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I ended up talking to Ian for another hour and a half. It was past four o'clock in the morning when I finally flopped into bed. Even then I didn't get a decent night sleep.

Nightmares.

I spun around in the pitch black room wondering where I was. I looked down at my hands only to see the rash had disappeared and I was wearing clothes I was pretty sure I didn't own.

Everything slowly started to become lighter. I lifted my feet and started walking when I heard a slapping sound; like water. I stopped and looked down at my feet. I was in water but I was walking on top of it. Weird.

I was in a forest. But everything was orange and a blur. Like... It was on fire. I squinted my eyes as everything began to get clearer.

I gasped and backtracked.

Everything was on fire. I was surrounded. The water I was in was the only thing that wasn't on fire. I saw something moving in fiery trees and I gasped.

"Oh, my..."

Gabriel came out of the fire with a smile on his face. He lifted his open hand toward me. I started running toward him but I wasn't moving; at all. I heard the slap of my feet against the water but I still wasn't moving.

I started to panic when he disappeared.

"Gabriel?" I yelled.

Nothing.

The fires became worse. It started getting closer.

Suddenly there was this horrible burning feeling inside me, real or not I don't know but it felt excruciating. My insides were burning, my head was burning, but I knew for a fact the fire was nowhere near me.

I dropped to my knees and let the fire consume me.

**

"Lexie," Someone whispered harshly.

I sat up quickly and touched my chest, my arms and legs. Gabriel stopped my panicky hands and stared at me.

My eyes shifted to my left hand. The rash was still there; worse than before even.

I felt hot in my shorts and t-shirt. I felt sticky from the heat. Gabe stared at me with worry as his eyes searched mine.

"Lex, I felt your pain. What happened?" He said in a rush.

I sighed and took my hands back. I ran a hand through my slightly damp hair. "It was a dream. That's all."

He shook his head. "That was more than a dream. You were in physical pain. When I came in you were in holding your chest. I went to wake you up and... your skin was burning."

"I'm fine," I replied shaking my head. But was I fine? All of that felt too real. 

He released a tense breath and sat next to me pulling me into his side. "What was your dream about?"

I touched his hand and showed him. His arm tightened around me. "I see."

We stayed silent for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell me when you got home?" He said changing the subject.

I cleared my throat and stood up walking into my closet. "Well... I erm..." I pulled out a clean t-shirt and shorts and turned around bumping straight into Gabe's naked chest.

"What do you mean, 'Well I, erm...'?" He questioned.

"Can you turn around for a minute please?"

He did as I said.

I stripped off quickly and struggled to put my shorts on. I grunted and he said, "You alright there?" He sounded amused.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I shrugged on the t-shirt and sighed. "I'm finished."

He turned around and started backing me into the corner of the closet. "Now, what do you mean by, 'Well, I erm..?'"

I cleared my throat. "I... Walked."

He scowled and grabbed me by the waist. "Don't even lie," He stared at me for a moment. "Did you call Maryanne?"

I shook my head.

"My mother?"

I shook my head again.

"Then how-" He stopped himself. Then his eyes flashed with anger. "Sonofabitch."

My hands landed on his chest. "Breathe."

"He disappeared when we got to the house. I hardly even noticed until he came back around two-thirty with a stupid grin on face." His hands curled into fists.

"Breathe." I repeated.

He didn't listen. "Axel obviously knew where he'd been because the first thing he asked Leo was, 'You took your time didn't you?'"

I grabbed his face. "Gabriel, breathe!" I yelled.

Both of us paused and silently cursed ourselves. Someone was bound to of heard one of us, and it's only 7 in the morning.

"What did you talk about?" Gabe whispered.

I blinked at him and let go of his face. "What?"

"I said what did you talk about? It's obvious he didn't leave without saying something; he's a creepy asshole with the fright factor of eight out of ten. Don't tell me he didn't say anything to you."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "He didn't say anything that concerns you, Gabriel." I didn't know what came over me, but I realised that everything Leo said to me actually didn't have anything to do with Gabe. He was asking me those questions, not Gabe. However, in a way Gabriel does have the right to know.

His jaw clenched and he smiled tightly. "He didn't say anything that concerns me." He stated in a tight voice.

I swallowed and nodded hesitantly. "Everything he said to me had everything to do with me and nothing to do with you--" I was against the wall in a second. He had one hand keeping me in place at the waist and the other on my neck.

His blue eyes stared into mine. "Is this situation funny, Alexis?"

"Who says I'm joking?" I replied back.

He came closer and clenched his jaw. "Tell me what he said."

"No. It doesn't matter anyway..." His head dipped.

"Tell me."

"I said no..." His head dipped a little lower.

"Tell me or you'll regret it," He whispered.

I shook my head unable to form any words. His lips just about brushed against mine as he said, "Tell. Me."

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. Speak dumb ass, SPEAK!

"He grabbed at my hand and asked me how I felt. I said I felt angry but whenever you touch it I don't."

His head moved back and he stared at me. "You're not angry when I touch your hand?" He whispered.

I shook my head. "No. Am I supposed to?"

He stared blankly at a corner in my closet for what seemed like forever.

"Gabriel?"

"How are your emotions?" He asked suddenly.

I blinked at him. "They're fine. They haven't bothered me since last week, in fact."

He nodded and took a step back, running his hands through his hair. "I've been so reckless with you, Alexis."

I tilted my head. "Why's that?"

He suddenly walked forward and grabbed my hand with the rash. He stared at me expectantly. "You don't feel angry when I touch you?"

I waited a moment seeing if anything inside me sparks up... nothing.

I shook my head.

He took another step back. "When Maryanne touched you, you slapped her." I cleared my throat and looked down. "And when Leo touched you...?"

"I felt angry but he dropped my hand before I could do anything about it. Not that it's voluntary." I mumbled the last part but he heard me.

Gabriel nodded slowly.

"Gabe, why have you been reckless?"

He led me back into the bedroom and sat on my floor. I sat on the bed opposite him and watched him stare out the window. "I've done things in my... existence... that I shouldn't have." He sighed.

I chuckled. "You make it sound like you've killed someone."

He clenched his jaw.

"You haven't... have you?" I whispered swallowing the bile forming in my throat.

He shook his head. "It's not like that. There are things in my life I wasn't supposed to do. Things I shouldn't be doing right now."

"Right now?"

"I'm not supposed to be with you."

I froze. "Be... with me?"

"Remember what Maryanne said? That, seven years ago they let it slide?" I nodded. "What happened seven years ago, Alexis?"

I shrugged. "Um... I don't know I was only ten."

He watched me obviously waiting for me to figure it out. Nothing was coming to me except for the fact that we met in the 5th Grade...

My brain started piecing things together. Gabe isn't supposed to be with me. And seven years ago we... "Gabriel, we met seven years ago."

He continued watching me.

"Were we not supposed to meet?" My voice cracked.

He didn't answer he just continued to stare at me. My heart was beating rapidly as I waited for him to answer.

My nerves were getting the better of me. "B-but I don't understand--"

"Everything in your life is supposed to happen naturally. I wasn't allowed to interfere with anything. Like with Tommy for example. I wasn't allowed to be there."

I flinched. "That's what Leo said that night you erased my memory."

He nodded. "Think about it. When you met me, I was new. I wasn't supposed to be noticed, I was just there to watch. And when those boys started throwing around your snow globe I popped out of nowhere didn't I?"

My eyes drifted toward the snow globe on my table. "I suppose you did."

"I wasn't allowed to interfere. I'm only in this world to watch..." He looked me in the eye. "To watch you. But I've always been drawn to you, Alexis---" He suddenly stopped himself.

"Why me?" I whispered.

He suddenly stood up and came toward me. He dropped to his knees in front of me and grabbed my hands. "Everything is connected, don't you understand? Your hand, that guy that attacked you," I flinched again. "What you'll become and me. We're all connected. Except, I still can't figure out who that man is. I only know he's waiting. And he's not making a move until you're closer to becoming..." He frowned.

I stared at him. Why was he only explaining this now? For one thing I felt my heart breaking because he wasn't supposed to meet me but the second thing is I felt tingly because he risked... Whatever the hell he had to risk to meet me. Or be with me.

But... He was only ten. He couldn't have possibly of known this much back then.

"I'm damned Alexis," He sighed then stood up. "Someone's coming."

Just as I shook my head my bedroom door opened. My brother walked in, his hair in a tangled mess a sleepy smile on his face.

I looked back where Gabriel was standing only to see him gone.

"Alexis," Ant said. "I heard you shouting are you alright?"

I nodded. "I'm fine... it was just a bad dream."

Ant walked in with a raised brow. "Weren't you shouting for Gabriel to breathe?"

I gulped. "Err---Yeah, he was drowning in my dream. And I got scared."

Smooth.

Ant came and sat next to me pulling me in his side. This was a nice tender brother sister moment... that was until he talked.

"Man, you're such a wimp."

I punched his chest. "Get out."

"Not yet. I just want to talk to you about everything."

My eyes widened. "Everything? Like what?"

He nodded. "I'm only going to be here for another couple of weeks."

I frowned. I didn't hate my brother. Sometimes he got on my last nerve but I didn't want him to leave yet. "I thought you were taking a gap year."

"I am. I just want to go see Eliza. I miss her." He smiled to himself obviously replaying something in his mind.

I looked up at Anthony. "Do you love her?"

"Of course I do." He said without a stutter or a blink.

I sighed. I hadn't experienced love yet. I didn't know the feeling. I'd only read about it in love stories and watched the movies. Love was foreign to me.

"When will you be back?"

"Beginning of December, end of November. I'll be here for your birthday party though so don't worry."

"Good." I kissed his cheek. "Now get out."

He started squeezing me and fake crying. "Wait! I need to get over the fact that you're becoming an adult! Oh, the horror! My baby sister is going to be 18 after this week; oh Lord, help me!"

I shoved him until he fell off the bed but unfortunately, I fell with him.

"Ugh! Anthony, get out!"

He laughed and pushed himself off the ground. "Oh and you know Aunt Sheryl and Theo are over next week right?"

I nodded.

"They're going to be here for your birthday," He winked.

I groaned as I stood up. "Crap, really?"

He nodded and chuckled

Ant kissed my forehead and walked out.

As soon as he was out, Gabriel walked out of my closet with a frown and a black v-neck t-shirt on. He must have rooted through my clothes to find the mysterious t-shirt that always ends up in my closet or left at my house without my knowledge.

His body rested against the wall. "Theodore's going to be here next week?" He asked.

I nodded and rolled my eyes. "It won't be that bad."

"He hates me." Gabe said without any emotion.

I grimaced. "I'm sure he doesn't."

"The last time I was here when he was, he managed to pick a fight with me about potatoes. POTATOES. Of all things, it was potatoes, Alexis."

I giggled but made it turn into a cough because he was glaring. "That was last year; I'm sure whatever he was going through is over now."

Gabe stared at me as if I were dumb. "He threw broccoli at me when I was 12. He's a year older than us, wouldn't you think he'd be more mature."

I shook my head. "He usually is."

Gabe shook his head. "I studied his mind last year, Lexie. He really does hate me but I don't know why."

I shook my head. "Forget about it."

He sighed.

His head snapped toward the window. "I have to go."

I blinked. "What? Why?"

He just smiled at me and walked toward the window. "Tristan will be here in twenty minutes." He opened the window but then paused. "I'm sorry about everything, Lexie. And I know none of this makes any sense but it all will soon I promise." He jumped out the window.

Yeah everything will make sense.

As soon as I get to that freakin' library to get that book it will.

No thanks to you.

Thank God, I was blocking my thoughts otherwise he would have burst back in by now.

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(Edited: 2023)