My heart pounded in my chest as I looked out the window of the taxi. The Vegas strip was still lit even in the early hours of the morning, whilst tourists refused to go to bed in favour of sightseeing and gambling. But I wasn't here to snap photos of the late night revellers, nor was I here to gamble or sightsee, no. I was on a mission..
*~* Earlier that day *~*
"So... This is you." Zak spoke making me look up from our hands to see my apartment.
"Guess it is." I replied feeling my urge to stay in the car longer. I knew Zak had already drove around twice rather than bringing me directly home, and I couldn't work out why. But I enjoyed the detour so I didn't say anything.
"You're gonna be okay, you know. I'm gonna make sure of it." He informed me looking out the front of the car.
"Yeah?"
"Absolutely." He replied giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
My heart bunched itself up at the idea and I looked up to see him watching me intensely from his seat. A funny feeling coursed through my system as another feeling, I knew to be excitement made itself know. I watched Zak lean towards me, wetting his lips with his tongue. My heart began galloping in my chest as I realised I wanted him to kiss me. In all the confusion and chaos of the last hour, with all the shouting and annoyance, I knew it could all be obliterated by one single kiss.
My eyes closed and just when I expected his lips to mould with mine, they pressed gently on my forehead.
I hid my disappointment, covered it with a smile and made pleasantries until I got myself out the car and into my apartment. It was then I paced, I wracked my head and really asked myself where the hell it came from.
That was until I fell asleep...
*~present~*
Images had flashed behind my eyelids as I dreamt, mostly containing myself and another person. A strong, well maintained man who knew my body well from how I was feeling in those moments.
How my chest heaved for some air as pleasure overwhelmed me, how I grabbed at the other party afraid I would combust. How their hands felt against my legs as they pulled me in closer to them and how they squeezed my hip.
I still had images of my head lolling around as my eyes fluttered whilst I tugged on the hair and bit the shoulder of the person.
Even with the amount of attractions in Vegas, I still couldn't pull my mind from my dreams and now I was on a wild goose chase.
There were about 1000 reasons why I shouldn't be doing this, but 1001 reasons why I should and that one reason was enough for me to throw caution to the wind. Call a taxi at 3am and be travelling across Vegas.
See as of right now, I had no idea where I was going, all I had was a route in my head and one willing taxi driver to take me to where I needed to be. From there on.. I'd figure it out myself.
I shook my head and tried to concentrate on the road and turns that I was deciding on. Until the driver stopped the car at a set of white gates.
"I can't go any further ma'am." He spoke twisting in his seat to look at me.
I blinked "Okay. I'll walk the rest." I answered.
"Uh- are you sure?" He frowned looking at my attire. My eyes followed too when I noticed that amidst my wild adventure, I had failed to get changed from pjs. The thin black vest with a velvet floral pattern and small black shorts were teamed with a pair of black converse. I never said I was a fashion guru..
"Yes... Thank you." I replied paying him off before clambering out and passing the security box outside the community. With no security guard, I slipped in and began my last part of the journey.
I was thankful that the sun was down, the night was cooler and that I could actually walk without feeling like every part of my body was melting.
House after house, I passed with no hint of familiarity about them. Nothing that screamed at me to step towards it.
After almost 2 hours of fumbling around in the dark looking at the homes, I almost gave up, but one last push came from the image in my mind.
My body could still feel the warmness of the hands. I just needed to know who it was.
Out of breath and about to give in, I saw it.
The house, the one with familiarity, the one I knew I had been too before. So without any other plan or idea left in my mind, I headed up the drive way and began to ring the doorbell.
Continuously...
Barking sounded from behind the door making me back up as lights slowly switched on in the house. Stepping back, I waited but when the lights switched off, I was back on the door bell and knocking with my knuckles until a yell was heard.
Panting through nerves, I got ready for an explosive argument, because that is what you would do, when someone was ringing your doorbell and banging on your door at around 5am. You'd lose your shit..
The barking continued until the chains and locks were undone. It was only when the door swung open that the fear disappeared and I smiled.
You could say, we were both stunned as we looked at each other.
"Katy? What the fuck are you doing here?" Zak grumbled as he rubbed his eyes with sleep. His shirtless torso had me at a loss for words as I drank in his body greedily before looking up at his face.
"Hi." I replied still buzzing from the reveal.
"Hi."
"How are you?" I asked twisting my fingers.
"It's 5am, I was asleep, what's going on? Are you okay? Is it Billy?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Then I'm not being rude, but what do you want?" He asked with a frown.
None of this was making sense...
"Well I couldn't sleep no more and I was thinking about.... Things. And I guess I just want to test a theory, I know it's early and I'm sorry but if I don't do it now then there is a chance I will forget like everything else and then it's not a theory is it? It's just nothing so whilst it was fresh in my mind I thought I would hop into a taxi travel over here and test it. Only I didn't know this was your house, I just kept saying what directions and I was here. I have walked around for almost two ho-"
"Katy!" Zak snapped making me stop my rambling.
"Hi." I repeated.
"Hello." He replied looking unamused by this situation.
"Okay so I'm gonna just.... Test."
Zak lifted his hands up waiting.
Throwing caution to the wind, I closed the gap between us and tiptoed up pressing a kiss against his mouth. I could almost taste the confusion and sense it as there was lack of response.
But he didn't move away..
My soft kiss left his lips as I stepped back to see him opening his eyes looking a little lost for words. Zak opened his mouth to speak but closed it again as the frown pulled again.
"Okay. Well have a good day Mr Bagans." I answered turning and leaving to see the sun rising.
"Have a good day?" He questioned from behind me.
Now I was more confused than he was, his lack of response had me thinking that the man wasn't him. But then why would I remember the route to his house in that dream unless they are linked together?
But if it was him? Then he has some explaining to do...
A hand caught my wrist and spun me around to face him. His tallness had me craning my head back to see his eyes, the sun had caused the colours to ignite in them exposing the blue, green and gold hints whilst the sunrise cast dark shadows across his face.
"What was that?" He questioned.
"M-my theory." I stuttered feeling unsure of myself now.
"That was it? Waking me up at this time of the morning, assaulting me and leaving?" He asked causing my face to pale.
Assaulting him?! Wait I nev-
His laugh caught my attention making me swat him across the arm. "Dammit you idiot."
"So? What's the prognosis of this theory? Was it a success?" He questioned looking down at me.
"No- well I don't know. I think some of my calculations were wrong." I answered. I mean, how could I tell him some wet dream had turned me into a horny psycho that shows up in the early hours of the morning?
"Or maybe you didn't get the right source?" He asked making me look up from my battered shoes. "I mean, if you're gonna steal a kiss you do it properly right? Like this."
Before I could process his words, his soft lips were against mine, whilst his tongue coaxed my lips to part so that he could seek out my tongue. The gentleness of his kiss and seductive movement of his tongue had turned my legs to jelly.
Unsure if I was going to fall onto the floor, I placed my hands on the hard chest of Zak feeling it rise and fall with his breathing. Warmness brushed my cheeks as he held my face in his hands.
A whimper escaped from my throat as he pulled away, dazed by the whole moment, I actually stumbled forward and gulped.
"Was that better?" He asked.
"I- I uh- heh.."
Unable to think of any words I simply stood against him trying to get my heart rate back normal and not to the point of where I thought it was going to explode from how hard it was pumping.
I shivered as his hands slid off my face slowly and down the curve of my throat before stopping on my chest. His thumbs tracing my clavicle bones perfectly whilst his palms could no doubt feel the train within my chest.
"You're not going home." He stated making me swallow again. Zak never made the reason clear, but the moment he said it, I knew I was staying. There was no fight, no justification. Just a searing kiss that made me unable to function.
Taking my hand he lead me back to the house and in through the door.
I woke up in a warm embrace, strong arms held me against the solid structure of a chest whilst the smell of vanilla and sandalwood eased into my senses. Rubbing sleep out of my eyes, I opened them to find Zak beside me, fast asleep but holding onto me as if his life depended on it.
Enjoying the moment, I laid my head back down onto his chest and absentmindedly drew a pattern on his skin with my fingers. I allowed my mind to trail off and that eventually illicit a sigh.
"That was a hard sigh." A voice croaked bringing a smile instantly to my face.
Lifting my head up, I met Zak's eyes which were still heavy with sleep.
"Hi."
He smiled tiredly "Hi."
In my time of thinking, so much had swarmed around in my head, like a colony of bees buzzing around wanting something.. But I just wanted answers. Like why I knew my way here, why when I had that dream was Zak in it? Was it a coincidence? Was it real? Was it memories I was now recalling? If so then why has he not mentioned anything? Why has kept quiet? Why didn't he come and see me in hospital if we were an item? Did I mean that little?
"Hey." Zak whispered brushing his hand across my cheek making me lean onto it. "What's wrong?"
"What's going on?" I asked him honestly causing him to swallow.
"You showed up this mor-"
"I know that bit." I deadpanned.
"And well, I don't know what else is happening.." he admitted. I gave a single nod before I slipped off his chest and sat up with all intentions of leaving the bed.
"Katy please..."
The desperation in his voice made me look back at him, as fear crept up my spine, I looked down at my legs and realised the light would show each scar. This was something I wasn't prepared for.
I quickly pulled the sheet over my legs and laid back down but on my side of the bed.
With a huff, Zak rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his hand and bent elbow. "Talk to me." He urged pushing his hand over my arm to find my hand.
I squirmed. "I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I don't know what's real anymore. I had a dream and I don't know if it was real or not."
"Tell me about it, maybe I can help?"
He wouldn't believe how much! But if what I had dreamt was true, than Zak wasn't who he said he was.. He was more. More than just a friend. Right?
Only he was playing the stupid card and making me realise each time he's dropped a lie.
"Katy.."
"It's fine Zak. Just leave it. Let me figure this out."
Not wanting anymore of a conversation, I curled up onto my side and pretended to go back to sleep.. My only problem was that I did fall back into sleep.
I woke up again a few hours later, alone with the voiles blowing into the room letting the cool air in. It took me a few seconds to realise that in the middle of summer, there was a thunderstorm. Now if I lived in England, than rain in the summer was a given. But I lived in Vegas. A desert town, which was given ridiculous heat all year, and very very few rain or thunderstorms...
It was as if God was sending me a message.
This was an omen.
Slipping out of bed, I stumbled across the bedroom until the fuzzy feeling in my legs disappeared and the blood came pumping in. Rubbing my eyes I cleared the sleep and opened what I hoped was the bathroom door.
Seeing the large basin and mirror, I felt relief. Bingo.
Closing the door, I jumped a mile to see Zak across the other side of the room wrapped in a towel watching me. In surprise I turned my back to him instantly.
Seeing a dripping wet body after having that dream was not helping! I repeat, NOT HELPING!
"Oh! I'm uh- I'm sorry! I didn't realise you were in here. Sorry I'll jus-"
"You ramble a lot more." He stated making me grunt.
"Is that suppose to make me feel better?"
"Not really, I just thought I would let you know."
"Well thanks." I took a side step to leave the bathroom when Zak blocked my path.
"I uh- excuse me."
"What if I said no?" He asked making me look up at his face.
By pass that torso, that glorious, beautiful, mouth watering t- no! Stop.
"Why am I here?" I asked him folding my arms.
"You tell me. I used to be able to read you.. One look and I could have you spilling your secrets but not anymore."
I looked away from his face and over at the bath. He wanted some honesty, well so did I. But how could I just come out with it?
I need to go home.. Before he notices.
"Notices what?" Zak spoke making me jolt slightly from the sound of his voice.
"N-nothing."
"Look at me?" He asked, seeing my opportunity to distract his eyes from something other than the scars across my body, I looked at him.
The blueness in his eyes were brighter this morning. I wonder if they changed with his moods, you know? Projecting certain colours more stronger?
"Billy knows you are here." He started making my eyes widen.
"What? How?!"
"I told him, actually I text him when you fell asleep last night. He rang first thing." He continued closing the gap between us.
The idea of Billy stressing out caused my own stress to ramp up a few knots. He was going to ask questions.. One being why I was running around Vegas at 3am-
Zak's hands lifted me effortlessly onto his basin side making me gulp. "Za-"
My voice caught in my throat as he slipped between my knees.
"Is it this one?" He asked touching my arm with the tip of his finger. From the placement I knew he had touched a fresh scar. "Because I don't care." He leant forward kissing it.
"Zak..."
"This one?" He asked soothing his thumb over the scar on my thigh. It was one of the worst ones..
I lowered my head in shame. I never believed in looks meant everything, maybe I was becoming shallow in thinking it was. But he had lied from the moment I saw him after my accident.
Maybe he didn't find me attractive anymore and who could blame him, he was a man who could have his pick of the women. So why would he want someone like me? Battered, scarred and damaged like me.
His forehead landed against mine heavily "Just let me in, Katy.."
My heart lunged to kiss him, to feel completely weightless and carefree, much like how I felt this morning.
"I don't know what's going on.." I mumbled. Placing my hand on his chest, I pushed him back slightly. "I need to go home."
Ignoring his protests, I snatched one of his tops and my battered converse as I scarpered through his room. Pulling them on, I opened the front door to find Billy walking up the path with his shades on.
As Zak appeared behind me still in his towel, I panicked.
"Billy. Good timing!" I smiled rushing out the door and over to him.
"Kat what the hell-"
"Take me home. Now. Please." I begged tugging on his arm.
Seeing my desperation, he looked back at Zak "I'll be back bro." He informed him before ushering me to the car and putting me in it.
Once his door was shut, he looked over at me. "Wanna explain what the hell is going on?"
I gulped "Would you believe me if I told you, that I have no idea?"
He blinked, raking his hand across his face, Billy sighed. "Just don't take off like that again."
As he turned the key in the ignition, the radio kicked on making me look at it as the tune filled the car.
"- a Devil in disguise. You can see it in her eyes. She's telling dirty lies!"
I looked up slowly to see Zak still stood on his doorstep wrapped in his towel... That was it.
He was a devil in disguise.
Drapetomania - Overwhelming urge to run away.