Rem's hand is wrapped around mine as we walk between the rows of trees. White Christmas lights hang from the branches, creating a golden ambiance that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I'm in awe of the magical world we've stepped into.

"This is absolutely gorgeous," I whisper.

"Yeah, well, so are you," he replies, giving my hand a tender squeeze.

"How did you even find this place?" I ask.

"Mom used to bring me here. During the winter, they put ice over the pavement and turn it into a skating rink," he tells me.

"We'll have to come back in a few months." I stop walking, mentally berating myself for my poor choice of words. It's silly of me to assume we'll still be hanging out like this come wintertime.

"Yeah, we should," he says, flashing that flawless smile of his. He pulls me into his arms, and I bury my face in his chest, inhaling the musky smell that I've grown to love.

"Vange," he whispers, "I want... I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay." I look up at him, grinning slightly. "What's up?"

"Well," he begins, "not to sound like a thirteen-year-old here, but I was hoping... I was hoping you would be my girlfriend? Like, in an official capacity. If you want to keep things casual, I get it. I just—"

I silence him with a kiss, hoping the show of affection gives him the answer he's looking for. Remington Williams wants me to be his girlfriend. Of course I want that. I think I've wanted that since I was in the second grade.

He ends our lip lock but still holds me to his chest. "I guess I'll take that as a yes," he says with a chuckle.

"An enthusiastic yes," I confirm.

Hand in hand, my boyfriend and I continue strolling through the enchanted garden. He stops occasionally to kiss me, or to remind me how beautiful I am. All the while, I can't wipe the grin off my face. My poor heart is beating so fast, I fear it's about to burst through my chest.

I feel like I'm in a fairytale.

<>*<>*<>*<>*<>

I'm being dragged up the stairs by someone much larger than myself. I'm ushered into a bedroom—my bedroom—and the door is shut behind us.

"What's going on?" I ask my companion. Their face is a blur, but something in my heart tells me to trust them.

"It's hard to explain," a masculine voice replies.

So the person in the room with me is a man.

"Why did you leave for so long? Why are you so mad?" I question him. When he doesn't answer right away, I add, "Is it because of me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No," he assures me. "Don't ever think that, okay? You did nothing wrong." He lowers himself to his knees so that he's the same height as me. "Listen to me. There are people in this world who get away with doing bad things, but our actions have consequences. Someone did a very bad thing, and now that someone is going to be punished."

"What did they do?" I wonder.

"Nothing you need to worry about. Just forget about them, okay? Pretend they never existed. Can you do that for me? Please?"

I awaken with a jolt. My skin is sticky with cold sweat, and my heart is beating a mile a minute. It takes me a moment to catch my breath and lower my ultra fast heart rate.

I climb out of bed, not bothering to check the time. It's still dark outside, which means it's too early for me to be awake on a Sunday morning. I locate my shoes and a warm sweater before heading outside, getting on my bike, and riding to Kira's house.

By the time I arrive, the sun is peeking over the horizon. I use the key that the Dixons made me—yes, we're that close—and let myself in. I tiptoe up the stairs to my best friend's bedroom and crawl into the full-sized bed beside her.

I realize this might seem like the creepiest thing ever, but I promise that we've both done this a hundred times before. We're more than just best friends; we're soul sisters.

"Vange?" Groggily, Kira rolls over and looks at me. "You okay, honey?"

"Bad dream," I mumble.

"Okay, just go back to sleep." She scoots over, allowing me to lie next to her.

Within minutes, I'm sound asleep. When I open my eyes again, I feel refreshed and energized, like the whole waking-up-from-a-nightmare thing never happened.

Kira and I get out of bed just before noon. She lets me borrow a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved Chicago Cubs t-shirt, as well as a hair tie to get my mousy locks out of my face. We head downstairs and find her mom sitting at the table, a steaming mug of black coffee in front of her.

"Good morning, ladies." She pushes her glasses up her nose and flashes a warm smile. "Well, afternoon now, technically."

"Hey, you just woke up, too," Kira points out, eyeing her mom's fluffy bathrobe and matching slippers.

"I've been up for a while. I just haven't gotten dressed yet." Mrs. Dixon winks before rising to her feet. "I'm gonna go shower. There are leftover waffles in the fridge if you two are hungry."

"Waffles!" I exclaim, my empty stomach growling. Kira's freezer waffles aren't completely inedible, but Mrs. Dixon's homemade ones are to die for.

Over breakfast, I tell Kira about my nightmare: the frightened little girl whose eyes I saw the dream through, the male companion who tried to comfort her, and the mystery person who did something bad and needed to be punished... and then forgotten.

"That's definitely weird," Kira remarks, drizzling more syrup onto her waffle. "So you don't know who was in the dream with you?"

"No clue, just that I trusted him," I reply. "The person he was talking about, though... I don't know. They weren't even in the dream, but something about them felt scary. When I woke up, my heart was beating so fast that I could barely breathe."

"You've been having bizarre dreams for weeks now. Maybe they're all connected."

"Maybe I just need to start taking sleep-aid before I go to bed."

"Well, if you have anymore, feel free to come on over. You know your way in," she says, nudging my shoulder playfully.

"Thanks, Kira."

"Of course. You know I'll always be there for ya, sis."

My lips part into a grateful smile. I don't know what I would do without my best friend.

After we eat, we drive to my house so I can grab my cell phone, which I left behind in my frantic attempt to get to Kira's as fast as possible, as well as reassure Gram and Grandpa that I'm not dead. Fortunately, my grandparents had no idea that I left the house at five o'clock in the morning. They assumed I was still upstairs sleeping.

Rem, however, seems to have gotten worried. I have two missed calls and four texts, all of which are from him.

"Vange, why is Rem Williams blowing up your phone?" Kira asks, peeking over my shoulder.

I flip the device over so she can't read the messages. "Well, he's... he's sort of my boyfriend now."

Her blue eyes widen. "What the...? Are you for real right now?"

I nod my head, unable to hide the megawatt smile that is inching its way across my face. "Yeah, we made it official last night."

"Ahhh!" she shrieks. "That's great! I'm so happy for you. You've had a thing for him since, like, forever."

"He's amazing, Kira," I gush. "He's sweet, he's funny, and he's a great kisser. Like, wow."

"Well, don't leave Mr. Amazing waiting. Text him back," she instructs me.

She doesn't need to tell me twice. Giggling, I flip my phone back over and read the messages.

Rem <3: Good morning, pretty girl.

Rem <3: Last night was incredible. I can't wait to see you again.

Rem <3: Vange? Are you awake yet?

Rem <3: I hope everything is okay. Starting to worry over here....

I feel a pang of guilt as I finally respond to his messages. I've been his girlfriend for a day, and I'm already blowing it.

Me: God, I'm so sorry. I ended up going to Kira's super early this morning and forgot my phone at home. It's a long story. Hope you aren't too upset.

Before I can put my phone down, it buzzes again.

Rem <3: Don't be sorry! Honestly, I was just worried that you were having second thoughts about last night. Are you okay?

Me: Oh, just another bad dream. I'll tell you about it later. Talk soon, handsome. xoxo

I toss my cell onto the bed and turn to Kira, ready to give her my full attention again. "So what do you want to do today?"

"If you want to hang out with your boyfriend, I understand," she replies.

"What? I'm not ditching you for Rem."

"I actually have plans this afternoon... with Fiona."

My eyes give an involuntary roll at the mention of Fiona. "Well, have fun with that."

"Vange, don't be mad. She and I are working together on a psychology project."

"Oh, the study of human behavior? Maybe Fi ought to show some."

"Trust me, I would rather watch you and Rem suck face all afternoon than do this assignment with her," Kira complains, "but Mr. McKinley can't stop staring at her tits all class, so we're bound to get an A."

"Good luck. You'll need it," I reply, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. I'm not upset with Kira. I just wish that Fiona Pickens would show her true colors and stop pretending that she gives a damn about either of us.

An hour later, Kira leaves to meet up with Fi. I decide to take her advice and text Rem, asking him to hang out. He responds almost instantaneously, promising to pick me up within the hour.

When his Mustang pulls up in front of my house, I climb into the passenger seat and eagerly slam my lips against his. I'm his girlfriend now. I'm allowed to do this, right?

He responds by running his fingers through my hair and pulling me closer. He bites down on my bottom lip—not hard, but enough to send a shiver down my spine. When he pulls away, his dark eyes meet mine, and I see the desire pooling inside of them.

So much for taking things slow.

"Let's go somewhere we can be alone," I say, running my fingers over the denim fabric covering his thigh.

"Your wish is my command." He shoots me a wink before speeding away, leaving our destination a mystery once again.

A lot happening here. Bad dreams, best friend bonding, and boyfriend loving💕

As always, thank you for reading! Don't forget to tap that star before you leave⭐️⭐️