Sweet Dreams Ch. 03

To my readers: I haven't had the time or the energy to write lately. It seems that my inspiration has dried up. I hope that soon I will be able to get back into the swing of things, but for now please forgive the long pauses between submissions.

Phoenix sat on her bed, surrounded by the broken shards of her past. The room was eerily silent; the air thick with expectation as the wind blew a haunting tune through the trees in the yard. Her fingers ran gently over dried rose petals, and sparkling jewelry. Tears clouded her eyes as she looked at old ticket stubs and concert bracelets. Sobs filled the air, breaking the spell of silence. It was only after the sobs had quieted, and Phoenix realized that she held something in her clinched fist that the walls began to crumble. Memories flooded across her consciousness like warm sunlight, and slowly the pain began to subside.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

The stars had been bright that night, the moon hiding coyly behind a cloud, denying them that pathway of light across the water. The ocean was calm, the waves barely tickling their feet as they sat in the sand. He wiped a tear from her cheek as she turned towards him. "Tell me sunshine, if it hurts so badly why do you stay?" His voice soothed the pain.

"I don't know Danny, I keep telling myself that I'm stronger than this." Phoenix absently toyed with a lock of hair that had escaped from her ponytail as she spoke. "I just don't know. I keep trying to convince myself that he doesn't mean it, and that it won't happen again. I've gotten to the point where I don't trust myself to make a decision."

Danny gently tapped her nose, and when she looked up he spoke. "Leave him sunshine, he doesn't deserve your love." He took her hand in his own and slipped something onto her finger. "You are always so strong for me, let me be strong for you... just this once. Walk away from him, those eyes weren't meant to cry."

Phoenix looked down at the ring that he had placed on her hand. It was small, a mood ring. She sucked in a deep breath, he always knew just what to say damn him. There was a smile in her eyes when she looked up. "Think Kate would mind sharing a room for a while?" He dragged her into a hug, and she could smell the soft scent of his soap. "You're the best friend ever Danny, the brother I never had." She was looking up at the sky, but she thought she caught a glimpse of a frown. When she looked into his face he was smiling, and she didn't stop to notice that the smile did not extend to his eyes.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

Dillon grabbed the phone on the first ring, and answered it after a quick glance at the caller ID. "Glenn, what's up?"

"Dillon, have you heard from Phoenix? Her cell phone is off, and her home line is busy."

Dillon shook his head as he answered. "I haven't heard from her all day. Do you think something's wrong?"

Glenn chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before responding, "I'm going to go over there... I'll call you the moment I get there." He hung up the phone before Dillon could answer.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

"What a fool I was," Phoenix whispered as the tears fell, "I never saw it... not until it was too late." She opened her fist to reveal a small ring in her palm. "To the moon and back Danny," she whispered, "I know you would understand." The ring slipped into place on her finger. She stared into her reflection in the mirror. "I forgive you," and then more forcefully, "I forgive you!"

Phoenix wiped her tears on a pillowcase as a voice echoed inside of her head "Those eyes weren't meant to cry." It was time to let go of the past, and embrace the future.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

An insistent knocking dragged Phoenix out of her nostalgic reverie. Judging by the tail wagging that accompanied RD's barks; the visitor was someone familiar. Phoenix didn't feel like company, but it didn't look like she had a choice. Whoever was knocking wasn't just going to go away. She heaved herself up off of the bed, and went to go see what the commotion was about.

Glenn was standing on her doorstep, and looking as if he meant business. With a sigh and an eye roll Phoenix ushered him into the living room. "What is it?" she asked with a frown. "What precisely couldn't wait?"

Glenn, now looking a bit sheepish, waved his phone in the air. "A busy signal, all day long... and your cell is off. What are you trying to do, scare me to death!"

Phoenix plopped down onto a chair, and stuck out her tongue. "I didn't want any interruptions... there was something I had to take care of. Before you ask, I don't want to talk about it. You worry too much!"

Glenn sat across from her and gave her a searching look. She looked as if she had been crying. "I won't ask any prying questions then, but could you at least call Dillon? He's worried about you."

Phoenix sighed heavily. "I'll call him, it's time I gave him the whole story."

"And what exactly is the whole story?" Glenn asked.

"A Shakespearean tragedy," she whispered as she reached for the phone.