Chased Dreams (25 page)

With love,

Lacey

About the Authors:

Author Lacey Weatherford

Lacey Weatherford is the
USA Today
bestselling author of many Young Adult and New Adult books such as
the Of Witches and Warlocks series, Crush series, Chase Walker
series, and the Fringe Novels. She has always loved books and
wanted to become a writer since reading her first Nancy Drew novel
at the age of eight.

Lacey resides in the beautiful White
Mountains of Arizona. She lives with her wonderful husband,
children, and their family pets. When she’s not out supporting one
of her kids at their sporting/music events, she spends her time
reading, writing, blogging, and socializing with her readers on her
social media accounts.

Visit Lacey’s Official Website:

http://www.laceyweatherfordbooks.com

Follow on Twitter:

LMWeatherford

Or Facebook:

Lacey Weatherford – Author

Author Chase Walden

Chase Walden is well known in his home state
of Arizona for his incredible athletic abilities in all sports, but
he especially excels in football and basketball.

Chased Dreams is his first authored book,
after initially getting his start in the book world as the cover
model for the Chase Walker series. While he doesn’t plan on doing
anymore cover modeling, he is open to try writing again. He also
enjoys going to book events and meeting readers.

Other Books by Lacey Weatherford:

Of Witches and Warlocks series

The Trouble with Spells

The Demon Kiss

Blood of the White Witch

The Dark Rising

Possession of Souls

Book of Shadows series

Fire & Ice

Chasing Nikki series

Chasing Nikki

Finding Chase

Chased Dreams (Available May 25, 2014)

The Crush Series

Crush

Smitten

Love

The Fringe Novels

Tell Me Why

Stix & Stones (Coming April 5, 2014)

Novellas

Faery Kissed

Over the River and Through the Woods

Multi-author Anthology

A Midsummer Night’s Fling

Also coming from Lacey Weatherford:

Allure (July 6, 2014)

Fall For Me (Coming Aug. 24, 2014)

Smolder (Coming Oct. 12, 2014)

Let It Snow (Dec. 7, 2014)

31 Flavors (Feb. 8, 2014)

Stix & Stones (April 5, 2014)

Keep reading for a peek in book one of The
Fringe Novels:

Prologue

Anna-

“No!” The scream tore from my lips as I
raced into the bathroom, slipping and falling into the puddle of
bloody water slowly spreading across the tiled floor. Crawling to
my hands and knees, I scrambled to the edge of the tub, not caring
my clothes were soaking up the offensive fluid. “Help! Somebody
help me!” The panicked cry left my throat feeling shredded, as I
plunged my hands into the red water seeping over the porcelain
edge, dragging Jessi’s face back to the surface.

Her long blonde hair clumped limply around
my hands and I shook her violently. “Jessi!” A long painful howl
escaped me. “Oh, God! Please don’t let her be dead!” My whole body
trembled as I tried to pull her from the tub; but she was too
heavy. “Somebody help me!” I screamed again, my shriek echoing off
the walls. I stood there, alone and in shock, holding her slack
body above the waterline.

“What’s going on?” Danica's panicked voice
drifted from the hallway along with the sound of running feet.

“Call an ambulance!” I yelled.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Danica's terrified
voice reverberated shrilly through my head as she entered the room
behind me. “Caleb! We need you!”

Danica's hands dipped into the water,
grabbing Jessi by her jeans, and the two of us struggled to drag
her out.

“No, Jessi! No!” Danica wailed.

Strong arms scooped Jessi up, relieving us
of the burden and I glanced over to see Caleb’s stricken face as he
lifted her, moving her onto the floor.

“Do something!” Danica hollered, her hands
sliding to her cheeks in horror.

“Mom, go call 911!” Caleb commanded the
hysterical Danica, and she rushed from the room.

My fingers drifted to Jessi’s neck,
automatically seeking a pulse. “I can’t find anything!” I said, my
voice shaking.

Caleb shook his head. “We’re too late.”
Tears slipped over the rims of his eyes. In all the years I’d known
him, I’d never seen him cry. Ever. This was bad.

“No! We can’t give up!” I argued, placing my
hands on Jessi’s chest. Pressing down, I began counting as I
started CPR. She was my best friend in the whole world! I couldn’t
lose her!

“Anna . . . ,” Caleb’s voice barely
registered, as I focused in on Jessi’s mascara streaked face,
watching for any sign of life. “Annalisa!” He shouted my full name,
breaking through my cloudy mind. I glanced at him briefly, not
stopping. “Look at her! She’s lost too much blood. Who knows how
long she’s been in here.”

“She called me an hour ago!” I replied in a
sob, continuing to work. Water bubbled through her blue lips as I
pushed. Caleb helped me roll her to the side, letting it drain, and
I checked again for a pulse. Nothing.

Gently laying her back down, I leaned over
her once more.

“Anna,” Caleb said flatly.

“What?” I snapped, knowing he was trying to
tell me something I didn’t want to hear. I was determined to do
whatever I could.

“The wounds in her wrists are deep. There’s
no blood coming from them. I think she’s bled out.”

Glancing at the damaged flesh, I saw he was
right, but I couldn’t make myself stop.

“I can’t lose her, Caleb,” I replied,
hearing the defeat in my own voice, but still continuing the
compressions.

He didn’t fight me, instead joining me,
breathing into her mouth at the appropriate intervals. Danica
reappeared, the phone pressed to her ear. Shakily, she shouted
instructions from the dispatcher. Ages passed before I heard the
wail of sirens, followed by a bustle of people entering the small
bathroom, carrying a bunch of gear.

Strong arms wrapped around me, dragging me
away from my friend and into the hallway. “Let them do their job,”
Caleb’s voice whispered in my ear. Even though he was trembling, he
didn’t let go of me and, for that, I was grateful. I wasn’t sure if
I could stand on my own.

Unable to see much through the crowd of
bodies, I waited for someone to tell us something. It wasn’t long
before a man slipped from the room, casting a sympathetic glance in
our direction. Walking several steps down the hall, he disappeared
around the corner. Clearly trying to keep us from overhearing, his
words stabbed me as he spoke softly into his radio. “Dispatch? We
need the coroner.”

Danica wailed and sank to the floor.

“Go to her,” I said, pushing Caleb in her
direction. He released me and I dropped to my knees, unable to
swallow past the huge knot in my throat. A choking sob escaped me
as I watched Caleb gather his stepmom into his embrace, the two of
them clutching each other desperately.

Reality punched me straight in the stomach.
My best friend was dead. Jessi had committed suicide and I had no
idea why. What had happened? What had I missed? I thought I knew
everything about her! This couldn’t be happening—it had to be a
horrible nightmare or something, right? I couldn’t have missed
something so important, could I?

Glancing down at my wet, bloody clothes, I
felt the bile rise into my throat. Covering my mouth with my hand,
I stumbled to my feet and ran toward the downstairs bathroom,
barely making it to the toilet before I vomited.

Chapter One

Anna-

Different floral aromas mixed together,
filling the room in the tiny, nondenominational church with their
scents. A minister whom I’d never met, and was certain Jessi didn’t
know, was telling the congregation about the meaning of life and
how much she would be missed. Honestly, listening to him was making
me slightly angry. What right did a stranger have to tell us about
her?

Sitting in fold out chairs with the rest of
Caleb’s roommates and band members, I glanced to the row ahead,
where Caleb had his arm draped around his stepmom. Danica had taken
“funeral black” dramatically over the top with her outfit—a suit
that was slightly too low cut in front to be appropriate, as well
as too short, with spiked black heels. Underneath a black flowered
hat, complete with a short veil that draped over half her face, her
blonde hair and pale skin were the only color that broke up the
morbid ensemble. I found it interesting that even though her
husband, Hank, was sitting stoically next to her, it was Caleb she
kept leaning toward and weeping against.

Except for their tall height, Caleb was
nothing like his dad. I couldn’t really compare their hair color,
since Caleb had been dying his for years. When he was younger, his
natural color was medium brown, if I remembered correctly. Now, it
was black, except for a small patch of blonde that had been
bleached into the ends of his long bangs. Where his dad kept his
hair buzzed short, Caleb wore his longer, shaggier around his ears,
and longer on his neck. It was all part of his “rocker persona” as
the lead guitarist in our band, Fringe. Caleb was friendly, warm
and outgoing. Hank McCord was not—having even served jail time in
the past for spousal abuse. I never could figure out why Danica
stayed with him. When Hank was home, Jessi had spent as much time
away from the house with Caleb, or me, as possible. Neither she nor
Caleb got along with their dad.

As if he could feel me staring at him, Caleb
glanced over his shoulder to where I was sitting, shooting a half
smile in my direction before reaching back to pat my knee. “Doing
okay?” he mouthed and I nodded briefly, staring sympathetically
into his bright blue eyes before he turned around.

Caleb was classically handsome. Drop dead
gorgeous hot might be better terminology, actually. Even Jessi used
to bemoan the fact he was her stepbrother—not that he would’ve paid
attention to either of us. He was over three years older than me
and almost four years older than Jessi. He was a sophomore in
college and twenty-one years old. We were high school seniors and
way beneath his notice—at least until the day his band lost their
lead singer and Jessi convinced him to let me audition.

The guys weren’t too keen on having a girl
in their band, especially one so young; but I had the pipes for it
and it turned out to be an amazing fit for all of us. I went from
being an only child, who wished for a brother, to having four very
overprotective older adopted brothers. Caleb, the twins, Rick and
Riley Forrester, and Justin Stedman, who insisted we call him Stix
because he thought it sounded like a cool drummer name. Though I
loved them all desperately, I wasn’t sure I liked them always
looking over my shoulder, threatening every guy who tried to date
Jessi or me. They were constantly running off potential
boyfriends.

Now, what would it be like with her
gone?

“
Anna, do you ever think about what it
would be like to die?”
Our conversation from a week ago
suddenly popped into my head.

Puzzled, I glanced at her. Under normal
circumstances, I’d have thought she was joking; but she seemed so
serious.

“
Can’t say that I have, honestly.
Why?”

Jessi shrugged, pulling the light jacket she
was wearing tighter around her. “No reason, really. I just wonder
if it hurts. ” She flicked her long blonde hair behind her
shoulder, briefly casting a sidelong look at me.

“
Well, I guess that would depend on how
you died.”

“
True.”

“
What brought all this on?” I asked,
confused by her line of questioning.

She laughed. “Nothing really. Just my crazy
mind. You know how it is. How’s the new song coming along?” She
changed the subject without answering.

The conversation suddenly seemed very
ominous now, as if it were a foreshadowing of what would come. I
should’ve pressed harder to discover what was bothering her. What
if she was trying to reach out and I wasn’t listening? Was her
death my fault? Had I been a bad friend who didn’t pay attention to
what was going on?

Tears leaked from my eyes at the thought of
her hurting and having no one to turn to. Why wouldn’t she have
gone to Caleb if I wasn’t listening? Had she spoken to him and I
just didn’t know about it? Even though they were stepbrother and
sister, not even related by blood, they were very close. Did he
know what had happened?

Staring at the urn that rested among sprays
of funeral arrangements near a smiling picture of Jessi, I suddenly
felt a wave of panic wash through me. She was gone—really gone.
This wasn’t a game we were playing. It was reality. She wouldn’t be
coming back after we were done with all this funeral stuff.

Flashes of the bloody water that plagued my
nightmares came unbidden into my mind, bringing the nausea with it.
Suddenly the room felt unbearably hot and oppressive. Unable to
take it for another second, I leapt from my seat, rushed up the
aisle, toward the double doors, before bursting outside into the
filtered light from the cloudy gray skies that too often frequented
Bainbridge Island. The smell of the water from Puget Sound drew my
attention to a small area on the church grounds overlooking the
harbor, and to the Seattle skyline in the distance. I could clearly
make out the Space Needle, set slightly off to the north of the
other downtown skyscrapers. A large, white ferry was making one of
its many daily trips across the water toward the island and, for a
moment, I was tempted to run to the dock and escape into the city
for a while. I wanted to be somewhere else—anywhere else—but here,
at the memorial service for my best friend.