Wish (Wishing Well #1)

Chapter 19

Emily waved at Angela before shutting and locking the door. Slipping off her shoes she ventured further inside her apartment. Her evening with Angela and Ralph had been fun, but there was an underlying current of tension that made it impossible to completely relax. She'd been relieved when Angela said she thought Emily looked tired and offered to drive her home. There was something going on with her friends, of that she was certain. Are the going to divorce Emily pondered as she padded toward her kitchen. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. There was no way Ralph and Angela were getting a divorce; it would be more likely that Emily would win the lottery.

As Emily's feet hit the cool hardwood of her connected living room and kitchen a shudder passed through her body. She continued toward the sink, grabbing a glass from the dish drainer. As she turned on the water her eyes caught on Jimin's rings glinting by the sink. Another shudder ripped through her body and she broke out in a cold sweat, goosebumps breaking out on her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut as images flashed through her mind. Jack yowling at the door. A man standing at her door. A hand over her mouth, the man pushing her against the wall.

Emily gasped, her eyes flying open. She braced her hands on the counter, ignoring the water overflowing out of her cup as she gasped for breath. What was that? She thought.

"It must have been a dream," she murmured to herself. "I must be remembering a dream."

But why did it seem so real? So vivid? A small voice inside her whispered. Massaging her temples, Emily decided to brush it off as overactive imagination, or memories of a dream. There was no other logical explanation. Finally realizing her cup was overflowing, Emily turned off the faucet, before taking a long drink of water.

"Sleep," Emily muttered, setting her glass on the counter. "I need sleep and I'll feel better."

She ambled down the hallway to her room and crawled under her blankets, looking forward to the oblivion of sleep. She tossed and turned under blankets, trying to ignore the heavy sense of unease creeping in her mind. Her belly felt like it was weighed down with stones. Unable to take it anymore, Emily rolled over and turned on the lamp at her bedside table. Maybe it was childish, but being able to see in her bedroom made her feel minutely better and she eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep.

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It had been a long week. Emily was plagued with dreams that she usually didn't remember, but she always woke up in a cold sweat, her heart racing a mile a minute. When she did remember anything about her dreams, they usually starred the scary man. Sometimes Jimin was in her dreams, or a very tall, very handsome man that always made her think of Jack for some inexplicable reason.

Emily was sitting at the circulation desk, trying not to fall asleep when a tap on her shoulder caused her to jolt up out of her seat, a screech ripping out of her throat as she whipped around. She covered her face, and dragged deep, long breaths into her lungs trying to calm the racing of her heart when she saw Angela looking at her with wide eyes.

"You okay, Em?" Angela asked hesitantly. Emily nodded, rubbing her hands on her cheeks. "Are you sure? You've been very jumpy this week."

"I'm not sleeping well," Emily answered, moving to sit in her seat again.

"Do you want to go home and try to get some sleep?" Angela asked.

"No!" Emily answered quickly, shaking her head back and forth rapidly. "I'll be fine! I just need coffee, or food, or. . . something." Angela's brow furrowed as she stared at her younger friend. "Em, I really think--"

"I'm fine. I promise. I'll go to bed really early tonight and take it easy this weekend. I'll be good as new by Monday." Emily insisted. She stared at Angela with wide, serious eyes, trying to convince her friend she was fine; something she wasn't honestly sure was true. Angela released a deep sigh and Emily knew she'd convinced her for now. "So, how are things with you and Ralph?"