"Zo, please," I plead eyeing the dark clouds rolling in. "Not tonight."
"Yes tonight, Syd," he grins. "I need it. 'Sides," he continues when I open my mouth, "bout time you got over this silly thing you got with storms."
"You wouldn't call it silly if it affected you."
"Come on," he smirks pulling me along behind him.
We are halfway across the hotel lobby when the first roll of thunder sounds. Small tremors run through my arms and Enzo's grip tightens around my hand. "Don't. It's okay."
The next louder roll freezes me in my tracks.
"Sydney, stop this," Enzo growls, releasing my hand. "There is nothing to…"
"Hey Dawson," someone shouts.
"Wilder," I mutter turning to face the man.
"Where's your brother?"
"I…I don't know," I stammer stumbling a couple steps towards him. "Probably in…in…"
"Breathe," he whispers pulling me further from my boyfriend. "It's okay. Just focus on me."
"I…I can't."
"Forget about the storm. It's just you and me," he murmurs. "Where's Scott?"
Taking a steadying breath, "I haven't seen him since we arrived. He's probably in his room."
"You can't just locate him with your twin superpowers," Dash chuckles.
"Sydney," Enzo barks behind me.
"She's the Revival's assistant," Dash glares behind me. "It's her job to talk to me."
"Make it quick. I'm gonna get the car."
"I'll be right out," I call.
"You don't have to do this," Dash states softly.
"It's a childish fear."
"There are a lot of people afraid of storms."
"And they still function," I mutter. "I need to go. Check Scott's room. Text me that he's okay. You know how I worry."
"Will do, sweet girl," he smiles.
I flinch as another clap thunder shakes the bar above the clamor of the music and voices around me.
"Zo…"
"Don't," he interrupts. "We're having a good time."
"I'm not."
"Now ya just whining."
"Because I'm fucking terrified and I expect my boyfriend to have some compassion."
"I brought you out…"
"I didn't want to be brought out."
"But ya came out anyways."
"Take me back to the hotel."
Leaning in, he smiles. "No. You want to leave? Leave. Uber. Walk. Either way you're facing the storm alone. Or ya stay and actually have a good time. Yer choice, Babe." Backing away, he disappears into the crowd.
"Jerk," I mutter. Pulling my phone out I curse under my breath. No signal. Craning my neck, I try to find Enzo through the crowd. Maybe I can persuade him to take me back. I feel tears pricking at my eyes after my third sweep of the bar. Jumping with every clap of thunder, my hands shaking so badly that shove them in my pockets to hide the fact. Fucking jerk. Giving up, I push my way to the door. "I got no cell service," I shout at the bouncer. "Is there a taxi company I can call?"
"Sorry Sweetheart," he shakes his head.
"Fuck."
"Ma'am, you can't…"
I'm out the door before he can finish the sentence.
I clutch at my sides to contain my shaking from both fear and cold as I make my way across the hotel's lobby. The torturous three-mile walk has me soaked to the bone and I know I look like a drowned rat shuffling through my high-class surroundings. Keeping my head down I duck into the stairwell trying my brother's phone one more time. A signal returned halfway through my walk but I so far my brother has refused to answer. "I know you're awake," I mutter. My brother always complained that he rarely slept during a storm explaining that he always felt "twitchy" during them. He always blamed the feeling on feeling my fear through our twin connection. "Answer your damn phone." Taking the stairs two at a time I make my way to his third-floor room.
"Scott," I call knocking softly.
No answer or movement from inside the room.
"Scott," I try again louder. "Scott, please open the door. Please. I have nowhere else to go."
Sliding down the door, I kneel resting my forehead against the cool wood trying to ignore storm sending more tremors through my body with each passing second. "Please," I whimper.
"Sydney," someone questions about me.
I press my face further against the door, shame that someone caught me so weak and afraid courses through me.
"Sydney, Darling, what happened? Syd? Jesus, you're soaking wet," they mutter. Their rough fingers slide around my bicep. "Fuck, you're freezing. Come here."
I shake my head. "I n…ne…need my…my brother."
"Hey, Sweet Girl," they sigh. "Come on." Strong arms hook around me pulling me up and against a hard chest. "I got you. Come on. Let's get you warm and out of those wet clothes. Come on, Sweet Girl."
The pet name finally breaks through the fear.
"Dash."
"I got you," he whispers. "Here we are."
I look up to see he had guided us a few feet down the hall to his room. Guiding me inside, he immediately disappears in the bathroom returning with a towel.
"W…W…Where's S…Sc…Scott," I chatter.
"He took some sleeping pills right before I found him earlier. He's probably passed out by now," he explains running the towel over my hair. "Your heart is hammering," he mumbles as his fingers graze beneath my jaw.
I lower my head again and Dash moves in.
"Where is Enzo?"
"Ba…Bar."
"Did you walk through the storm?"
I nod against him.
"He just let you," he growls, the towel blots down my shoulders and arms.
"He…He…gave me…the op…option to stay."
"Stupid son of a…" he starts before taking a deep breath, his hands sliding up and down my arms. "Let me find you something warm and dry to put on."
"You…don't…have…" I shiver as he disappears.
"Of course, I do," he cuts me off. "Here," he presses a hoodie and track pants into my hands.
"I…"
"Just go on," he chin jerks towards the bathroom. "Get changed. You'll feel a little better once you're dry."
"Th…Thank yo…you," I chatter.
"Go on, Sweet Girl."
Disappearing behind the bathroom door, I strip everything from me before diving into Dash's oversized clothing. The hoodie swallows me falling to my mid-thigh, the track pants' legs stretching past my feet by several inches but they do push some of the chill from me. The smell of his cologne surrounding me and calming my frazzled nerves.
"Sydney?"
Opening the door, I find Dash.
His eyes sweep down me. "Are you…"
"Yes," I nod jumping at the clap of thunder. I had forgotten about the storm for a moment.
"It's okay," he soothes and I realize I'm whimpering.
"I'm sorry," I mutter burying myself against his chest.
"'S okay," he soothes, hand stroking my hair.
"Can I stay here tonight," I ask, hating how small my voice sounds. "I can't go back to my room. I don't want to go back to Enzo."
"Of course."
"Thank you," I mumble turning back for my phone. "We're done," I type out the simple message to Enzo before sliding the device onto the dresser.
"Unfortunately, there's only the one bed."
"Good," I mutter.
"What?"
"I'm still freezing," I shiver pressing myself against him again. "I need your body heat."
"Let's get you in bed then," he chuckles as he moves us towards the bed. "So," he starts tucking the blankets around us tightly as we settle into the bed. "Can I ask you something I've always wondered?"
"Hmmm?"
"What's with you and storms," he asks, wrapping his arms around me as I shiver.
I shrug. "Mom says it started when we were about two. It was a during a hurricane. Something scared me so badly that every time it would rain afterwards I would just wail the whole time. I don't even know why I'm like this," I mutter. "Maybe Zo is right. I am pathetic."
"He called you pathetic?"
"He would remind me how childish I act. I was nothing but an annoyance to him. He would never do this."
"Then he's the pathetic one," he growls, lifting my face from his chest. "Don't let him make you doubt yourself."
"What did I do to deserve someone like you?"
"You and your brother are a packaged deal. Same as Scott and me. We're just lucky we could become friends."
Something twists in my stomach at his words.
"What?"
"I don't…" my sentence dies off as a realization washes over me. The ease I feel around the man. The calm that envelops me every time I'm near the man. I've never felt this at ease around anyone outside of my brother.
"You don't what, Sweet Girl?"
The pet name…God I love that pet name.
"Tell me."
"I don't want to be your friend."
He stiffens at my words; his fingers dig into my hip. "Sydney?"
"I don't love Enzo. I don't know if I ever loved him. Someone else has my heart."
"What does that have to do with us?"
"I love you, Dash," I state, my hand sliding up his chest. "I think I've been ignoring that fact but I don't want to do that anymore."
"Don't say anything you can't take back."
"I don't know a time where I've felt like this with anyone else. When I've felt this safe and calm during a storm. It's because of this right here," I state, my grip tightening on his shoulders. "It's you. You are patient with me when I get like this. You've never made me feel like there is something wrong with me because I am afraid. You make me forget about the storm. It's fine if you don't feel th…"
His lips pressing to mine gently cuts off the end of my sentence.
"I waited too long for that," he whispers, his callused hand sliding up to rest over my ribs under his shirt. "Gave that idiot a chance to take my place in your bed. Not going to make that mistake again. Just don't regret this in the morning."
"Never," I smile wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Promise?"
"Only if you kiss me again."
He rolls me beneath him, his lips are back on mine hungrily. "Promise," he states as we break apart.
"I promise," I state. "Where do we go from here?"
"I don't know," he mumbles lowering his lips to mine in a quick kiss before rolling to my side again. "We can figure all that out in the morning. Right now, I just want to enjoy you being in my arms and help you through this storm."
"Can I offer a suggestion?"
"What might that be?"
"Distract me," I whisper sliding my hands down his chest.
"How…Oh," he sighs as I wrap my hand around him through his sweats. He immediately hardens beneath my touch.
"I'm sure we can think of something," I smile up at him, nipping at his throat.
"Syd?"
"Unless you don't want…"
"No. I mean of course I want to but…"
"No buts except for this one," I mumble sliding my hand around to grip his ass.
"Been checking out my butt," he smiles, his hands sneaking higher under his hoodie.
"Every chance I get," I smirk draping a leg over his hip. "Just like you check out my chest every chance you get." I slide his hands even higher.
"I…"
"Don't even try to lie," I grin as his hands knead my chest.
"I love every inch of you."
"Good save," I chuckle.
"Shut up," he smirks tugging the hoodie over my head. His mouth immediately attacking my chest.
"Nev…" I start as one of his hand drifts downwards and beneath the track pants. "Mmmmm," I hum as he pets along my cloth covered slit.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," I sigh, grinding down against his hand.
"Take these off."
"Why don't you…"
"I'm not letting you out of my arms. This might all be a dream and I'm not letting go of it," he mumbles against my skin.
Shimming the oversized pants down my legs, I tug his down afterwards. Stroking him, "Does this feel like a dream?"
"I've had some vivid dreams."
"What about now," I inquire sinking down on his cock.
"Very vivid dream," he sighs capturing my lips. "But nothing compares to the real thing."
Rocking our hips together, we set a slow rhythm. Mouths exploring every inch of exposed skin we can reach.
"Fuck," he grunts as I spur him deeper with my heel, my orgasm within reach. "I'm close, Sweet Girl."
"So close," I pant. "Don't stop. Fuck Dash."
"Let go for me," he whispers.
That is all the encouragement I need, Dash following soon after.
"Are you okay, Sweet Girl," he mumbles against the top of my head as I try to catch my breath.
"Perfect," I purr, placing a kiss over his heart. "Although I may need another distraction soon."
"Give me a half hour," he chuckles, intertwining our fingers.
Pounding on the door brings me from the bathroom the following morning.
"Geez, it's too early for this," I mutter. "What?"
"Thank God," Scott sighs wrapping me in a tight hug. "You didn't answer your phone. Enzo didn't know where you were. Why…"
I hold up a hand to stop him. "You talked to Enzo?"
"He came by looking for you," Scott explains.
"Did he also tell you that I broke up with him?"
"No," he stretches out the word. "What happened?"
"Syd, Baby Girl, there you are," Enzo crows rounding the corner. "Ya gotta tell me when ya disappear like that."
"I believe your exact words were: You want to leave? Leave. Uber. Walk. Either way you're facing the storm alone. Or ya stay and actually have a good time. Yer choice, Babe."
"What," Scott questions, turning to the younger man.
"He dragged me to a club in the middle of a storm," I explain to my brother. When I ask to be brought back to the hotel, he told me to find my own way back. I walked three miles in the freezing rain which gave me plenty of time to think. I concluded that he is not the kind of man I want in my life. So, I told him we were done."
"You don't mean that."
"Never meant anything more."
"How long have you been fucking Wilder?"
"Ten minutes after I left you," I state. "It was a nice change to have a man that knows how to take his time instead of jack rabbiting on top of me."
"Fucking whore," Enzo mutters turning to leave.
"What the fuck did you say to her," Scott growls.
"Don't bother. He's not worth the time or effort."
"I don't know Syd," Dash states appearing behind Enzo, my suitcase in his hand. "I find that statement hypocritical. "There was a very lovely lady in his room who helped me gather your things before disappearing herself."
"Figures. Revival in here. Amore, I'll say this again, we're done. Kick rocks."
"So," Scott starts as we settle into the room. "You two, huh?"
"Yeah," I nod nervously. There are very few times my twin is unreadable to me and this is one of them. "Scott?"
Dash hand runs up and down my back soothingly.
"It's about time," Scott smirks.
"Agreed," Dash grins.
"You're both lucky I love you," I roll my eyes, grabbing my bag. "I'm going to change and then we need to be on the road. "Scott has the first leg since he got the most sleep," I smirk disappearing into the bathroom again.
"Didn't need to know that," Scott calls after me.