“Wake up. It’s only a dream,” he tells me again, and I draw in a deep breath and reach for him, holding him tightly.
“It was awful. It was the party … the explosion,” I say quietly. “Victoria was there, killing everyone, and I couldn’t stop her. I tried to, but I couldn’t. Oh Wills … it’s so awful!” I feel the tears come as they do every time I have another nightmare about that horrible evening, and he holds me close against him and strokes his fingers through my hair.
“It’s over. It’s all over. You’re safe, and Dana is safe. It’s going to be okay. Let the nightmares go. I’m here and nothing is going to happen to you.”
He kisses my forehead, and then my cheek, and then my mouth, and I reach for him and part his lips with mine, needing so much to feel him love me, and to make all of the pain and anger in me go away for a while. He moves above me, and I bring him into me and lose myself in him completely, letting go of everything but the overwhelming passion and love we create and share.
Chapter 10
New Year’s Eve comes, and I ring it in with my boys, kissing each of them at midnight, and we vow to each other that it’s going to be an amazing year. I vow to myself silently that I will get my revenge on Victoria, in any way I can.
Every time I think the trauma is slipping away, something brings the memory of it fresh to my mind. If it isn’t Victoria or Dana, it’s the dreams.
If I didn’t have the boys to comfort me, I don’t know what I’d do.
Even though they could stay with their families for a few more days before classes start, both Wills and Blair head up to the school with me the next day.
They continue to take turns staying the night in my room with me, to help stem the nightmares that come. That and, well, the other thing.
At least, until one night when the monitor bangs on my door and I’m forced to open it, and Blair is discovered. He’s taken from my room and sent back to his. As he’s going down the hallway reluctantly, I see Victoria standing not far away, with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face.
Anger and bitterness consume me, but this time, I don’t turn the other cheek. I’ve done enough of that.
As soon as the monitor leaves, I stalk down the hall in my negligee and shove a finger in her chest. “What in the hell are you doing?”
She shrugs and laughs lightly. “Oh nothing. I just thought I’d tip the monitor off that you’ve been basically running a whorehouse out of your dorm room. It’s against the rules, you know. Might get you kicked out of here.” She smirks at me menacingly.
“What I do in that room, and who I do it with is absolutely none of your business. Well … most of it isn’t your business. I suppose it might be your business that Astor was there.” I hadn’t decided whether or not to tell her, but seeing as she has just had my boy evicted from my room in the middle of the night, I decide that turnabout is fair play.
Victoria’s face turns ashen and her eyes grow wide. “He was not. You little liar!”
It’s my turn to smile smugly at her. “Am I a liar? Do you know where he was and what he was doing the night of the funerals here? Because I do. Sweet dreams, Vic.”
I turn on my heel and march back to my room feeling some glimmer of justice as I hear her freaking out behind me. She shrieks at the top of her lungs and stomps out of the hallway, going back to her own room.
I know I shouldn’t have said anything, but it serves her right for picking a fight with me tonight.
She had it coming, and I don’t mind doling it out to her. She’s got a hell of a lot more coming from me, but this is just a little taste of that. Revenge is going to be so sweet, and I can barely wait for it.
One week back into school, Dana returns and I could not be happier. She’s still recovering, and she’s still bandaged up in places and trying to take it easy, but she’s back, and I am thrilled. I hug her gently but tightly when she comes into the room, and her parents come in behind her, carrying all of her bags and extra things.
I’d gotten so used to sleeping with the boys that once they were gone, the dorm room felt emptier than ever. At least now, thought I might not have Wills or Blair, I will have someone to wake me from the nightmares.
As soon as her pare
nts leave, Dana looks at me in such relief and excitement. She gushes happily.
“Oh my god, I’m back! Finally! I can’t believe I’m back. I didn’t think I was ever going to get out of that damn hospital. I love my mom and dad so much, but I was so ready to be out of there.”
She shakes her head. “I never thought I could miss this place so much.”
“I’m really glad to have you back here too,” I tell her, just as happy to see her as she is to see me. “Were you really on your own the whole time?” I ask, looking at her sympathetically.
She blushes a little and smiles at me. “Well, actually no. You’ll never believe this, but Laura Brighton came to see me in the hospital, and we had a great talk and discovered that we actually have a lot in common. In fact, she came to see me a few times, and then she came to see me at the house, and I guess that we are sort of starting to see each other.”
“See each other?”
“Yeah,” Dana says, blushing even more. “Like … romantically.”