All Chapters of When In My Dreams, I Met You: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Cara’s instincts flared as Vince offered her a place to rest in a private room. Her mind immediately began to draw comparisons to the time they had spent together in the secluded corners of the school theater. There had been something unsettling about that experience—the way the atmosphere felt charged, as though something was always just on the edge of happening. The tension had lingered long after their encounter, and now, as she stood in front of Vince again, the same uneasy sensation began to bubble to the surface. She couldn’t help but notice that, just like in her dream, Vince seemed to embody the mysterious figure that had been haunting her thoughts lately. The figure in her dream had been elusive, a shadowy presence, but in this moment, Vince felt too familiar, and her instincts told her to be cautious.Her mind raced as she evaluated the situation. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it,” she quickly responded, trying to downplay her discomfort and ignore the rising thoughts from her

Cara’s school attendance was nearly flawless—she rarely missed a class, and when she did, it was never a cause for concern. Her grades were solid enough that she could slack off a bit without facing any major consequences. Missing the acquaintance party wouldn’t affect her performance at all, at least, that’s what she tried to convince herself as the event loomed closer. After all, she had far more pressing things to think about. Or at least, that’s what she wanted to believe.Her thoughts were interrupted when Jean’s voice broke through her musings, her tone teasing. "Wait, don’t tell me you’re not interested in coming to the party? I thought you’d be more excited about it.”“Hmm, I’d be interested if you tell me who your date is first.” Cara grinned, raising an eyebrow. For as long as they’d been friends, Cara couldn’t recall a single moment when Jean had ever mentioned a boyfriend. Maybe her love life was a secret, even from her best friend. Despite the five-year age gap, Cara figur

**Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock...**The only sound breaking the silence in her room was the steady ticking of the wall clock. Cara sat frozen in front of her closet, lost in thought. Her eyes were fixed on the sketch who looked like Vince, and she hadn’t moved in what felt like an eternity. The day had gone by in a blur, but the illustration, which she had finally found after weeks of searching, held her attention entirely. Cara's face was pale, still, almost frozen like an ice sculpture, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. The sketch in front of her was not just a vague resemblance of Vince; it was eerily accurate. The artist had captured every detail of his face, from the shape of his nose to the curve of his lips, as if Vince himself had posed for it. The sketch could have been a carbon copy of him.Her breath caught as she blinked, her mind racing to connect the dots. How could this be? How could the image of Vince be in this sketch when she hadn’t met him yet?

“Yeah! you two! The party’s not over yet, and you’re already leaving?” Will’s voice rang out, his words slurred with anger, frustration, and a touch of sadness. His eyes were clouded, tormenting Vince as he tried to relive their conversation from yesterday—the one about their childhood with Cara., memories that Will couldn’t shake. In Vince's mind, Cara was blameless, yet he couldn't stop recollecting the events, trying to understand what had happened. She remained innocent, even though Vince's thoughts kept analyzing their past together.The reason Vince had been late, and the reason he hadn’t come to fetch Cara from their house as planned, was that he’d been lost in thought, reflecting on the words his cousin WIll had thrown at him yesterday. His cousin blamed him for everything, for things he couldn’t even remember. There were gaps in his memory, blanks where the answers should have been. And yet, he knew one thing for sure: he needed to tell Cara everything he could remember.Vince

“Hey, are you okay? I’m sorry for not giving you a heads-up before coming here."I’m fine, really," she replied, forcing a smile to mask the turmoil inside. "And it’s alright. But, by the way, what brings you here so early?" She hoped her smile was convincing enough to hide the unease she felt after overhearing her mom's conversation earlier."Is your mom okay?" he asked again, his expression showing concern, as though he sensed something was off but was still unsure about what exactly was going on."She’s fine," she replied, offering an upbeat smile to mask the unease within her. "We just had a little misunderstanding, but everything’s good now. Don’t worry." Her eyes, however, lingered on him, silently asking why he had shown up at her house without any notice."Um, I just wanted to see you again," he said, his voice softening. "I couldn't sleep last night because I kept thinking about you. Am I being too clingy?" He flashed a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head. His hones