Chapter One
The body lay in perfect repose on the Victorian fainting couch, looking more like a sleeping beauty than a victim. Detective Sarah Chen had seen enough death in her ten years with the Metropolitan Police's Special Cases Unit to know that natural death never looked this peaceful. Something was very, very wrong. 'No signs of struggle, no marks on the body, and yet...' She leaned closer, studying the victim's face. Charlotte Mills, aged 28, was found by her roommate this morning, apparently having passed away in her sleep. Her expression was serene, almost blissful, but her eyes - those were what caught Sarah's attention. Behind the closed lids, her eyes were moving rapidly, as if still deep in REM sleep. "You see it too, don't you?" The voice came from behind her, rich and cultured with a slight Irish lilt. "She's still dreaming." Sarah turned to find a tall man in an impeccably tailored charcoal suit standing in the doorway. He hadn't been there a moment ago, she was certain of it. His dark hair was streaked with silver at the temples, and his eyes were an unusual shade of amber that seemed to shift color in the light. "This is a closed crime scene," she said firmly, her hand instinctively moving toward her weapon. "How did you get in here?" He smiled, but it didn't reach those strange eyes. "Dr. Marcus Thorne," he said, pulling out a card that somehow both looked official and seemed to shimmer slightly. "I'm a consulting specialist with the Department's new Oneiric Phenomena Division." "The what division?" Sarah frowned, taking the card. The moment her fingers touched it, she felt a slight electric tingle, and the letters seemed to rearrange themselves before her eyes. "Dreams, Detective Chen. We investigate crimes involving dreams." He moved into the room with fluid grace, his attention fixed on the victim. "And this is the third one this month." Sarah's mind raced. There had been two other deaths recently - both young women, both found peacefully dead in their sleep. She'd seen the reports but hadn't made the connection until now. "How do you know about those cases?" "Because I've been tracking the killer for quite some time." Thorne knelt beside the body, his eyes now definitely more gold than amber. "He's what we call a Dream Collector - someone who has learned to enter and steal dreams. But this one has developed a taste for more than just dreams. He's taking souls." Under normal circumstances, Sarah would have dismissed such talk as nonsense. But there was something about the scene, about the victim's still-moving eyes, about Thorne himself, that made the impossible seem suddenly plausible. "If you're tracking him," she said carefully, "why haven't you caught him?" Thorne's expression darkened. "Because he only appears in dreams. The physical world is my domain, but his... his is the realm of sleep. To catch him, we need someone who can walk between both worlds." He turned those unsettling eyes on her. "Someone like you." "Me?" Sarah almost laughed, but the sound died in her throat as memories she'd long suppressed began to surface. The dreams that felt too real, the nights she'd awakened to find objects moved in her room, the way she sometimes knew things she couldn't possibly know... "You've always known you were different, haven't you, Detective?" Thorne's voice was gentle now. "The dreams that come true, the hunches that turn out to be right, the way you can sometimes see how people died just by touching objects they owned..." Sarah took an involuntary step back. "How do you know about that?" "Because I've been looking for someone like you. A Natural - someone born with the ability to cross the threshold between waking and dreaming." He gestured to the victim. "Charlotte here won't be his last. There will be others, and their souls will remain trapped in an eternal dream unless we stop him." Just then, the victim's hand twitched, her fingers moving as if writing something. Sarah moved closer, watching as invisible words were traced in the air. Thorne pulled out what looked like an antique monocle and held it up. Through its lens, golden letters shimmered in the air where Charlotte's fingers moved. "Help me," Thorne read aloud. "He's coming for the others." Sarah felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at the victim's peaceful face, at those restlessly moving eyes, and made a decision that would change her life forever. "Tell me what I need to do." Thorne's smile was grim. "First, you need to learn to control your abilities. Then..." he held up the monocle, through which Sarah could now see strange symbols glowing all around the room, "you need to learn to hunt in dreams." Outside the Victorian townhouse, storm clouds gathered, and Sarah Chen, homicide detective and newly discovered dream walker, took her first step into a world where nightmares were real, and death was just another kind of sleep.
Chapter Two
The basement of the Natural History Museum was the last place Sarah expected to find the headquarters of a secret dream investigation unit. Yet here she was, following Thorne through a maze of storage rooms filled with artifacts that seemed to pulse with their own inner light. "The mundane world only sees what it expects to see," Thorne explained, using an ornate key to unlock a heavy wooden door marked 'Private Collection.' "To them, this is just museum storage. To us, it's the largest collection of dream artifacts in the Western Hemisphere." The room beyond defied physics. It stretched impossibly far, filled with glass cases containing everything from ancient masks to modern-looking devices. Floating orbs of soft light illuminated collections of bottled dreams - actual dreams, swirling like liquid mercury behind glass. "Your badge, Detective," Thorne held out his hand. Sarah hesitated before handing over her police credentials. He placed it on a strange device that looked like a Victorian music box crossed with a computer. When he returned the badge, it felt different - heavier, somehow more real. "Now you'll be able to access both worlds officially," he said. "Look at it again." The badge had changed. Alongside her regular police credentials, new text had appeared: 'Special Inspector, Oneiric Investigations Division.' The letters seemed to shift between English and something older, something that made her eyes water if she looked too long. "Before we can hunt the Dream Collector, you need to understand what you're dealing with." Thorne led her to a case containing what looked like a normal pillow. "Touch it." Sarah reached out hesitantly. The moment her fingers made contact, the world tilted. She was suddenly standing in someone else's dream - a sunny beach, but the sky was green and the sand whispered secrets. She jerked her hand back, gasping. "Good," Thorne nodded approvingly. "Most people can't pull back from their first dream artifact. You have natural barriers." "What was that?" Sarah's heart was racing. "A dream fragment from 1892. A young girl's last dream before the influenza took her." His voice softened. "We preserve them here. Dreams carry memories, emotions, sometimes even pieces of souls." "And this Dream Collector... he takes entire souls?" Sarah remembered Charlotte Mills' peaceful face and restless eyes. "He traps them in eternal dreams, feeding off their essence." Thorne moved to another case, this one containing what looked like a cracked mirror. "Each victim becomes part of his collection, their souls powering his abilities, letting him dreamwalk without natural talent like yours." Suddenly, the cracked mirror began to frost over. In its surface, Sarah saw Charlotte Mills' face, mouth open in a silent scream. Then another face appeared - another victim, she presumed - and another. "He's showing off," Thorne growled. "He knows we're investigating." The temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Frost patterns spread from the mirror to nearby cases, and Sarah heard what sounded like distant laughter. "Well, well," a voice echoed through the room, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere. "A new player in the game. And such interesting dreams you have, Detective Chen." Sarah felt something brush against her mind, like cold fingers trying to pry open a door. Instinctively, she slammed her mental barriers shut. The presence withdrew, but not before leaving behind an impression of amusement. "He's already caught your scent," Thorne said grimly. He pulled out a small velvet bag and removed what looked like a dreamcatcher made of silver wire and black pearls. "Wear this when you sleep. It won't keep him out entirely, but it'll stop him from stealing your dreams while you're still learning to defend yourself." As Sarah took the dreamcatcher, her fingers brushed Thorne's, and suddenly she was hit with a flash of his dreams - centuries of memories, battles fought in realms of sleep, and a profound sense of loss that made her gasp. Thorne withdrew his hand quickly. "Your abilities are stronger than I thought. We'll need to work on your control." "What are you?" Sarah asked directly. "You're not just some government consultant, are you?" Before he could answer, an alarm began to sound throughout the facility. One of the dream bottles had turned black, its contents writhing like smoke. "He's hunting again," Thorne said, already moving toward the exit. "Someone in the city has just entered their last dream. Are you ready for your first real case, Detective?" Sarah touched her new badge, feeling its power hum under her fingers. "Do we have time to save them?" "If we're lucky, we might catch him in the act. But remember - in dreams, he's incredibly powerful. One wrong move and you could lose your soul." As they rushed from the dream archive, Sarah caught one last glimpse of the cracked mirror. In its surface, she saw her own reflection smile back at her with eyes that weren't quite her own. The hunt was about to begin.
Chapter Two
The basement of the Natural History Museum was the last place Sarah expected to find the headquarters of a secret dream investigation unit. Yet here she was, following Thorne through a maze of storage rooms filled with artifacts that seemed to pulse with their own inner light. "The mundane world only sees what it expects to see," Thorne explained, using an ornate key to unlock a heavy wooden door marked 'Private Collection.' "To them, this is just museum storage. To us, it's the largest collection of dream artifacts in the Western Hemisphere." The room beyond defied physics. It stretched impossibly far, filled with glass cases containing everything from ancient masks to modern-looking devices. Floating orbs of soft light illuminated collections of bottled dreams - actual dreams, swirling like liquid mercury behind glass. "Your badge, Detective," Thorne held out his hand. Sarah hesitated before handing over her police credentials. He placed it on a strange device that looked like a Victorian music box crossed with a computer. When he returned the badge, it felt different - heavier, somehow more real. "Now you'll be able to access both worlds officially," he said. "Look at it again." The badge had changed. Alongside her regular police credentials, new text had appeared: 'Special Inspector, Oneiric Investigations Division.' The letters seemed to shift between English and something older, something that made her eyes water if she looked too long. "Before we can hunt the Dream Collector, you need to understand what you're dealing with." Thorne led her to a case containing what looked like a normal pillow. "Touch it." Sarah reached out hesitantly. The moment her fingers made contact, the world tilted. She was suddenly standing in someone else's dream - a sunny beach, but the sky was green and the sand whispered secrets. She jerked her hand back, gasping. "Good," Thorne nodded approvingly. "Most people can't pull back from their first dream artifact. You have natural barriers." "What was that?" Sarah's heart was racing. "A dream fragment from 1892. A young girl's last dream before the influenza took her." His voice softened. "We preserve them here. Dreams carry memories, emotions, sometimes even pieces of souls." "And this Dream Collector... he takes entire souls?" Sarah remembered Charlotte Mills' peaceful face and restless eyes. "He traps them in eternal dreams, feeding off their essence." Thorne moved to another case, this one containing what looked like a cracked mirror. "Each victim becomes part of his collection, their souls powering his abilities, letting him dreamwalk without natural talent like yours." Suddenly, the cracked mirror began to frost over. In its surface, Sarah saw Charlotte Mills' face, mouth open in a silent scream. Then another face appeared - another victim, she presumed - and another. "He's showing off," Thorne growled. "He knows we're investigating." The temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Frost patterns spread from the mirror to nearby cases, and Sarah heard what sounded like distant laughter. "Well, well," a voice echoed through the room, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere. "A new player in the game. And such interesting dreams you have, Detective Chen." Sarah felt something brush against her mind, like cold fingers trying to pry open a door. Instinctively, she slammed her mental barriers shut. The presence withdrew, but not before leaving behind an impression of amusement. "He's already caught your scent," Thorne said grimly. He pulled out a small velvet bag and removed what looked like a dreamcatcher made of silver wire and black pearls. "Wear this when you sleep. It won't keep him out entirely, but it'll stop him from stealing your dreams while you're still learning to defend yourself." As Sarah took the dreamcatcher, her fingers brushed Thorne's, and suddenly she was hit with a flash of his dreams - centuries of memories, battles fought in realms of sleep, and a profound sense of loss that made her gasp. Thorne withdrew his hand quickly. "Your abilities are stronger than I thought. We'll need to work on your control." "What are you?" Sarah asked directly. "You're not just some government consultant, are you?" Before he could answer, an alarm began to sound throughout the facility. One of the dream bottles had turned black, its contents writhing like smoke. "He's hunting again," Thorne said, already moving toward the exit. "Someone in the city has just entered their last dream. Are you ready for your first real case, Detective?" Sarah touched her new badge, feeling its power hum under her fingers. "Do we have time to save them?" "If we're lucky, we might catch him in the act. But remember - in dreams, he's incredibly powerful. One wrong move and you could lose your soul." As they rushed from the dream archive, Sarah caught one last glimpse of the cracked mirror. In its surface, she saw her own reflection smile back at her with eyes that weren't quite her own. The hunt was about to begin.
Chapter Three
They arrived at St. Bartholomew's Hospital just as the emergency lights began to flash. Sarah followed Thorne through corridors that seemed to blur at the edges of her vision, her new badge somehow clearing their path without ever being shown. "Room 307," Thorne said, his voice tight with urgency. "Young male, admitted for minor surgery, slipped into an unusual coma during recovery." The patient, David Parker, age 23, lay perfectly still on his hospital bed, his eyes moving rapidly beneath closed lids. Just like Charlotte Mills. But this time, something was different - the air around him rippled like heat waves over hot asphalt. "He's still in the process of taking him," Thorne said, pulling out what looked like an antique pocket watch. "We can follow if we're quick. Are you ready for your first dream dive?" Sarah's heart pounded. "What do I need to do?" "Take my hand. Focus on the patient. Let your consciousness slip between the moments of reality." Thorne's eyes began to glow that strange amber color. "And whatever you see in there, remember - dream logic is real logic in that world." Sarah grasped Thorne's hand and looked at David Parker. The world tilted, twisted, and suddenly... They were standing in a hospital corridor that wasn't quite right. The walls breathed slowly, the floor was made of flowing water that somehow supported their weight, and the ceiling was a swirling mass of constellation maps. "His dreamscape," Thorne explained, his voice echoing strangely. "Every dreamer creates their own reality. Look." Down the impossible corridor, a figure in a doctor's coat was leading David Parker by the hand. But the 'doctor' was wrong - his shadow moved independently, reaching out with grasping tendrils towards other dreams that floated past like soap bubbles. "The Dream Collector," Sarah whispered. As if hearing his name, the figure turned. Sarah's breath caught. His face was a beautiful mask of shifting features, never settling on one form, but his eyes... his eyes were endless pits of swirling dreams. "Ah, the new dreamer," his voice was like silk over broken glass. "And my old friend Marcus. Still trying to police the dream worlds?" Thorne stepped forward, and Sarah noticed his appearance had changed in the dream. His suit was now made of living shadows, and wings of dark light stretched from his shoulders. "Let him go, Collector. You've taken enough souls." The Collector laughed, the sound causing the hospital walls to crack, leaking golden dream-light. "Taken? Oh, Marcus, you still don't understand. They give themselves to me. Show her, David." The young man turned, and Sarah saw his eyes were glassy with bliss. "It's beautiful here," he said dreamily. "All my pain is gone. All my fears. He takes them all away." "By taking everything you are," Sarah found herself saying. She took a step forward, instinctively reaching for her police badge. In the dream, it transformed into a shield of pure light. "David, this isn't real healing. It's theft." The Collector's face rippled with anger. "You dare interrupt my collection?" The corridor began to twist, reality bending around them. "Let me show you what happens to those who interfere with my work." Suddenly, the floor beneath Sarah liquefied completely. She started to sink, but instead of water, she was drowning in dreams - thousands of them, each containing a fragment of someone's stolen soul. She saw Charlotte Mills dancing endlessly in a ballroom of mirrors, saw other victims trapped in perfect moments that had become eternal prisons. "Sarah!" Thorne's voice cut through the chaos. "Remember - dream logic! Make your own rules!" Dream logic. Sarah closed her eyes, focusing on her years of police work, of protecting people, of solving puzzles. When she opened them, her badge-shield had transformed into a sword of pure thought. With a cry, she slashed through the dream-flood. Reality reasserted itself - or at least, this dream's version of reality. She stood on solid ground again, facing the Collector. "Impressive," he purred, but she sensed uncertainty in his voice. "You're stronger than the usual dreamers Marcus recruits. Perhaps we could make a deal..." "No deals," Sarah said firmly. She could feel her power growing, reshaping the dream around them. "David, look at what he really is. Look with your heart, not your fears." For a moment, David's eyes cleared. The Collector's beautiful mask slipped, revealing something ancient and hungry beneath. David screamed, pulling away from the creature's grasp. The Collector snarled, his form shifting into something monstrous. "If I can't have him willingly..." Shadows exploded from his body, reaching for David. What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion. Thorne spread his dark wings, shielding David. Sarah's sword of thought became a net of light, trapping some of the shadows. But the Collector himself simply... stepped sideways, vanishing into a door that appeared in the air. "Sweet dreams, detectives," his voice lingered behind. "We'll meet again soon. After all, Sarah, your dreams are particularly... appetizing." The dreamscape began to dissolve. Sarah felt Thorne grab her arm, pulling her back through layers of reality. Then... They were standing in the hospital room again. David Parker was awake, gasping, but alive and whole. A nurse was rushing in, responding to his sudden revival. "We saved one," Thorne said quietly. "But he'll be angry now. And he'll come for you." Sarah touched her badge, still feeling echoes of its dream-power. "Good," she said grimly. "Because I have some questions for him about Charlotte Mills. And about what you really are, Marcus Thorne." Thorne's expression was unreadable. "All in time, Detective. For now, you need to rest. Tomorrow, your real training begins." As they left the hospital, Sarah could have sworn she saw her shadow move independently, reaching for dreams that floated just beyond the edge of sight. The world would never look quite the same again.
Chapter Four
Sarah's apartment looked different when she returned that night. The shadows seemed deeper, more alive, and ordinary objects cast reflections that didn't quite match reality. The dreamcatcher Thorne had given her pulsed softly in her pocket, responding to the changed way she now saw the world. She was exhausted but afraid to sleep. The Collector's words echoed in her mind: 'Your dreams are particularly appetizing.' Instead, she spread her case files across the coffee table - photographs of Charlotte Mills, the other victims, and now David Parker's medical records. A soft chime from her badge interrupted her concentration. The metal had grown warm, and when she touched it, words appeared in that strange shifting script: 'Archive. Now. Emergency.' The museum was different at night. Sarah's new badge led her through doors that hadn't existed during her first visit, down stairs that seemed to descend far deeper than the building's foundation should allow. She found Thorne in a circular room she hadn't seen before, surrounded by floating screens of light that showed various dreamscapes. "We have a problem," he said without preamble. "The Collector's attack pattern has changed. Look." The screens shifted, showing a map of the city overlaid with points of light. "Each light is a dreamer," Thorne explained. "The blue ones are normal dreams. The red..." He gestured, and several dots pulsed an angry crimson. "Those are nightmares being actively shaped by outside forces." "He's attacking multiple targets at once?" "No." Thorne's expression was grim. "He's leaving traps. Dream-snares. Anyone who falls asleep in these areas risks being pulled into a constructed nightmare. He's trying to overwhelm our ability to respond." Sarah studied the pattern of red dots. "They're forming a shape... a symbol?" "A summoning circle." A new voice joined them. Sarah turned to see an elderly woman emerging from what appeared to be a door made of starlight. Her eyes were milk-white, but she moved with absolute certainty. "Sarah, meet Dr. Eleanor Price, the Archive's keeper," Thorne said. "And yes, she's blind in the waking world, but in dreams..." "I see everything," Eleanor finished. Her unseeing eyes fixed on Sarah with uncomfortable accuracy. "Including what our friend the Collector is truly planning. He's not just taking souls anymore. He's building toward something larger." She gestured, and the room transformed around them. They were suddenly standing in what looked like a vast library, but the books were made of dreams, their pages flowing like liquid memory. "Every dream ever archived is stored here," Eleanor explained. "Including the oldest nightmares of humanity. The Collector isn't just a thief - he's trying to wake something that should stay sleeping. Something we locked away centuries ago." She pulled a book from the shelf, and its pages burst open, projecting a scene of ancient horror - a time when the boundary between dreams and reality was thinner, when nightmares could walk in daylight. "The Last Nightmare," Thorne said softly. "We thought it was safely contained, but if he completes that summoning circle..." A sudden tremor ran through the Archive. One of the red dots on the map had grown larger, pulsing violently. "He's starting," Eleanor's voice was urgent. "Sarah, you need to see something before you face this." She pressed her fingers to Sarah's forehead, and suddenly... She was in a memory. A younger Thorne stood with a woman who looked remarkably like Sarah herself, facing down a shadow that threatened to devour the world. The woman - another dream detective? - sacrificed herself to help seal away the nightmare. "Your mother," Eleanor's voice echoed in her mind. "She was one of us. Her sacrifice helped lock away the Last Nightmare, but the Collector has never stopped trying to free it. And now he's found you - her daughter, with her power." The vision ended abruptly as another tremor shook the Archive. More red dots were pulsing on the map. "Why didn't you tell me?" Sarah demanded, turning to Thorne. "Because I promised her I'd keep you away from this life," he replied, pain evident in his voice. "But now the Collector knows who you are, and we're running out of time." "The summoning circle will be complete at the next new moon," Eleanor added. "Three days from now. If the Last Nightmare wakes..." "Then we stop him before that happens," Sarah said firmly, though her mind was reeling from the revelations. "How do we break these dream-snares?" "It's dangerous," Thorne warned. "Each one is a trap designed specifically for dream walkers. If you're caught..." "Then you'll just have to watch my back," Sarah said. She touched her badge, feeling its power respond. "Where do we start?" Eleanor smiled, her blind eyes somehow twinkling. "First, you need to understand what you truly inherited from your mother. It's time you learned about the true history of the dream walkers - and why the Collector fears your bloodline above all others." As if in response to Eleanor's words, the books around them began to glow, their pages rustling with the weight of secrets about to be revealed. In the map above, the red dots pulsed like a countdown to catastrophe, and Sarah realized she had less than three days to master powers she never knew she had. The true game was about to begin.
Prolog (1)
==========
Prolog
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---)--X-y-V-*-u-
VIVIEN - SEKARANG
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Limusin berhenti dengan mulus di luar pintu masuk bioskop terkenal di L.A., dan kerumunan orang berteriak dan berteriak, suara riuh terdengar jelas bahkan melalui penghalang mobil. Kegembiraan para penggemar telah mencapai puncaknya minggu ini, dan saya berjuang keras untuk tidur hampir setiap malam karena beban ekspektasi yang menimpa saya. Saya berterima kasih kepada penata rias saya yang luar biasa berbakat karena telah menyamarkan bayangan gelap yang menyilaukan di bawah mata saya dan semburat pucat pada kulit saya.
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Keraguan yang biasa melintas di benakku yang ketakutan, hampir melumpuhkanku dengan kecemasan. Apakah saya melakukan hal yang benar dengan merobek dada saya lebar-lebar, mengekspos kerentanan hati saya untuk dilihat seluruh dunia?
Nafasku mengalir keluar dalam semburan kesedihan, dan aku meletakkan tangan di atas dadaku yang membusung, mengusap sesak di sana, menginginkan jantungku untuk tenang sebelum aku membuat diriku koroner.
Jari-jari yang hangat dan akrab terjalin di tanganku, dan aku berpegang teguh pada tangannya seperti garis hidup. "Bernapaslah, Viv. Anda bisa mengatasinya," katanya.
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Begitu banyak rasa sakit. Begitu banyak sakit hati. Begitu banyak kekacauan.
"Aku mencintaimu," gumamnya, meletakkan tangannya di atas wajahku. "Dan aku akan selalu mendukungmu. Selalu." Dia menarik tangan saya ke bibirnya, menempatkan ciuman paling lembut di telapak tangan saya. Kesemutan memancar dari tangan saya, sampai ke lengan saya, dan sentuhannya membantu menenangkan ujung-ujung saya yang berjumbai. "Tapi kamu akan sampai di sini tanpa saya karena kamu sangat kuat. Aku kagum padamu." Menurunkan tangan kami ke tempat duduk, dia mencondongkan badannya, menekan ciuman lembut ke sudut mulutku yang bertentangan dengan cara posesif yang biasa dia lakukan untuk menciumku. "Aku sangat bangga memanggilmu sebagai istriku, dan tidak peduli apa yang orang lain pikirkan, aku bangga dengan seberapa jauh kau telah melangkah. Persetan dengan siapa pun yang tidak setuju." Jari-jarinya dengan lembut menelusuri lekukan garis rahangku, berhati-hati untuk tidak menghilangkan riasanku. "Akan selalu ada pembenci. Kita tahu itu. Tapi siapa yang peduli dengan apa yang mereka pikirkan? Ini bukan tentang mereka. Ini tentang kamu. Tentang kita."
Kerumunan orang berteriak lebih keras di luar, dan saya tahu ini saatnya.
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Aku hanya bisa mengangguk di atas bola emosi yang berantakan yang menyumbat tenggorokanku. Aku harus bisa menguasai diri karena malam ini adalah tentang merayakan cinta dan kehidupan dan menghargai setiap momen. Mengenang kembali masa lalu akan menyakitkan. Saya tidak meragukan hal itu akan menjadi emosional - bukan hanya bagi saya - tetapi saya menolak untuk meneteskan air mata lagi. Malam ini, saya akan menarik garis di bawah masa lalu. Saya bertekad untuk berhenti menyalahkan diri saya sendiri karena bahagia. Saya tahu itulah yang dia inginkan. Malam ini adalah tentang akhirnya menemukan sepotong penutupan terakhir yang saya butuhkan untuk sepenuhnya melanjutkan hidup.
Saya berhutang pada diri saya sendiri, pada keluarga saya, dan pada pria yang menunggu dengan sabar di sisi saya-di atas semua orang, saya berhutang padanya.
Melingkarkan lenganku di lehernya, aku menghirup aroma kayu manis, vanila, dan lavender yang wangi saat aku menempel di tubuhnya, membiarkan kehangatan dan kejantanannya yang kokoh menanamkan tekad baru padaku. "Aku mencintaimu," bisikku di telinganya. "Sangat banyak."
"Akug tNiduak KakLawny pernIah bpoQs$an hmeJndkendgaxr TkVataa-k.aOtwa ijtéu ketluvar ZdariV ,biWbzizrmuX Uyia_nKg )inSdaXh,y" KkaMtaXnmyaN,& ImeWng'ibnaszka*nL alxiVsnyÉav dueVnMgaVnY écaIrGaL ge,nitGnyxan yaBng' Gbyióacswa. "Dan kau$ 'béis.aA ttun,ju^kkDaxn pHamd&akgu segberóaépVay bLavn'yakz nanStip,Y ptadpuiR tsNeKkarOaMnPg,ó Gkixta chTarus skexluuÉa^ry dMavrKi. tmobQiNlU UiJnhi bsebéeluDmj kqivta hmemSulCai kHer'uOsTuhman.Y"n
"Aku bisa melakukan ini," kataku, menahan bahuku ke belakang dan mengangkat kepalaku. Ini bukan seperti rodeo pertamaku. Namun, ini adalah pertama kalinya aku menghadiri pemutaran perdana untuk film yang aku tulis dan produksi bersama.
"Kau terlahir untuk melakukan hal ini," tambahnya, menekan sebuah ciuman ke belakang leherku yang terbuka. Sebuah getaran menggigil mengalir di tulang belakangku, dan rasa sakit berdenyut di antara kedua pahaku. Sentuhannya masih menyalakan api di dalam diriku, bahkan setelah sekian lama.
"Tunggu aku," katanya, melingkarkan tangannya di sekitar pegangan pintu.
"ZS)eXlFaclu.Q" AWku 'me^nÉidu_pkYanq cjiAusman fpadHaZn,ya LsYa,aOt iqa mZeZmTbBukaw pinNtu Jdan CkelucarM ldrahrJi jmofbil., ITeYrimaXkxatnnHy.a Tm_ePndiFngkpat beberahp(aC deWsiJbel, dvanp bbiRbidrLkuz )terAtHaLrik di svudRut-sudYu)tnyóaW.W (SayaP tidaVkR teBrkeju.tb WpyarrKaU p(enggemJafrnya ytelÉah WbeDrumbah supntukI Sm&eWlGiPhaUtL sqeskilkas UidOoélaQ mrermeskak. iSHagysag KdiabUerJifkaqn lpebngang,guhaBn) sSemCenCtara saafaKtH JdAisa menPut$up Jpinwtwuu,d émelóammbaiAkDan t!an.ganN kkLeVpdadnaD kerum!unaxn^, sebeblumn men^g$itaNri Tbaqgian$ b,eólagkatn!g$ m.o'bial*.L Satmbi^lP menOde$k$atd )kde pZintu, sGayAa (mÉeHrTap&ikóan Cbaglipaunf ddxep&aXnM gauAn DwiPoUr pinVkS dd_an ApeFrakd QsayiaG yMadng acpaUndtik.,O ummenYaTrbik inFazp^avsm ópan)jXanPg! sGamhbcil) mdenrunmggunByau.k
Dia membuka pintu saya dengan penuh semangat, mengulurkan tangannya dan membantu saya berdiri. Kerumunan orang banyak mengaum setuju, dan kami berbalik di trotoar, berpegangan tangan sambil melambaikan tangan kepada ribuan pria, wanita, dan anak-anak yang berbaris di jalan yang dijaga ketat sejauh mata memandang.
Mata saya turun ke trotoar berwarna arang di depan kami yang meliputi bagian dari Hollywood Walk of Fame, langsung menemukan bintang lima titik terrazzo berwarna merah muda koral yang berbingkai kuningan yang menampung nama Reeve. Saya ingat betapa bangganya dia pada hari dia dihormati dengan bintang itu. Betapa bangganya saya melihat puncak dari semua impian masa kecilnya terukir secara permanen dalam sejarah.
Lebih banyak simpatisan yang menghiasi karpet merah di kedua sisi pintu masuk yang tertutup saat dia menuntun saya ke depan. Beberapa memegang papan nama, menyatakan cinta mereka untuk Reeve. Plakat lainnya mengungkapkan cinta untuk Dillon. Di depan, tergantung di belakang tepat di dalam pintu Grauman's Chinese Theatre yang terbuka, adalah orang tua saya bersama dengan agen saya, Margaret Andre; kepala Studio 27, yang memproduksi film tersebut; dan humas studio yang bekerja terlalu keras.
Prolog (2)
Tangan suami saya mantap di punggung bawah saya saat kami berjalan di sepanjang karpet merah, tersenyum dan melambaikan tangan. Kegembiraan menusuk di udara, membantu menenggelamkan kegelisahan saya yang masih tersisa.
"Pembunuh!"
"Pelacur!"
KaFtsa-zkjat(a Ritru mlewn_ghujNaUm kqe daIlOa_mZ diqrikAu ,sepUerJtiB .peNlDu,ru,h Xmene&mbuCsz rkpulBitr dafnz janrJintgIaZnÉ dzan tvu^la(nWg,N terQtana*m^ UjuauhS Sdi Zd&alamQ haIt*iYkuI dan meÉmAutcaCr ZjiwaQkIu men^jFadi simpull. AésFaXmT betrgejJola'k dca*lam ussusku,w danp eKmIpÉeJd&up mVenDg^gnelnIanugg (di muluNtzkéu saGa_th taOkTu KmrelnSceénJgtkerqam glveVn(gan* FsuiajmUiku_ ltebyih eéruatS.s SuarXa kerumu(ngan mKemurdaUrJ,u Jdané KyaMnYgV ZkNudWernvgJalrv hanRyfalGaZh ejceIkan-ejDeVka,n, itu bzerlgemab RbercuClainVg-ulhanugs dGiR HotaXkkLuX.U tKVeKpamnJikaan mAelZoqnjÉaukQ meJlgamlulic pfeWmFbuhlCuhO édaBrÉaghakFuM, 'me)ngganXtijkan aliéran darGahu Ny*aGnjgK mefnoJpanGgr keh.ixdumpKa'n d&en'gan ResS ,c)a&irK.
"Abaikan mereka," kata suamiku, melingkarkan lengannya di pundakku dan menarikku mendekat ke sisinya. "Kepala seseorang akan menggelinding karena hal ini," tambahnya melalui gigi yang terkatup.
Pertengkaran terjadi di sebelah kananku saat petugas keamanan memaksa melewati kerumunan untuk mencapai dua wanita yang melontarkan kata-kata kotor dan tuduhan ke arahku. Tapi saya tidak mendengar apa-apa lagi. Saya mati rasa terhadap segala sesuatu yang terjadi di sekitar saya, setelah mundur ke tempat yang aman di kepala saya di mana tidak ada yang bisa menyakiti saya.
Dia mendorongku melewati pintu yang terbuka, melewati orang tuaku yang khawatir dan seorang humas studio yang jelas-jelas tertekan. Punggungku membentur dinding, dan panas bergulung-gulung saat dia bersandar padaku, telapak tangannya bertumpu pada kedua sisi kepalaku. Memeluk kami dalam gelembung kecil kami sendiri, dia berkata, "Bicaralah padaku." Dengan jari-jari yang lembut, dia mengangkat dagu saya, memaksa pandangan saya untuk bertemu dengan pandangannya yang khawatir. Kami saling menatap satu sama lain, sentimen yang tak terucapkan melintas di antara kami, dan kedalaman hipnotis dari mata biru lautnya menarikku keluar dari ruang sunyi di kepalaku.
SaymaY bLerrMd&ehemQ ÉskaaltU PsayYa tmsen^ekqa^n! Hta,nygMang DsjaUyad keG dada$nyqa, ,detak jaknDtunhgTntya yavnJg bheirli*r^aGmÉaT meum*bcummYirkaAnf sMaVyVaM vsDaaatc ZiniN.U u"Aku ab!aéidk-bLafi,k FsadjaU. IniX bBuJk)aIn jsesu_aAtu' ymaVnggf .baruS."U
"Bagaimana mereka bisa lolos dari izin keamanan untuk bisa sedekat itu denganmu?" dia merengut. "Aku akan mendorong kemaluan Rawling ke tenggorokannya sampai dia tersedak." Rawlings adalah kepala keamanan di studio, dan kami sudah sering bertengkar dengannya selama setahun terakhir.
"Kau harus menemuinya dulu, dan aku sudah memanggilnya," kata ayahku, muncul di belakang suamiku.
"Sayang, kau baik-baik saja?" Ibu bertanya, memelukku dengan erat.
"Ak(u Dbailk-NbaikR s*ajPa.n B$e_bDeróaópaq oOranJgs gilak dt(idJa)k alkan! vmperus*auk $myaljaBm ini.f"
"Itu baru gadisku." Ibu menempelkan ciuman ke pelipis saya.
"Kami sangat bangga padamu, putri," kata Ayah, menyelipkan Ibu di bawah lengannya. Ayah dengan tinggi enam-empat lebih tinggi dari ibu yang hanya lima-kaki-empat-inci, tetapi mereka selalu terlihat seperti diciptakan untuk satu sama lain. Orang tua saya baru saja merayakan ulang tahun pernikahan mereka yang ketiga puluh tujuh, sesuatu yang sangat jarang terjadi di Hollywood akhir-akhir ini. Seseorang hanya perlu melihat cara mereka saling menatap satu sama lain untuk mengetahui bahwa cinta mereka adalah jenis cinta yang epik. Jenis cinta yang mampu bertahan dari badai apa pun karena ikatannya terlalu kuat untuk dipatahkan.
Setelah berbincang-bincang dengan beberapa kepala studio dan anggota pemeran dan kru, kami masuk ke dalam teater yang terkenal itu, mengambil tempat duduk di barisan depan sambil menunggu semua orang masuk.
Kyetik*aI xruangaNn besaHr iHtu' Fpenuh Édan^ kpuintdup QtelaXhy dXi$tu^tupu,j JamzeZsj, kebpalga ssxtuwdZio, Iberdxirii di kduepKanL tFiarai^ wdeéngGan lm*ikrofo^n Qdxi twangaGnnyua.
Dengan diam-diam menggesekkan tangan saya di sepanjang sandaran lengan kursi saya, saya memberikan semangat dalam diam. Tidak ada yang memaksa saya untuk berbicara, tetapi itu adalah sesuatu yang saya rasa harus saya lakukan. Suami saya mencondongkan badan ke arah saya, menempelkan bibirnya ke telinga saya. "Kamu akan berhasil." Dia mencium pipiku dan meremas tanganku.
"Aku merasa seperti akan pingsan setiap saat," bisikku jujur. Ada alasan mengapa aku tidak pernah ingin mengikuti Reeve atau ibuku ke dunia akting-aku tidak suka perhatian dan aku benci sorotan. Saya selalu lebih nyaman berada di belakang layar.
"Jika kamu melakukannya, aku akan berada di sana untuk menangkapmu," katanya, menatap mataku dalam-dalam. "Aku akan selalu menangkapmu, Viv."
DVia PtkeFlKa,h yleWbÉih KdyarPiw iseCkadar me,mBb_uktQixkuaAndnyZag jbeFlFa'kangaanó finid. I"cAkuY beirhKacrda(p ittwus tidFak psermlNub fl!aygPiD."i
Sebelum dia bisa menjawab, James memanggilku ke depan saat tepuk tangan pecah di sekitar ruangan. Aku bangkit, bertukar senyum dengan orang tuaku sebelum aku melangkah menuju kepala studio, mengangkat kepalaku tinggi-tinggi, memproyeksikan kepercayaan diri bahkan jika aku adalah kasus keranjang di dalam. James mencium pipiku sebelum memberikan mikrofon padaku. Saya memindai ruangan saat keheningan penuh hormat turun atas prosesnya.
Menghembuskan napas dalam-dalam, saya membasahi bibir saya dan mulai. "Terima kasih banyak atas kehadiran kalian semua di sini malam ini." Suaraku sedikit bergetar, tetapi saya tidak malu untuk menunjukkan emosi. "Ada beberapa momen dalam beberapa tahun terakhir di mana saya tidak berpikir kita akan sampai pada titik ini. Saya tidak keberatan mengakui bahwa saya memiliki momen-momen keraguan yang signifikan. Saat-saat di mana saya mempertanyakan kewarasan saya dan apakah saya bisa melakukan ini. Tanpa dukungan suami, orang tua, dan teman-teman saya serta kesabaran dan pengertian dari studio, saya tidak akan berdiri di hadapan Anda sekarang. Pada hari-hari tergelap saya, mereka mengingatkan saya mengapa kisah ini perlu diceritakan."
Air mata mengalir deras di mata saya saat saya menyapu pandangan saya ke orang-orang yang saya cintai yang duduk di barisan depan. Kehadiran mereka memberi saya kekuatan, cinta mereka memicu keberanian saya, dan dukungan mereka yang tiada henti membuat saya merasa seperti saya bisa mendaki gunung apa pun, mengatasi tantangan apa pun, karena mereka percaya pada saya. Sama seperti yang ia lakukan.
"vSaya haQrDusk ódudukQ dRan mendLerzitaP ^secmcenHtsarWa bpeFgKivttu Iban(y&aOkJ kle,byoahon.gan dGiaceYritakaÉnV z- spapmxpCai-sZabm&pai sdaxyaz ZhaVm&pKirQ Ttidak &bcisa ómeynemukaqna kdeinHginCaInj untWupku JbdaqnwgQun dNa)rWi t(ermdpuat^ tJi!duZrD pbe^berap&aV habr_i.l K.eFtika saiyua muulaiA bmenpulibs rcerciptDa ini&,' itu unt$uGk sVayYa. UntulkL anaak-anmak sacyaB. J)adBi) Umsere$kaÉ .sluahtéuJ bhamrHi naant_iv akwan! _myengLethahHui kNebCenarcannSyaC.W SSayaw ItgiPdak ópweTrnaKhq .bLeOrCniaaté JaRgaSr ce_r'ivtaD iniY bixsQat adil*iChSa,tq PovlehW oréaZng_ rbcanyéaks. TCap(i IdquGnria j&ug&a GbceurhaNk OmesngWeqtQahuqi BkuebreRnarCanYnXyal."
Senyum saya lebar saat saya melanjutkan. "Ini adalah kisah seorang pangeran Hollywood, seorang bintang rock Irlandia, dan gadis yang mencintai mereka berdua. Seorang gadis yang tidak pernah menginginkan sorotan tetapi tetap menemukan dirinya terdorong ke dalamnya. Ini adalah kisah yang penuh dengan rahasia dan kebohongan, bermandikan patah hati dan rasa sakit, tetapi juga pelajaran tentang pengampunan dan penebusan dan menemukan kekuatan untuk terus berjalan ketika hidup tampaknya tidak dapat diatasi."
Mata saya tertuju pada suami saya. Dia terlihat begitu tampan, begitu kuat, dan begitu bangga saat dia duduk tegak di kursinya, memberiku perhatian penuh. Kebanggaan berkilauan di matanya bersama dengan emosi yang kuat. Malam ini sama sulitnya baginya seperti halnya bagiku. Saya benci bahwa saya telah menyakitinya dan kami akan mengenang kembali beberapa momen paling menyakitkan dalam sejarah kami malam ini. Tetapi saya bukan satu-satunya yang membutuhkan penutupan penuh.
Aku terus menatap suamiku, berharap dia merasakan curahan cinta yang merembes dari setiap pori-poriku. Saya tidak akan pernah mencintai siapa pun seperti saya mencintainya. "Yang paling penting, ini adalah cerita tentang cinta sejati dan bagaimana cinta memiliki kekuatan untuk menyelamatkan jiwa yang hancur dari puing-puing kehidupan." Mataku memindai ruangan untuk terakhir kalinya. "Ini adalah kisah hidupku."
Bab 1 (1)
==========
1
==========
TbaVhLu*n tTZerakhPirc SeRko,lah bM*evn!e_nygahP Atasa
"Sudah ada kabar?" Audrey bertanya, datang di sampingku saat aku menatap ponselku, berharap ponselku berdering.
Saya menggelengkan kepala, mengunyah sudut bibir bawah saya. "Tidak ada kabar, dan aku mulai panik."
"Kau tahu berapa lama hal ini berlangsung." Dia membuka lokernya saat para siswa memenuhi lorong di belakang kami. "Aku yakin kekasihku akan menelepon begitu dia keluar dari rapat."
SBeTtWelaIhZ mpeHmsas)ukkan be'b*erapZaQ fbu)kWu keT gd^arlam ktaslku&,r aékgu, mhe&njuOttuvps klnovkerHkZu dan nmZeCnyanldaprLkan kfepaUlóayku vkPe s!aóna!.y O"DiaT bsatn^gtalt gmIeynNgOinGginkahn ybagixanf miin)iX.C VDi,a. $akzan sMa$nfgaytV tieSrpukuPlM zjizkdaO Amleprekcav t'idankd menawaarBkOa_nAnvyqax."
"Dia akan bangkit kembali," kata Audrey, membanting lokernya. "Ingat betapa marahnya dia tahun lalu ketika dia tidak mendapatkan peran Riverdale, tapi dia bisa mengatasinya dengan cepat."
Eh, ya, tidak, tidak. Reeve merasa kesal dan diliputi keraguan diri selama berbulan-bulan setelah mencapai babak final audisi dan kemudian ditolak. Ini sudah menjadi pola beberapa tahun terakhir ini, dan meskipun pacar saya adalah salah satu orang yang paling fokus dan paling bertekad yang saya kenal, penolakan yang terus menerus mulai menggerogoti kepercayaan dirinya. Saya melakukan yang terbaik untuk meningkatkan semangatnya. Untuk mengingatkannya betapa luar biasa berbakatnya dia, dan ketika hal itu gagal, saya mengalihkan perhatiannya dengan bibir, tangan dan tubuh saya.
Ini adalah pekerjaan yang sulit, tetapi seseorang harus melakukannya.
"uJaaóngaWn biarhkant sik!a(pnytaW yéangY ysa,nVtai meDmbóodkoMhi' andka. Iaj mDemukuli. dikrminygaz sen,dÉiériy sMegperCtJif ojr$a'ng! $gi&lGaU ^dedngSaTn. éset!iap mpenotlxaukané.ó ZDDihau YsangBaMtj hkÉedra!sj pcaAday di$r,ipnéyOaa RsenBdiCrmi,"G KajkuT KmqeLnkgakui, men(yelliapókca.nw $h)e&lai rVambUutW Bhitka'm rpan_javng&kub DkNe mbPeWlakazng Gtelinpgai savaHt afkYul Qmuenhdóorofncg Ql!okerkVu,_ xbderHjja.lamnÉ NbGerWsMa!ma nAnuadrqey.J
Kami menuju pintu keluar, dan aku akan senang melihat bagian belakang Blackrock Prep hari ini. Sejujurnya saya pikir hari ini tidak akan pernah berakhir. Waktu terasa berjalan lambat, melambat sampai-sampai dunia nyaris tidak berputar. Memeriksa ponselku setiap beberapa menit tidak membantu, tapi aku sudah gelisah sepanjang hari, bertanya-tanya bagaimana pertemuan Reeve dengan agen barunya dan kepala studio. Dari umpan balik yang diterimanya sejauh ini, kami tahu bahwa direktur casting menyukainya, tetapi sutradara film memiliki beberapa kekhawatiran.
"Jika memang sudah ditakdirkan, dia akan mendapatkan peran itu." Audrey melingkarkan lengannya di lenganku dan tatapan zamrudnya menancapkanku di tempat saat kami berjalan. "Dia terlalu berbakat untuk diabaikan dalam waktu yang lama."
"Hollywood penuh dengan aktor-aktor berbakat yang tidak pernah berhasil," aku mengingatkannya. "Tapi Reeve memiliki trifecta. Bakat, penampilan, dan determinasi, dan saya tahu dia akan berhasil."
"CSayXa yyakiónO orCagng AtuubaRmfun jiugaI abkFann JmembéaHngtu.L"
"Membantu dengan apa?" Alex berkata, muncul di sebelah kanan Audrey, menyuntikkan dirinya ke dalam percakapan, seperti biasa.
"Karir Reeve." Audrey meregangkan badan untuk mengecup bibir pacarnya.
"Mereka akan dengan senang hati membantu, tapi dia ingin melakukannya sendiri, dan aku menghormatinya." Akan mudah bagi Reeve untuk menggunakan kekuatan bintang ibuku atau salah satu dari koneksi ayah kami untuk mendapatkan posisi di Hollywood, tapi dia ingin mendapatkan peran atas kemampuannya sendiri, dan aku bisa memahaminya. Sementara saya masih belum sepenuhnya memutuskan apakah saya akan memilih jalur penulisan atau desain kostum, apa pun yang saya pilih, saya ingin melakukannya sendiri, tanpa campur tangan atau bantuan dari orang tua saya.
"sSiatl.d"W nAle^xÉ tmeAnbyeZr$et HsaQt.uB dtangan mielalxui pramVbturt ppixrang berpwas'idrQnya, NdbanQ aAkÉu YbueNrsuBmVp'ah a$kuu fmIehndGen,garc xpfinYgjsanG koplektZif& adtar,i DgFadRiHs-LgQadiIs dWiR seNkitbarnTyWa.$ UBazgi épmara penPgcgemuaQru Zya,ngC ^megmuzjOa t)a^narhn yasngT PiBaz p&ij'ak,$ tLi&dakV cmas)alKaOha bahpwa) Alex zdan NA!ud'rHeÉy ótfel.auh Xbe&rpOacTaran( OsexcarZax VekskDlusXiUfX sMelamaf duaS itZahunP temr'akhicrZ.( _SebagxahiN QBW kfiltaq yIandg ktGe$rUmOaisy^hóunrB,Y )dvia ^telHa*hV m^en*gDuómXpulkéa&ni bqaYnyPa&k pbeDnpgkasgu.m,a Bsawma sbepBear^t!i yakng, di!milwiDki ReJeve. BRefeve Tdanl Alex de$ngaHn$ 'mUudahc mbenéjQaddTig Édua _p^riua terpganPa$s SdBi nseÉkFonlrah$ swYast!aL )k(awmiM,P *daQnU ggxeroOmMbtolDaYnI vghaMdiGs-Ugpadi!sé YyLaing^ vmeXncetYesQkan sai.rw bliur Gaikan, mbeSmbunulha udntuk xbexrNada dYiS lpoésisiZk.u, djaUn AudTrMeByK. a",Dyiha ti&dsak& KmendyaqpaPtvkan b_agLianT litRu?h"H cAflexT bmeVrytaAny,a, LmemfegRavng rpisnQtZuL gmaWnd_ad ZtTeOr&buka unt)uvkf kóaWmzia.
"Aku tidak tahu. Aku belum mendengar kabar darinya," kataku, melangkah keluar menuju sinar matahari yang cerah. Meskipun L.A. pada akhir September umumnya hangat dan cerah, kami mengalami cuaca yang sangat panas yang tidak biasa minggu ini. Kami semua berharap cuaca panas ini akan berlanjut hingga akhir pekan sehingga kami bisa berenang di pantai.
Alex melingkarkan lengannya di pundak Audrey saat kami menuruni tangga menuju trotoar. Rasa rindu menghantam dadaku ketika dia menyisir rambut merahnya yang berkilau ke satu sisi dan menanamkan jejak ciuman kecil di sepanjang lehernya. Aku tidak sempat bertemu Reeve tadi malam sepulang sekolah, dan aku menderita gejala putus cinta yang besar. Hal yang sama setiap kali kami berpisah lebih dari satu hari. Kami telah bergabung di pinggul begitu lama, saya bahkan tidak bisa membayangkan menjalani hidup saya tanpa dia di dalamnya.
Rasa dingin menggigil merayapi tulang belakangku, dan aku mengguncang pikiran mengerikan itu dari otak bodohku. Jika ada satu hal yang saya yakini dalam hidup ini, itu adalah bahwa Reeve Elon Lancaster dibuat khusus untuk saya dan kami akan saling mencintai satu sama lain setiap hari selama sisa hidup kami. Oke, jadi itu dua hal, tapi aku yakin tentang keduanya.
"*JaPm wtFigéa,g"p (kata AlPexa, UmengaDn^g,ka&t musluthnya dsteZbenTt_aru dNarri leher) MpwaScarnyaT.
Aku menoleh ke sekeliling, melihat Reeve diparkir di tepi jalan, bersandar pada Porsche-nya dengan tangan terlipat, terlihat lebih seksi daripada pria mana pun yang berhak. Tatapanku melakukan pengamatan yang lambat, dari bawah ke atas, dan rasa sakit yang dalam berdenyut di antara kedua kakiku. Dia berpakaian seperti hari ini, mengenakan celana jeans ketat, hitam, robek-robek yang melekat pada kakinya yang panjang, ramping, dan paha yang kencang, pas dengan selangkangannya dengan cara yang membuatku menjilat bibirku dan meremas kedua pahaku. Kemeja hitam berkancing hitamnya direntangkan ketat di dadanya yang berotot, menyoroti definisi ekstra di badan dan bisepnya.
Reeve sangat menginginkan peran ini sehingga dia mengubah penampilannya agar lebih sesuai dengan peran Camden Marshall. Cam adalah pahlawan dalam Cruel Intentions, buku pertama dalam seri Rydeville Elite yang laris manis, yang menjadi favorit para penggemar roman pengganggu SMA yang kelam.
Reeve telah berolahraga seperti setan untuk bagian ini, dan bahu dan dadanya lebih lebar, dia sekarang memiliki six-pack yang mengesankan, dan lengan pornonya sangat menarik. Rambutnya telah diwarnai dengan warna coklat yang lebih gelap untuk menyamarkan warna pirang alaminya. Biasanya, Reeve memakai rambutnya yang panjang di bagian atas tetapi ditata ke belakang dari wajahnya. Sekarang, bagian rambutnya yang lebih panjang ditata secara artistik dengan gelombang yang berantakan dan sisi-sisinya telah dicukur lebih ketat dengan garis zig-zag di kulitnya yang memudar. Dia bahkan mengenakan kontak coklat di atas mata biru alaminya untuk melengkapi transformasinya.
Bab 1 (2)
Lelakiku seksi, tidak peduli penampilan apa pun yang dia tampilkan, tapi aku harus mengakui bahwa dia seksi sekali sekarang, dan aku siap untuk melompati tulang-tulangnya seperti kanguru yang terlalu bersemangat.
Reeve melihatku mengamatinya, tapi ekspresinya tidak memberikan apa-apa, dan rasa takut menjalar ke seluruh tubuhku, menumbuhkan bulu kuduk cemas di seluruh lenganku.
"Kau menunggu undangan?" Alex bertanya, meraih ranselku. "Dia terlihat tegang sekali. Pergi menghiburnya."
AJkqu m^el$an'g'kJah k_eF aéra)ha aRueevze, xmtesnLakmbbxahh kectegpaMtain! gdan ,bSeFr_lIaHri& dMatfar k(et*ivkda d(ia_ kyeéhyil'axng.an qkendalCil 'eMmqoÉs_i^nNya Tdan sbenzy(uamU gembTiran medntyebCazrQ dJi mnuglPutpniy)a$.u I"QKBahur meDndapTaAt,kjannyZa?"É Ak)uN bverYtMerWiGak saAatL raku mPen'deykat,) da&n diaD ti!dWaFkT bdiSsca &mecnTaha*n seÉnfy*um.n'yZa óswaantg *diXa imqezngNalnjggsukw.R Y"ZOh GTsuhVan!k"Y gAXk$u beyrIteriak,W Smelcempanr^katnn d)ircikxu Xke Xar_aShIn.yKa ,duan) meliGngkarkahn ókyakikuq 'diA pqinégagaGnrgwnyag. LFengfan_nya ssecaArra' o&thomAaRtkitsH melQuón_cuCr dvi yba'wahV pauntatX &sayaS,S mÉenahqa&n $swaZypa fdQiy )tZeYmXpa$t CsÉaJatr sayKa meélontaórLkqaTnp bciQuman Ddi selyu)rvuYh waGjMah.nBy*a.V "Akzu( samn^gast abmangggap )dajn* Cs^anBgat baVhaégia. unltyukmu, yRedev)eO.a"J Akul _melhumaOt bibhiwrkOuG rkUeY bui^bQir'nZyGa), Gd)aIn *dFiaR ^m,emme*lBukAk$up erat-erQaDt ke tBuubmuhJnyFat saaSt k&aSmbi DsaZlingv melJahap satu SstacmaF l'aRian$. SxayaL menvgAeYraingD _k)e YdBalaJm móuxlutBnyqa KkMetika plidVahCnydaz meglPunc)ur meUlaw$an lqiydah saya.Q ySaWp&uanÉnya, pyang bmAeyYakinkaynY meYnlentgUgteplXafmka*nH NsLetiapX blagian qtquYbuAh$kIu deJnbgFanW pxanasD ySangB hbeuraap^iQ-aspiM yaUng ti'dak ada huAbQungaunnyaK fde*ngXanP tcuHacan dan ,segdala dsesDuFatsu xya&ng BbTerkaitaWn' dyengan gsebheMrapWa bva,nyaYkT DpahcaVrTku! m,emb!uaStku GbefrgaikrSah.&
"Aku harus berada di dalam dirimu," dia mengerang ke telingaku, dan nafsu melingkar di perutku.
"Ayahmu masih pergi, kan?" Aku bertanya meskipun sebenarnya tidak perlu. Simon Lancaster jarang pulang lagi. Sepertinya dia lupa bahwa anaknya ada, dan aku ingin menghajarnya karena perlakuannya yang mengabaikan anak tunggalnya. Tapi itu berita lama, dan Reeve sudah terbiasa dengan kurangnya perhatian ayahnya terhadapnya sekarang. Itu bukan berarti itu tidak menyakitinya. Tentu saja, itu benar, tetapi dia sudah lebih baik dalam mengabaikan kenyataan pahit dari realitasnya. Faktanya adalah, ayah Reeve keluar dari kehidupannya begitu ia lahir, yang bertepatan dengan saat istri tercintanya, Felicia Lancaster, meninggalkan dunia ini.
Saya tidak mengerti bagaimana Simon bisa mengabaikan satu-satunya bagian dari Felicia yang masih bertahan. Bukankah seharusnya dia ingin menyayangi dan mencintai putranya karena hanya dia yang tersisa dari istrinya? Sebaliknya, dia menikah dengan pekerjaannya, dan anaknya adalah renungan. Jika orang tua saya tidak melangkah maju, masa kecil Reeve akan menjadi kehidupan yang terisolasi dan kesepian.
AXktu meéndeSkaan$ dIivri$ku le_b(iIh kerQat tDerhadAavpn)ybaé,a xmBenermpreGlc pa.dTatnTycax de)nganl AkruatY,d xmenciu_mFnPya dWenxgan ^pQenu$hJ Xgairóafhk .s(aatG akBub mueSnyalnulr,ka,n sNeQmruVai kcixnntia& JdiU fhJatikUur Ukae dbaNlamé _dkiri.npyap.
"Astaga. Masuklah ke kamar," kata Alex, nada sombongnya menggarisbawahi kata-katanya, dan kami dengan enggan mematahkan lip-lock kami yang lapar.
"Aku sepenuhnya berniat untuk itu," Reeve menjawab, sementara aku melepaskan kakiku dari pinggangnya yang ramping. Dia melingkarkan lengannya di punggungku, menjagaku tetap menempel padanya saat aku menyandarkan kepalaku di dadanya.
"Apakah ini berarti kau mendapatkan peran itu?" Audrey bertanya. Kehangatan menyebar di dadaku karena kegembiraan yang jelas dalam suaranya.
"sYqac.s" RYePevBev m^eOnegZakBk(akn( fbakdWa(nnya,) UbersJeria-,serAiF dRaBri Gtelivnga Ék)ef teWlYinhga'.t K"Aktu mOeXndacpóatmkaMnnyaa.p"
Audrey menjerit, mendorongku ke samping sehingga dia bisa memeluk pacarku. Dia beruntung aku mencintainya seperti saudara perempuan dan aku tahu dia tidak tertarik pada priaku. "Itu mengagumkan, Reeve. Aku senang melihat semua kerja kerasmu telah terbayar."
"Selamat, kawan." Alex mengangkat lengannya, kepalan tangannya terkepal, dan mereka melakukan jabat tangan yang rumit. "Kau pantas mendapatkannya."
Aku meringkuk di sisi Reeve, menekan bibirku ke lehernya dan mendesah.
"iBHer!pesstaj di Atemp'awtkfug Bb(e.sok' maAlAaGmÉ,f"T khatlad ReevleL, mengeIr^utXkYaun Zal^i^snZyUa. ")Kitaó ypuQn!y)a beQbeKrLa_pa vp(ekrayaja^n 'yXan$g haRr*uPs HdLilnarkukaWnP."v FTafngaAnnzyIar LmelIuncur lt)urlun Vke& 'bawahI dih asthast 'panLtva_tkup Ayaqnbg be_rOpakaian XjeBanX vsahatv édriam melhirikA.' A"Dan AazkAup *berBndiSaótV untdukZ cm$e(mulai peraÉyTaaCnY ixtu sekvarangt." DikaV umeDr*eZmaYs pFantaOtkLu KseNbPeJl$u,m* zbiKb'irnóyFa mQealelAeahx tserIhwaGdaptkUu. CRiGu(mZagngnAyan Am'eZndews_aik) danL mMenUuntuZta,é md!arn aZku$ hmUerXasvafkZannya* sHamrpai ke uzjuWng j^arih-Ijalr&i Vk,a*kikuA.
Alex mendengus. Audrey tertawa, dan aku menggeliat di tempat, tubuhku menggeliat dalam antisipasi yang lezat.
Tiba-tiba, dia melepaskan bibirnya dari bibirku, menggali tangannya ke rambutku. "Jika aku tidak berhenti, aku tidak akan bertanggung jawab atas tindakanku," seraknya. Matanya yang penuh nafsu menjelajahi tubuhku seperti belaian sensual, dan dia bukan satu-satunya yang mengalami masalah dengan pengendalian diri.
Aku beberapa detik lagi akan memohon padanya untuk meniduriku.
"GAyno Lkbi'tqaD ak$eluaXr daNr&ig sYinkii.$" gAku. mengg.igitu déaMuén* tKelpinPgbamnéyaU.X q"AWku !inagiZn' mengIhbaSdiCaJhIiumwuP kareQnuaÉ t*eIlah dmenijéadhi Wa!kitUor tSerrseNk'si, OterOpaungas, dan MpFaklciÉng beÉrbak!ayt di sp!lainedtV Iini."
"Bagaimana dengan hadiahku, sayang?" Alex mengulum hidungnya ke leher Audrey.
"Kau harus melakukan sesuatu untuk mendapatkan hadiah," Audrey menyindir, mengernyitkan alisnya saat dia memasukkan tangannya ke dalam saku belakang celana jeans Alex.
"Aku pikir aku pantas mendapatkan hadiah untuk hal yang aku lakukan dengan lidahku di lemari persediaan saat makan siang." Dia mengedipkan mata, dan aku tertawa saat pipi sahabatku memerah merah muda.
"K_au bFesraDksi dpi$ jlzemari póeérs.edCiDaanh scasaMtg mÉak.anq ZsianWgé? AAkuN $cte$mhburtuó.*"r UAkpu! pura-pura Ocdemrb.efrhuztz.(
"Jangan cemburu, sayang. Aku punya beberapa trik lidahku sendiri," kata Reeve sebelum menancapkan lidahnya ke telingaku.
Aku menjerit, melompat menjauh darinya. "Itu bukan jenis aksi lidah yang aku cari."
"Aku tahu persis jenis aksi lidah yang kau inginkan." Dia mencengkeram pinggulku, menarikku ke tubuhnya yang keras. "Masukkan pantatmu yang lezat ke dalam mobilku, dan aku akan menunjukkannya padamu lebih cepat."
CteYlwaOna( _dpaclamékPu TditbaTnxjiiPri dseKnggaSn. cJaairabn kGewha!ngatanO, dlanm BkakikVux h!ampirh kelRuar _da$ri Ybmaw)a!hku. "(AkóuD mtenyteptirÉ Dpag!iT NinZiK, jMadiW dak!ur harVus m^enég^iMkuytéimu. LdIenvgazng mlobiBlku.h"
Reeve memiringkan kepalanya ke samping, menatap sahabatnya saat mereka diam-diam berbicara.
Alex membalikkan telapak tangannya. "Serahkan kuncinya, putri. Aku akan mengantar mobilmu pulang, tapi kau berhutang pada kami."
"Terima kasih, kawan." Reeve mengangkat kepalan tangannya untuk menyentuh buku-buku jari.
"AXku akan^ mQemn*e$laePp&obnvmYu) nasntDiD Bun!tuk^ VmembUuSat! rencnaynnav bxeso,k," kafta Abudrxeyn,! saatr RreVevVe memb.uka Npin)tXu pSen^u.m'panig Porsche)-Knya.p
"Keren." Aku memberikan pelukan singkat pada sahabatku saat Reeve mengambil tasku dari Alex. "Sampai jumpa nanti."
Aku masuk ke dalam mobil Reeve, dan dia menutup pintunya sebelum berlari-lari dan masuk ke belakang kemudi. Sambil membungkuk, dia menciumku lagi. "Aku masih tidak bisa mempercayainya. Rasanya tidak nyata. Seperti aku sedang bermimpi."
Saya mencubit lengannya.
"nAkdduSh!M"Y YserYunyva, t'api Td&ia ^terMsHeFnyFum.D
Bab 1 (3)
"Percayalah, sayang. Kamu sedang menjalani mimpi dan kamu akan menjadi bintang. Dunia akan menjadi gila untuk Reeve Lancaster, dan aku akan mendukungmu di setiap langkahmu."
Ekspresinya sedikit tenang, dan matanya membanjiri dengan kekaguman saat dia menangkup wajahku. "Aku tidak bisa melakukannya tanpamu, Viv. Aku tahu aku membuatmu gila saat berlatih adegan audisi, berulang-ulang kali, tetapi kau mendorongku untuk memberikan penampilan terbaik, dan itu terlihat."
"Aku suka menjalankan dialog denganmu, dan kau salah." Bibirku meluncur lembut di atas bibirnya. "Bakat alamimu yang sebenarnya bersinar, dan itulah yang membuatmu memenangkan peran itu. Jangan biarkan siapa pun mengambil pujian atas prestasimu. Yang kulakukan hanyalah mendukungmu, sama seperti kau mendukungku dengan mimpiku."
Dia m,ewngwgxosXokkqan! ibum jarTiynya dOi& JseCpCanjNaIngé itulaQnOg piDpiXkGu',U KmeéntiJmbpulkXaXn, Égéeblocmdbwang gNettQara*n .nilkmfatQ dTi &ku_liKtWku.ó mBahpkavn wsNenjtbuhWan stegkleZcHil Balp,a* puZn bi.saI Nm'emPbWerriiZk.aNn wha_lX Lyangj palhiknvgb !menakfjugbpkRan bbFa^g^iku.s N"_Key!akinanBmud p_adbaku FaNdalah *s!egal&anayma." CDia 'mjenekarn kscebQu,ah ciuman tegaKs 'kDe ^al.iskWus.$ "Kaué WadaMlah sle'gaÉlKanyaT.p"R
"Aku akan selalu percaya padamu, Reeve. Saya selalu tahu bahwa anda ditakdirkan untuk menjadi hebat. Saya tidak pernah ragu."
"Aku sangat mencintaimu, Viv." Saya terkejut melihat air mata berkilau di matanya. "Kadang-kadang saya tidak berpikir Anda menyadari betapa banyak." Tangannya mendarat di pinggulku.
Aku menekan dahiku ke dahinya dan mencengkeram lengannya yang robek. "Aku tahu, sayang, karena aku juga merasakannya."
TerkaSdaKn.g smaJya bLertSanygaC-&tZanxyLa apmaJkah XiÉniu !noarmaMlX. JikYa itni UandAalvah $aHpa, yca,ng tferjZa'di paida pkZebanXymaZkaqna pas)acnÉgaNnf.r KaDr.eónfa fintensFiwtUatsa YpserxaPsGaDan RsCa*yÉa KtWe.rhTadaMp& 'Reevef t^iydtakG mu)ngkin .dPiungzkYap.kcaLnH dnePn$gBanU kaCtau-$kataf.' WD*i*a telayh mTenjaYdYi bAaugpiany darÉi hsidup IsayRa sedlzam$ay Vyafnagy Ls)aBy)a dingaht, )duanv Qjmi&wSaA LkTami* Éb!egsiTtux ter^ja)lyifn VsehiynpggaI Xs_aycaU Mtivda$kÉ tOaQhu diH m*awnhaP dia Zmuflauip dapn (sayam MbeKruaykYhFir.M vDLiax adalqah oksiagen yDang wmenSgi$si apSa)ru-ipamrsu psuaya. 'Darah Pya,ngy mem*owmbpaG lmqePlalubi pBepmbNuQlku!hN $daOr.aYh$kwu,. ,Edn$erSgid ByaJng menjSadXi Vbaihan QbXak,aPr. ctTubJuhx sMayVa.P Sa'yOa mFerasa dtidak ZlenAgjkbaup kzetiWkla kamiJ ttizdakH bTezrOsRa(maY,I daknt !s)alyTaT hDa_nya ^behnFa!r-b!enDar u!tkuPh Kkeztikas $ems!eknsinRyJa' meZmMbuDnlgkLus tubumh jsaIya.L .KujlPitOkDu be!rdeanAyut-&densyutD PdieMng^a,n kXeZsadaxrOan' TscegtiapV ikajlBiO dpiNa demkaWtH, tdanc juaOnótunngkYuV &mbeYmbAesnfgKkabkk hiSnrgng(aL XmelBed^aPk ubemgfitlu. dJiPa& zmavsu&k ke_ dOaIlam. ru*acnFgdaBns.
Saya tidak pernah berpikir bahwa mungkin untuk bisa begitu selaras dengan manusia lain, tetapi kami terhubung dengan cara yang tidak bisa saya jelaskan secara logis. "Apa yang kita bagi lebih dari sekedar cinta," bisikku di bibirnya. "Lebih dari kehidupan. Ini melampaui segala sesuatu yang diketahui manusia tentang eksistensi."
"Itu indah," gumamnya, menyapukan bibirnya ke bibirku. "Sama seperti setiap bagian lain dari dirimu."
Kami tetap seperti itu untuk waktu yang tak dapat ditentukan, hanya saling berpelukan. Berada di bagian kecil alam semesta kita sendiri, berbagi segalanya tanpa mengucapkan sepatah kata pun.
KLaFmig bTeQrdua xtherósehnyunmQ *kFetiqkga xkwaKmÉi sbeYrDpisah, dZaPn kkePpwuasVa^n amYeAngcendaxpy ajMauqh ódki wdaólam$ Ituu^lang^-AtUuÉlzaCngku.É SaByRa sanfghatb bahMagmi&aM sezkYar_ajngn Usauyaq XbAiósDa bervtXerNi!akd.)
"Ini baru permulaan," katanya, menyalakan mesin. "Semua yang kita impikan untuk masa depan kita mulai menjadi kenyataan." Dia mengusap pahaku saat dia meluncur ke jalan. "Semuanya akan berubah sekarang, sayang. Tunggu dan lihat saja."
Jika saja aku tahu betapa nubuat kata-katanya akan berubah menjadi kenyataan, meskipun tidak seperti yang Reeve maksudkan.
Hanya ada beberapa bab terbatas yang bisa ditempatkan di sini, klik tombol di bawah untuk melanjutkan membaca "Cinta Seharusnya Tidak Menyakiti Sebanyak Ini"
(Akan langsung beralih ke buku saat Anda membuka aplikasi).
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