probably already did.

"It was really good, I enjoy spending time with him, and getting to see him outside of work sometimes is a good break for the two of us. At work he has to be a certain way, you know, keep up his mean boss persona for all the slackers he keeps hiring." Talon teased and mocked Marcus as he did an impression of him.

"You are such a dork. What did you guys talk about?" Vanessa chuckled at Talon's joke.

"We talked about lots of things I guess, mostly just about how my mother was handling the whole transition. I told him she couldn't be bothered by it. She's loving her new crib."

"Crib?" Vanessa grabbed a box and started breaking it down. "Don't ever say something like that ever again." She laughed.

"What? You didn't like that?" Talon shot her a smile.

"No."

"Sorry, I guess I'm just not cool enough for you." He shrugged as he stacked another flattened box into a pile.

The couple continued to break down boxes in silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Vanessa couldn't help but think about his comment. They were talking about his mother today? She wondered why he hadn't mentioned anything else. She felt like there was no way he wasn't telling Marcus about her and her freak outs. Would she be mad if he had told her he was talking to him about the incident at the lake? Or what about the few around the house just in the last week.

Could she be mad? Talon deserved to have someone he could confide in too, but this was about her life, and she didn't like when people thought she was on edge or weird. She avoided making friends so she'd never have to explain her nightmares to anyone, or the reason they sometimes got weird texts from her. Vanessa shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out of her mind.

"Everything alright with you?" Talon asked. He looked up from the stack of boxes and must have been able to see the expression on her face.

"Honestly... Yes. Everything is alright, and I don't know if it's ever been better." Vanessa stepped around the boxes and wrapped her arms around Talon. His warm cologne wafted through her nose pulling her deeper into the hug. She loved the way he smelled, and she felt protected and cared for by Talon. How could she ask for anything else?

"I love you." Talon mumbled, his words muffled by her hair.

"I love you too." 

"That dress looks perfect on you." Talon smiled, holding Vanessa's hand in front of him. Vanessa beamed at the sound of his voice and subconsciously her fingers fiddled with the bottom of the dress. She wasn't sure how she had gotten here, but she was soaking in every minute.

"Thank you!" Vanessa responds, looking at the material covering her body. She wore a white dress that went just above her knees, with puffy sleeves, and some rustic shapes cut out of the hem showing the tulle underneath. They were surrounded by a field of flowers with the sun beating down on their necks. Vanessa felt her hair fall around her shoulders in a wave of loose curls. The sun was hidden from her eyes with the large straw oval shaped hat that adorned her head.

When did Vanessa change? Did she even own this outfit?

The last thing Vanessa remembered was it being dark outside and Talon and her were getting ready for bed. Could this possibly be a dream? There was no way, Vanessa hadn't had a dream that was this sweet and bright in years. She couldn't even remember the last time something like that had happened. This must be real.

"What are you thinking about over there?" Talon asked.

Vanessa turned to look at him, just now realizing she must have looked like an idiot frozen in the wild flowers.

"Just thinking about how I never want this moment to end." Vanessa took a breath, waiting for the fields to melt away around her. They never did.

"Well good, because I don't want it to end either." Talon pulled her close to him and kissed her lips, pulling them between his and savoring the moment. Vanessa could hear music in the background and she wasn't sure where it was coming from.

"Hey, I have a surprise for you." Talon pulled away and looked Vanessa in the eyes with a smile. Vanessa could feel the weightlessness of her stomach, reminding her that she was living in a dream.

The way Talon's skin brushed against her felt more real than anything she'd ever felt. Her skin burned with excitement and lust, and she wanted him to keep kissing her. She begged him mentally to deepen the kiss. But her mind was pulled in a few different directions, the surprise, her lust, and her love for this man.

"Well what is it?"

"Hmm, I think you need to wait just a little bit longer before I tell you." Talon growled, in a low sensual way that made Vanessa's insides turn inside out. She shivered under his touch, feeling his hands on her arms. She couldn't look away from his eyes, diving into the shades of green and yellow. His light brown hair had grown out a ton in the months that she had known Talon, and now fell on his head in messy curls, but Vanessa loved every swirl of them.

"But what if I don't want to wait?" Vanessa whined leaning further into his chest.

"Okay fine." Talon smiled and pulled away from her. Vanessa felt the cool breeze on her arms where his hands once were. She looked around at her surroundings, and took in the smell of the flowers. This place was perfect but where was it?

"Don't seem so disappointed in telling me." Vanessa teased.

"Vanessa Marie Watson..." Talon started, taking another step away from her. Vanessa nodded her head as she sucked her bottom lip in, chewing on it as the nerves started taking over her body.

"I've loved every single second I've spent with you, and I want to continue to spend every waking moment I can taking care of you, loving you, and protecting you. You've made me the happiest man alive and I couldn't ask for anyone more perfect for me." Talon bent down, anchoring his knee into the ground. Vanessa sucked in a large gulp of air, trying not to pass out from her emotions. Talon pulled a box out of his pocket and held it up for her to see.

"I picked this out with you in mind, and I just want to tell you I'd be the luckiest man in the world if you would have me and be my wife. So Vanessa, what do you say, will you marry me?" Vanessa tried to say the words but she couldn't seem to get them out of her mouth. Everytime she tried to speak it was a breathy muffled mess.

"Well?" Talon's smile faded just slightly, he rocked back and forth on his knee nervously moving around.

Vanessa tried to speak again, but still the words wouldn't form on her tongue.

"This isn't the most comfortable position, so if you are going to say no, can we please just get it over with." Talon muttered. Vanessa made eye contact with him and feverishly nodded her head as hard as she could, but it seemed like he couldn't see her.

"Well?" He asked again.

"Yes!" Vanessa screamed, but her words fell short on Talon's ears. Why couldn't he hear her? The music was growing louder in the background, but still Vanessa couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

"I get it, I'm not good enough for you." Talon muttered, rocking backwards on his knee and taking a seat on the ground. He dropped the box into the flowers. Vanessa dove for it, trying to find the ring. She wanted to say yes so bad, but everything seemed to be against her. While Vanessa searched another noise started echoing in the distance, growing louder with each annoying beep.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Vanessa looked around, trying to figure out where that noise was coming from. It echoed in her ears like a thunderstorm, but Talon seemed to be unbothered by it.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The noise continued, and it was driving Vanessa mad.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

It sounded like an alarm clock blaring at someone that just couldn't seem to hear it. Was it an alarm clock?

Beep. Beep.

Vanessa turned around to ask Talon but he was no longer there.

"Talon!" Vanessa screamed as she searched the field for any sign of him.

"Hey, hey, I'm right here!" She heard his voice but still couldn't find him.

"Where! Where are you?" She shouted.

"Vanessa! Wake up."

And suddenly everything went black.