Nebulochaotic {book two} (COMPLETED)

Secrets and Surprise Visits

*fast forward to Friday of their last week in Minnesota*

It's out last week in Minnesota. Dakota and I have had so much fun in these past two weeks. We've been paragliding, paddle boarding, jet skiing, and loads of other fun things. I was so tired at the end of each day that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillows every night.

Tonight is no different. We had gone hiking today and I was exhausted. Dakota nudges my arm. I stir awake, unaware that I had spaced out.

"You okay?" Dakota asks

"Mhm. Just tired." I say

"I bet. Let's get you inside." He says opening the car door.

He opens my side soon after he gets out. I feel the seatbelt slide off my body, strong arms slip under my legs and around my body. Dakota lifts me out of the car and into the house. I feel myself going up the stairs into the room we've been sharing for the past two weeks.

When I feel the bed underneath me, I roll onto my stomach and fall asleep.

———

*the next day*

*Dakota's POV*

"Hey Zak. We're heading back today. Do you have the lockdown location ready?" I say to my phone.

"Yeah. We're going to Reseda California in two weeks, right before graduation. Are you sure you want to take her?" Zak says.

"Yes. I have the whole thing planned out. She'll love it and we'll capture the whole thing on camera." I say

Faith mumbles in the passenger seat. I stiffen in my seat. If she hears this conversation, it will ruin the surprise. The surprise being me asking her to marry me. It's thrilling, honestly. I've been waiting for months to ask her. I'll take her to the beach afterwards too. Or before.

"Dakota?" Zak asks snapping me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I ask him.

"Did you hear me?"

"No. She started talking in her sleep again." I admit

"Oh. Well as I was saying. I was thinking maybe we could take her into the house and have her get a feel for the place beforehand and then we can take her in for the investigation." Zak says.

"Uhh yeah sure. Then afterwards, I'll take her to dinner or something and ask her there. Obviously with you guys filming from different angles."

"Okay okay... sounds good...... alright and do you have like a little speech planned out or...."

"I'm working on it. I have the first couple of lines down but I think I'm just going to keep it simple."

"Okay."

I hear Zak's pen scribbling on his paper through the phone. He's probably writing something on how dumb I am to do this. Or how stupid I'm going to look. I don't care. He's giving me permission to do this. As I pull into my parents driveway, Faith starts waking up. She's been so sleepy lately, I'm starting to get worried. We used protection, but I have been taking her places to work off all the anxious energy she has.

"Uhh Faye is waking up I'll call you at the airport." I say to Zak.

I don't wait for his goodbye and I press the red 'end call' button.

"What are you talking about?" Faith mumbles

"Just how excited you are to be going home." I say

"To Zak?"

"Yep."

"I can't wait. It's colder up here."

"I thought it was like Portland up here."

"Minnesota is closer to Canada."

"I guess."

My mom comes out just then and I get out to say hello.

"Did you fix the blanket?" I ask after giving her a hug

"Yes, I fixed the blanket. It's in here." My mom says

"Thanks mom." I say.

She smiles and hands me the bag containing the thick, worn blanket. I take the bag and get into the back seat. Faith has fallen back to sleep and for that I'm grateful. She needs her sleep. Ever since the night she woke up screaming, she hasn't gotten good sleep. The bags under her eyes make it evident. She yawns through dinner, naps in the car, but still sleeps restlessly through the night.

I've texted Zak about it multiple times and he keeps saying something about making sure she takes her sleeping meds. I've checked her pill bag four times and she doesn't have them with her. I've also told Zak she doesn't have them. He's checked her bathroom and Mira's old room for them, to no avail. I even checked in the bathroom trash to make sure she didn't throw them away.

I look up out the window and just stare until we get to the airport. My mom helps us get the luggage out of the car and makes sure we make it through security okay. Faith is still half asleep as we board the plane. I take her hand after laying out her blanket on her lap. She smiles and falls asleep.

—————

*Faith's POV*

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dakota asks for the fourth time today.

"Yes, Dakota." I pant.

We are currently hiking near the Black Hills National Forest. There was something I needed to do before I went back to Vegas.

"I'm sorry if it's getting annoying. I just want to make sure your okay because there's a lot of painful memories attached to this place." Dakota says through laboured breaths.

"I know, but I'm fine. I promise." I say

We enter a clearing that's vaguely familiar to me. The river running near it bubbles with water. The vegetation had grown out of control since I was here last. I spot the shiny new barbed wire a feet away. I walk over to it and turn around. Dakota follows as I walk right into the thick brush.

"How much longer do you think we'll be?" Dakota asks

"We're close. I can feel it." I say

"Okay."

An hour later, I stumble out into another clearing. The house standing before me is lovely. Rustic but modern. Like a farm house. I gasp. This is it. His house. I pull Dakota along to the front of the house.

What do I say to him?

Will he recognize me after all this time?

I look at Dakota who nods at me. I slowly raise my hand and knock on the wooden door. A few moments later, the door opens and a big, bearded, and older looking mans face peers out at me. His eyes go wide in shock. Almost as if he's seeing a ghost.

"My god..." says the deep voice.

"Hey, Mr. Johnson. " I say smiling a little.