Kaiden's POV
"Don't forget your bag!" Mom shouts
from the front door.
I grab the duffle and rush out the door, knowing I was already late for practice. Slamming it shut behind me, I run towards our car and sit inside all within a few seconds.
I've never been late before, not this late at least. Every once and a while I was about five minutes late, but twenty minutes was not something I'd done. Not for a game, not for practice, not for school.
Somehow my alarm clock hadn't gone off, or I didn't hear it. Whichever it was, I was stuck in a deep sleep dream I couldn't wake up from. No matter how hard I tried, knowing it was a dream, I couldn't convince my body of the same thing.
I had to jump myself awake, my mom yelling that it was time to go from the kitchen. And during the drive to practice I was left with unsettling memories of it.
"You belong with me, Kaiden. You can feel it too. I know you do. Find me. Find me. Find me. Hear my voice in your ears. My lips on yours, kissing you, licking you, loving you. I want to feel you with me, on me, in me, because you are mine, mine, mine. We are one."
I shutter at the deep voice echoing in my head. It doesn't belong to anyone I know. And from what I understand, dreams are simply memories replayed. Even if it's a new experience, voices and people all have to come from some kind of memeory in your subconscious. But I defiantly don't know someone with a voice like that.
It was almost angelic, yet it demanded your attention. Power dripped from every word, pulling me towards it.
There wasn't a face attached to the voice. Just those words spoken to me in the pitch black. Such a creepy dream.
"Mom?" I ask her as she drives down the soggy street. The sky dark grey with light rain coming down from it and onto the windshield. Heat blasted from the vents, warming my chilled body.
"Hmm?" She asked, slowing down to a stop at a red light.
"What kind of dream makes you only hear sounds?" I asked curiously.
She turned her head to me. "Sounds? What like the alarm clock you didn't hear?"
"No, I mean like voices. Or a voice. But everything else is just darkness."
Mom raises her brow at me, giving me a questionable look before turning back to the road as we went forward.
"Sounds like some kind of weird lucid dream, baby. Unless you hearin' voices when you're not asleep."
I shake my head, "No it was just last night."
"Well either way, I think you should be goin' to sleep earlier. Stayin' up at all hours ain't good for you."
I nod, taking her advise into consideration. We pull up to the gym and she hands me my duffle from the back. With a kiss on my forehead she says, "Have a good day, baby. See you at six."
"Love you." I say as I open the door.
"Love you too."
I close the door behind me and rush inside as the cold rain hits the top of my hoodie. I know a lot of people complain about this weather we've been having, but I actually love it. The smell of the air is all crisp. Everything is a little bit gloomy and dark. At the end of the day you get to go home and sit in a warm house under a blanket. The best kind of weather is rainy weather.
It also made me feel a little lonely. Usually I'd cuddle up with Andrea on the couch and watch a movie. But that wasn't an option anymore and it hurt a little, to be alone. It isn't that I want us to get back together, because I don't. I'm glad we figured things out and are in good terms. Rebuilding our friendship and all that.
Still doesn't change that I miss having someone to be intimate with. Someone to meet up with at the end of the day and lay with, kiss, have sex with.
And Jesus, this past week I've been having some serious blue balls. I don't know what the hell is going on with me but with weird sensual voices in my dreams, the desire to hug someone for extended periods of time, and a boner that won't quit, I feel like a pathetic tween all over again.
Not to mention the fact that the sensual voice was a man's. But I didn't have enough energy drinks in me to think about that.
I've never been attracted to a man before, at least I'm not attracted to any of my teammates. And they're all tall, athletically built guys. Though there was the one time in middle school...
"Kaiden, nice of you to show up." Coach reprimanded, breaking me from my existential crisis.
"Sorry coach. Slept in late." I say as I set my duffle down.
"Just don't let it happen again. Get changed and get back out here."
I nod and make my way towards the locker room. I change and run back out. Nick tosses me a ball and we start a line of drills.
Practice ends with the blow of a whistle. We all head into the showers and get dressed. As we walk out of the locker rooms my phone buzzes.
Mom - I have to work late tonight. I'll pick you up at nine. Can you go to Nick's until then?
Me - I'll ask.
"Hey, Nick!" I jog towards him. He turns to face me.
"What's up?"
"My moms is running late again. Mind if I come over for a few?"
"'Course, as long as you don't mind that my brother's picking us up. And we have to get Mila from school from midtown."
"I thought you and your bro weren't on good terms?" I ask confusedly.
He shrugs, "We're working it out. He's family, you know?"
"I mean, as long as you don't go sucker punching him again." I joke, nudging him in the shoulder.
He chuckles, "No promises."
The rain has settled a bit as we walk out. The deliciously cold air hitting my skin. Nick points to a matte black mercedes' SUV as his as we head over.
My feet stutter beneath me when Nick's brother steps out of the car. Even with the staring contest I had with him the day he showed up in the gym, that had been at a distance. And it was nothing compared to the image before me.
I could see every imperfection in his skin, every tattoo etched into his arms. The crease in his brow as he watches me. The lightness of blue eyes. Pale skin that my hands itch to run over, memorizing every dip of his defined muscles. The black of his clothing contrasting beautifully against it. His long legs stretching against the black ripped denim in such a way it makes me want to rub myself against them.
Okay, I don't know about my attraction to guys, or even my own ex-girlfriend, but I defiantly want this one.
"Hi, I'm Meki. Nick's brother." He says with a small smile, holding out his hand for me to shake.
Wait a fucking second, I know that voice.
"You." I say without thinking.
Meki raises a brow, his hand still out as his smile fades. "Me?"
I stare at him incredulously, wondering how the hell this guys voice was in my head without even hearing it before. Without ever meeting him until this moment.
I shake it from my head, forcing myself to stop whatever crazy ass theories that are running through my head. Dreams are weird, and I could easily just be connecting things that aren't there. Like people that see patterns in tv static.
"Sorry, just weird deja vu. I'm Kaiden." I say as calmly as possible as I reach out to take his hand. But all that composure goes out the window when our hands touch. Electricity. It was the only word I could use to describe the feeling. Like a live wire was between our hands, shocking me. I let go forcefully, shoving my hand back into my hoodie pocket.
Meki looks as affected as I do, but I dart my eyes again, unable to handle other stare off. Nick clears his throat and Meki jumps. I keep my head down as I enter the back seat, Nick going in the passnager seat as Meki gets in the driver's seat. I look up at the rear view mirror to see his eyes trained on mine, but as soon as he notices me notcing, he puts them back on the road. I turn my head towards the window, consentrating on the rain that started to fall.