Nick was at first reluctant to kiss her, but she felt and tasted so familiar and so inviting that Nick was seduced very quickly. His eyes flickered shut in surrender and he wrapped his arms sensually around her back, pulling her onto his chest. His lips caressed her as tears fell unnoticed down his cheeks one at a time. Paris hid her face from view as she kissed his jaw line, making him tremble and shudder in pleasure when her warm and moist tongue found his bare skin.
"Paris…" He whispered, needing to look into her eyes. His hand traced her spinal cord down first and then back upwards. She was no longer wearing her nightgown. "Paris…" He repeated, as she had not been listening. Nick pulled her up from his neck to look at her. His hands dropped from her as Leighanne's face smiled down at him. He was confused and terrified. This was his best friend's wife naked in his bed.
Without too much disturbance, she was gone, and Nick saw himself screaming and shouting at Brian, who was shouting equally as aggressive back. Leighanne was there also, she was tugging on Brian's arm, calming him down temporarily before yelling at Nick herself. Nick saw himself storm out. He slammed the door behind him, and felt the ocean reach for his feet and engulf them. He looked up to see a tempest sky and sea. The air was cold and the beach empty.
The waves became taller and he tried to run away but could not. The waves never seemed to reach him though. He once again looked around the beach. He saw Paris in the distance to his left. He looked the other way, and saw a herd of journalists and reporters shaped like an organised stampede heading his way. He crouched down and covered himself with his arms to shield himself.
But when he felt nothing, he opened himself from his own embrace to find himself back on his bed with Paris, who kissed him once, for the final time.
"Dreams can be so cruel." Nick decided as he lay awake afterwards, shivering due to this rather turbulent dream. He surprised himself by not crying, however he did take into account that he was convulsing against his will. He felt his head and neck.
He was terribly thirsty and he was very hot- even his hand was cold against his skin. He kicked the covers off his near-naked body and trembled more violently when the colder air of his bedroom touched his skin. He decided to get up and walk around outside in the garden for a while. He pulled his temperature-infected body out of bed, and put a t-shirt on delicately-his arms, his neck and his back were stiff. He ran his hands through his hair, feeling the sweat on his forehead, glancing at the clock. It was 3 AM. Without knowing, Nick had connected with Brian. Brian hated 3 AM. It was not quite morning, but night had already passed. He was stuck in between time- or at least that's what it felt like.
Nick crept outside and under the moonlight. The moon was like a soft spotlight, and the stars were glistening like the brightest lights of the biggest stadium in the world. He looked up in tranquillity and awe. He would have given anything to be up there- away from all this chaos that surrounded his life that was falling apart. However he was strangely calmed by this spectacle. It was so beautiful to him-it was all his wonderful experiences compiled into one tapestry. He was reminded of how beautiful Paris' eyes were and of a picture of Baylee when he was only a day old-so pure and so young. He heard the sound of the waves knocking backwards and forwards against the beach, and he was soothed. This was coupled with the sound of one of their new songs "Never Gone" and Kevin's laughter. Nick stared at his pool. R.E.M's song "Night swimming"
filtered through into his mind and pushed out all other thoughts. "Night swimming deserves a quiet night…." He heard the melodic piano serenade him in the darkness. He was curious as to why he hadn't covered the pool overnight. He took this as a sign.
He breathed in the air, and felt the piercing cold of the water that was kind to his skin as he stepped in and sat down on the third step in, and felt alive. He was not happy, but he felt so effortlessly alive.
